Ripon man returns Falklands War letter to Argentinian soldierA handwritten letter found in the aftermath of the Falklands War 40 years ago has been reunited with the Argentinian soldier who wrote it, following the intervention of the Argentinian ambassador to the UK.
As previously reported by The Stray Ferret, the blue-coloured airmail letter – known in the armed forces as a “bluey” – was found around a year after the end of the Falklands War by Jim Phillips, who was posted to the Falkland Islands’ capital, Port Stanley, as a lance corporal in the Royal Engineers.
It had been written by an Argentinian soldier during the war but had never found its way to the intended recipient.
Jim said:
“The letter was actually posted in Port Stanley during the war, but it never got out because we’d bombed the runway.”
Jim, who now lives in Ripon, kept the letter but mislaid it during a house move. It came to light again just before Christmas 2022, and he immediately contacted the Argentinian Embassy in the hopes of reuniting the letter with its writer.
Jim, now 64, met the Argentinian Ambassador, Javier Figueroa, in March and handed him the letter over lunch at Grantley Hall, near Ripon.
Mr Figueroa, who has long taken a special interest in the Falkland Islands and last year said the war had been “a tragedy”, promised to do everything he could to ensure the letter got back to its rightful owner, named as a Corporal Balbuena, a conscript in Argentina’s 3rd Mechanised Infantry Regiment.
Then and now: Corporal Danny Balbuena on Sapper Hill in the Falkland Islands in 1982, and today in Buenos Aires with his dog. PHOTOS: Danny Balbuena.
And now, after a “postal delay” of 40 years, the letter has finally been returned to Mr Balbuena, who is now retired and lives in Buenos Aires. In a message last week, Mr Figueroa wrote:
“We hereby want to inform you that the original letter written by the Argentine soldier has reached its original hands in Argentina.
“This has been possible thanks to the honorable gesture of Jim Phillips, deployed in the area between January and June 1983 after the Malvinas conflict.
“At a time when many soldiers’ personal items are being auctioned and sold online, we want to publicly express our gratitude to Mr Phillips and, on behalf of Mr Balbuena, his happiness to be reacquainted with this part of his personal history.”
Jim has since regularly exchanged Whatsapp messages with Danny Balbuena, 60, and has even found out the identity of the letter’s intended recipient. He said:
“Danny was only 19 at the time, and he’d written the letter to his girlfriend. Sadly, she died a few years ago, so he’s absolutely over the moon to be reunited with the letter he wrote to her. It means a lot.”
Jim said he and Danny “are striking up a good friendship” and intend to carry on their correspondence. He added:
“I’d really like to thank the ambassador for all his work on this. He’s been so helpful in this matter, it’s been untrue. He’s really gone above and beyond.”
Radio operator Corporal Danny Balbuena (far left) of Argentina’s 3rd Mechanised Infantry Regiment, with comrades on Sapper Hill, East Falkland, in 1982.
The Falklands War was fought over 10 weeks in 1982 and began when the right-wing military government of Argentina sent a surprise invasion force which took possession of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia on April 2.
The UK, then led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, dispatched a task force of ships, aircraft and soldiers to take the islands back. The armed conflict, which ended on June 14 with a British victory and the capture of more than 11,000 Argentine soldiers, claimed more than 900 lives, over 70% of them Argentinian.
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Priceless military heritage to be protected at Ripon development siteFears that priceless elements of Ripon’s rich military heritage could be flattened to make way for the 1,300-home Clotherholme scheme have been allayed.
Jane Furse, a trustee of the Ripon Military Heritage Trust, which has plans to create heritage trails on the development site, told the Stray Ferret:
“We were concerned that some extremely rare huts on the Deverell Barracks part of the site, and other historically important structures, would be demolished, but I’m relieved to say that this will not be the case.
“These huts are among the few surviving of their kind in the UK and help to tell the story of the vital national and international role that Ripon’s Royal Engineers played in just about every aspect of World War II and subsequent conflicts.
“This included training British and allied troops in the erection and use of Bailey Bridges in theatres of war such as Sicily and France and bomb disposal, that saved the lives of civilians and military personnel around the world.”
Minutes of Harrogate Borough Council’s February 23 planning meeting at which Homes England was seeking outline approval to progress development of the huge Clotherholme scheme, confirm that the huts and other structures will have protection.
Under the provisions of a Section 106 agreement the developer is required to put in place a strategy to ‘secure military heritage within the site.’
