How this Falklands veteran disposed a bomb whilst under intense enemy aircraft attack

2022 has marked the 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict and Forces News has been speaking to veterans who were there.

Mick Fellows was the Fleet Chief Petty Officer Clearance Diver when the Falklands were invaded by Argentinian forces in 1982. 

He sailed south with the British task force and soon conducted his first bomb disposal operation on board HMS Antrim while at sea under intense enemy aircraft attack. 

• How two amateur radio enthusiasts secretly passed soldiers' 'I am safe' messages during Falklands War
• Widow on emotional visit to Falklands 40 years after husband's death
• The civilian P&O doctor who treated wounded troops during Falklands conflict

He was the first man in naval history to defuse an unexploded bomb on board a warship at sea. 

For his actions during the conflict, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Mr Fellows described to Forces News how a colleague told him he could telephone his wife to let her know what was happening: "I'll telephone Irene and tell her what you're doing.

"You can imagine what my response was, and I don't want to say it on air again now, but it wasn't 'no, please don't tell Irene I'm sat on a bomb in the middle of the Atlantic, trying to defuse it, don't really know what I'm doing and I'm about to kill 400 people'.

"She wouldn't appreciate that sort of thing, but it was in stronger language than that."

He added: "I knew if I got it wrong, we were going to lose a lot of lives."

If you have been affected by any of the subjects in this interview, advice is available at https://www.forcesnews.com/audiencesupport.

Head to our Falklands 40 page, where you can find our memorial wall, as well as more Falklands stories, videos and podcasts.