Jane Furse of Ripon Military Heritage Trust pictured at the barracks site
The planning meeting minutes also say:
“Prior to the commencement of works to each phase of development, a record (including photographs, drawings and summary of historic analysis) shall be made of a representative selection of buildings with military heritage on site and shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. Copies of this record shall be placed on the North Yorkshire Historic Environment Record.”
Ms Furse, an architectural historian and former inspector of historic buildings with English Heritage (now Historic England) pointed out:
“Inclusion within the S 106 agreement means that the significance of military heritage assets at the site has been formally recognised and that is very welcome news.
“It means that we can go forward, in liaison with Homes England and other parties, to progress plans for military heritage trails at Clotherholme that alongside other heritage attractions, will add to the city’s development as a tourist destination.”
Bomb disposal and the American connection
The wooden huts at Deverell Barracks are of heritage importance, because they are identical to ones that were located at the nearby Harper Barracks which became the home of the Royal Engineers’ School of Bomb Disposal in 1941.
Setting up of the national school in Ripon, soon saw Royal Engineers based in the city providing vital training and passing on know-how to the Americans, in the wake of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour, the USA naval base.
Ms Furse said:
“The Royal Engineers sought out examples of every known enemy bomb and developed countermeasures to defuse them. The School developed a rigorous training programme in bomb identification and disposal methodology.
“The Americans, although aware of the threat of unexploded bombs, had no proper procedures for safe disposal and the aftermath of the bombing of Pearl Harbour on December 7 1941, meant that for the first time, they were faced with unexploded bombs scattered throughout their bases and the harbour.
“On December 9, the British Military Attache’s office in Washington received a request for a joint personnel exchange – an early example of the ‘special relationship’ between ourselves and the USA.
“A group of eight hand-picked American soldiers headed by Major Thomas J Kane, travelled to Ripon to train with the Engineers, arriving on February 1 1942.
“After six weeks of attending lectures and demonstrations, all of the U.S. Army ordnancemen passed the course and were made honorary Royal Engineers – they were even given official RE patches and allowed to wear them on the sleeves of their American uniforms.”
The expertise gained from the Royal Engineers in Ripon subsequently saw Major Kane set up the USA’s first Bomb Disposal School in Maryland.
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Ripon’s Royal Engineers enjoy freedom of the city
Rousing military music resounded on city streets yesterday morning as Ripon’s Royal Engineers held their annual freedom march.
Members of the 21 Engineer Regiment based at Claro Barracks, who returned to the UK in September from postings in Cyprus and Poland, were joined by a band from the Royal Corps of Army Music, as 300 uniformed men and women marched past the town hall and down Kirkgate for a service held in their honour at the cathedral.
Eyes right as the Royal Engineers march past Ripon Town Hall and take the salute from city Mayor Councillor Sid Hawke and other civic dignitaries.
In line with tradition the Engineers, who were awarded the freedom of Ripon in 1949, exercised the rights bestowed on them 73 years ago, by marching in step to the sound of the band with drums beating and bayonets fixed.
The march down Kirkgate.
In addition to the six-month United Nations peacekeeping role in Cyprus that the Engineers took up in March and the detachment to Poland, Ripon-based sappers have served on operations in Northern Ireland, Kuwait, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, providing light role close support that enables the army to live, move and fight.
The Royal Engineers attended a service at Ripon Cathedral
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Thousands pay their respects as Ripon remembers the fallenThousands of people gathered at Spa Gardens and on nearby streets, as Ripon remembered the dead of two world wars and other conflicts this morning.
Services were held at the war memorial and in Ripon Cathedral, with both attended by the Bishop of Ripon the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd. John Dobson (pictured below) and clergy from the cathedral.
Spa Gardens, which like all other parts of the city has been decorated with thousands of red hand-knitted poppies created by the Ripon Community Poppy Project, provided a fitting backdrop for the ceremony at the memorial.
It was here that Andrew Cowie, president of the Ripon branch of the Royal British Legion, read out almost 400 names that appear on memorials at the gardens and in the cathedral.
Following a two-minute silence, wreaths were laid, including one on behalf of Ripon City Council, put in place by the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke (pictured below).
Wreaths were also laid by other dignitaries and representatives of all branches of the armed forces and the emergency services.
The service included hymns accompanied by Ripon City Band and the Last Post and Reveille played by Linda Graham, while lone piper Peter Spencer, of the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Pipe Band played the lament Flowers of the Forest. which preceded the two-minute silence.
Royal Engineers from Claro Barracks, were present, alongside retired service men and women and members of the Ripon Branch of the Royal British Legion.
Following the service in Spa Gardens 60 soldiers based at Claro Barracks led a march to the cathedral, passing Ripon Town Hall, where the mayor took the salute.
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Firefighters put up poppies as Ripon prepares for services of RemembranceKey locations in Ripon are being decked with thousands of knitted poppies ready for this year’s remembrance events.
Over the weekend, members of Ripon Community Poppy Project were given a helping hand from city firefighters as displays were put in place at the town hall.
Hazel Barker, who founded the project in 2018 with former mayor Cllr Stuart Martin, told the Stray Ferret:
“We have knitted thousands of new poppies to replace some of the ones that have been used in previous years.”
She added:
“We are grateful, as ever, to the fire brigade for the tremendous help they have given us in putting up the town hall display.”
To support the work of the Community Poppy Project, a Concert of Remembrance featuring Ripon City Band, The Dishforth Military Wives Choir and the Duchy Belles, will be held at Ripon Cathedral on November 10, starting at 7.15pm.
Tickets are £12 and available from Stuff 4 Offices on Fishergate and the Wakeman’s House Cafe on Market place.
Hazel Barker and Councillor Stuart Martin of Ripon Community Poppy Project, are pictured with the crew Ripon’s Red Watch, from the left: Firefighters Turner, Harvey and Foster and crew managers Fagg and Thwaites.
Meanwhile, the Ripon Branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) has confirmed details of services to be held on November 5 and 13.
On Saturday November 5, the Garden of Remembrance created by the Ripon branch of the Royal British Legion in 2018, following donations from the public, authorities and the business community, will be blessed by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson.
The blessing ceremony, followed by a two-minute silence at 11am, will be attended by the Mayor of Ripon Cllr Sid Hawke, serving officers, members of the RBL and standard bearers.
Guests and other attendees will have the opportunity to place a poppy cross in remembrance of the fallen who died, not only in the first world war, but all war and conflicts since.
Remembrance Sunday Service
Ripon’s Remembrance Sunday service will be held on November 13 at the war memorial in Spa Gardens, where there will be a two-minute silence before wreaths are laid in honour of the fallen, by civic dignitaries, members of the armed forces, the RBL and representatives of other organisations. Those planning to attend are asked to arrive by 10.30am.
On completion of the service at the war memorial, the civic party will proceed to the town hall where there will be a march past and salute.
The march past, including members of the Royal Engineers, standard bearers, veterans, Ripon City Band, cadets, scouts and guides and representatives of other organisations, will head down Kirkgate to the cathedral, where a service will be held.
Jeet Bahadur Sahi, chair of the RBL Ripon Branch, said:
“We remember those who lost their lives on active service in all conflicts, from the beginning of the First World War right up to the present day. We also remember all those who have served and their families.
“Remembrance events encourage communities to come together to honour those who served and remember their sacrifices.
“We unite across faiths, cultures and backgrounds to remember the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces community from Britain and the Commonwealth.”
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‘Reckless’ Royal Engineers ‘putting lives at risk’ on a Ripon roadRoyal Engineers, driving recklessly at high speeds on a stretch of road near their Ripon base, are ‘putting lives at risk’ claim local residents.
Fears that there will soon be a human fatality, if urgent traffic calming measures are not put in place, have heightened following reports on social media that pet cats have recently been killed on Clotherhome Road.
The family pets join a mounting casualty list that also includes a Labrador puppy hit by a car.
Fears of a human fatality
Claire Charlton, who lives opposite the playing fields and within sight of two 15mph speed limit signs (pictured below) said:
“It’s only a matter of time before we will have a human fatality – things are getting out of hand.”
The mother of four and owner of two small dogs, pointed out:
“A lot of school-children use the cut through between the Doublegates estate and Clotherholme Road as a short cut on their way to and from school and it would be dreadful if it took the death of a child, to make speeding motorists realise what a danger they pose to children, other road users, dog walkers and family pets.”
Students of both Ripon Grammar School and Outwood Academy, use this short-cut from the Doublegates estate and onto the busy Clotherholme Road
Mrs Charlton, added:
“A few weeks ago, I was reversing out of my drive onto Clotherholme Road and was nearly hit by a white car that must have been going at more than 60 miles per hour.
“I followed the driver as he turned into Chatham Road, but when I came to the barrier at the entrance to the barracks, I was stopped by by camp security, who told me it wasn’t their problem.”
Batty was found dead on Clotherholme Road and his owner says the extent of his injuries indicate he was hit with considerable force by a vehicle
The loss of a family pet
On the Doublegates estate, the distraught owner of Batty, a black cat killed on the road a week ago, was tearful as she told the Stray Ferret:
“He came to us as a stray and was a beautiful, home-loving cat, who very rarely went out of our garden.
“But he didn’t come in when we called for him at bedtime and my partner found him with terrible injuries, dead on the road the following morning.”
She, added:
“Some people say, ‘what’s the fuss, it’s only a cat’ but to us Batty was a member of our family.”
Concerns have been raised by people living in the urban area and adjacent residential streets, who say that the finger of blame points clearly at soldiers traveling to and from Claro Barracks at the far end of Clotherholme Road.
‘Letting the regiment down’
Neil Divine, who served in the Royal Engineers for 23 years – four of them in Ripon – told the Stray Ferret:
“As a former member of the regiment, I regret to say that the weight of blame rests squarely on the shoulders of some soldiers, based at the barracks, who are letting the regiment down.
“They are seen in their uniforms driving recklessly to and from the barracks, at ridiculously high speeds.”
The section of road on the approach to the barracks has a speed limit of 15 miles per hour, but Mr Devine said:
“Not only is this regularly ignored, by most drivers, but they also speed in the 30mph section that goes past homes where there are families with children and pets – all of whom are being put at risk because of this reckless behaviour.”
The Stray Ferret has asked the Ministry of Defence for a response to the claims but did not receive one at the time of publication.
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Ripon’s rich military history threatened by 1,300-home barracks schemeKey parts of Ripon’s military past could be demolished to make way for the proposed 1,300-home development at the city’s barracks.
Homes England is seeking outline planning permission for the Clotherholme housing scheme, which would be the biggest single residential development in Ripon’s history.
Ripon Civic Society has now highlighted the potential loss of rare items that are part of Ripon and the UK’s military heritage.
The vital role Ripon’s military establishment played in both world wars and the Cold War has been highlighted in new research by the society.
Christopher Hughes, its chairman of the society, said:
“The site at Laver Banks is important in the history of Ripon’s past and in the defence of Britain in World War II and since.
“We have done detailed work on the Homes England proposals for the whole of the army camp site. We encourage them, and Harrogate Borough Council, to take a revised look at proposals for demolition of some of the structures our research has identified, and to protect them for the future.”
The society has been closely engaged in the planning process and has been keen to stress the importance of the last remaining remnants of the city’s vast World War I camp, in which the poet Wilfred Owen was stationed.
The heavy girder bridge, which crosses the River Laver on the Barracks site, was the next generation of the bridge designed by Sir Donald Bailey.
Setting up Ripon Military Heritage Trust to aid further research, it has now discovered that from the start of World War II the remaining site was the test-bed for developing and trialling demountable bridges, including the world-famous Bailey bridge.
The School of Military Engineering was evacuated from Chatham in Kent to Ripon at the start of the war.
Military heritage structures
Ripon architectural historian, lecturer and writer, David Winpenny, who is a vice-president of the society, said:
“As well as providing training for engineers on the Bailey bridge, the school also developed the massive Bailey Suspension Bridge, capable of spanning up to 400 feet.
“It was tested in Ripon at the Laver Banks site of Ripon Camp by British, Canadian and American troops before being deployed in Burma and other theatres of war.
“From 1946 a new heavy girder bridge was developed; by 1955 60 had been ordered. The first to be put in place was over the River Ure in Ripon. It was mainly used in West Germany as well as in Malaya.
“Development continued in the following decades. The only surviving heavy girder bridge was installed in Ripon as late as 1992.
“Ripon also has the larger of only two surviving k‘demolition’ training bridges, designed with cavities in which explosives could be packed to eliminate the bridges before an enemy assault.
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Mr Winpenny added:
“As well as these rare survivals, and the still-extant infrastructure of the testing site, the Ripon Camp also has the last four Twynam Huts remaining; these were the successors to the Nissan Huts and were developed in 1959 for use as accommodations for personnel, offices and stores.
“They were deployed worldwide, including in Cyprus, Aden and Libya, as well as on Ascension Island during the Falklands War and at Long Kesh Camp in Northern Ireland.”
‘Amazing how significant Ripon was’
The society has shared its findings with Homes England, which is responsible for the transition of the site from army camp to housing and employment site, and with Harrogate Borough Council, which will determine the planning application.
It has said that these significant but vulnerable remnants of Ripon’s military past require special protection as part of the planning process. The society wants to work closely with all parties to establish a community legacy for Ripon and the wider area by promoting and interpreting the site.
Guy Wilson, creator of the Royal Armouries museum in Leeds, and one of the Ripon Military Heritage Trust trustees, said:
“It is amazing how significant this quiet part of North Yorkshire was in the Second World War. What was happening in Ripon helped us to win the war and our research has discovered how important Ripon was in the development and perfection of the Bailey bridge and its successors.
“It is a story hitherto unknown but one very worth telling and remembering.”
Artworks honour Ripon’s military pastSoldiers from Ripon were involved in an art installation yesterday that provides an echo of the city’s military past going back 107 years.
Members of 21 Engineer Regiment helped with ground preparation before three metal silhouettes, depicting soldiers of World War I, were put in place at Hell Wath.
The works, created by artists Dan Metcalfe and Jeanne Mundy, in collaboration with Ripon Cathedral’s visual media artist and photographer Joe Priestley, replicate pieces from previous installations produced by the trio for the project ‘Fields of Mud, Seeds of Hope’
Members of the 21 Engineer Regiment did the spade work
Figures from that project can be seen near the cathedral and around the city as part of the Wilfred Owen memorial walk, created in honour the famous war poet who was based briefly at Ripon Army Camp from March 1918 and died in action in northern France just seven days before peace was declared.
Mr Metcalfe told the Stray Ferret:
“During World War I, this area was the southern half of a huge camp that at any time was providing temporary accommodation for upwards of 30,000 troops.
“When you consider that the population of the city was around 8,000 before the camp arrived, it makes you realise how dominant it was and the impact it would have had.
“I hope that these works serve as a permanent reminder for generations to come of the part that Ripon played in the war and those who never returned.”
The logistics of the installation have been led by Ripon Community Poppy Project, which is also involved in producing the annual remembrance displays in the city centre.
Councillor Stuart Martin, who was one of the founders of the project, said:
“This has happened thanks to a massive collaborative effort, with support from Econ Engineering, Ripon Farm Services, Harrogate Borough Council, the Royal Engineers and Tarmac, which owns the land.
“Thanks to their assistance, combined with donations of materials, time and labour, they have enabled the creation of this stunning installation that underlines the historical significance of Ripon’s military roots, which go back many years.”
The photograph shows artist Dan Metcalfe (front, left) with Councillor Stuart Martin, of Ripon Community Poppy Project, and soldiers from the 21 Engineer Regiment.
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Tribute to Ripon’s deputy mayor for 20 years’ service to the cityAt Cllr Charlie Powell’s 80th birthday party this week – celebrated with a handful of fellow councillors and his wife and deputy mayoress Jill – there was a special surprise.
Cllr Peter Horton read out a document prepared by his family detailing his lifetime of achievement – including serving more than a quarter of his life on Ripon City Council.
Over more than 30 pages it covered the highlights in the councillor’s story of service and business success.
During 15 years in the Royal Engineers, he was posted to Germany, Northern Ireland, Aden, Libya, Borneo and Singapore.
After leaving the Army, in which he rose to the rank of sergeant, Cllr Powell served for two years as a fire fighter in Ripon.
He spent 18 years in Saudi Arabia, where he worked for the military aircraft division of the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), then moved on to become a senior administrator with Waste Management International Ltd in Jeddah.
Cllr Powell played a key role in negotiating Curzon Cinema’s opening in Ripon
This was a role in which Cllr Powell represented his company as a guest of the Queen on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
He said:
“That was a remarkable honour and once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Although Army service and private sector work took him worldwide, Cllr Powell’s roots have remained firmly planted in Ripon, where his military career began.
At the age of 15, he attended the Army Apprentices School in Harrogate (now the Army Foundation College) and qualified as a carpenter, before joining the Royal Engineers.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“Ripon is my home and a city I take great pride in.
“It’s a special place with a long history, unique character and traditions that make it stand out – such as the nightly Hornblower ceremony at the obelisk.”
He has served for 21 years as a city councillor and has been deputy mayor since 2017.
There have been many highlights during his political career, including successful negotiations with Curzon, which led to the cinema operator opening in the city in 2013.
Cllr Powell’s business acumen also proved crucial in guiding the development of Quarry Moor Park and Nature Reserve as a place for public enjoyment.
He has also been a stalwart supporter of Ripon in Bloom.
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A job reference prepared by Mr K J Parfit, manager of support services for BAC at King Faisal Air Base, succinctly sums up the business capabilities that have subsequently been put to good use for the people of Ripon.
It read:
“I have no hesitation in recommending Mr Powell for any position requiring tact, intelligence and judgment.
“He has displayed all of these qualities in full measure.”
