Falklands War veteran, Simon Weston CBE, has reflected on current and past conflicts at an event held at Taunton retired living development Riverain Lodge. He also called for greater help for veterans.

Weston served in the Falklands War of 1982 and was severely injured, sustaining burns to 46 per cent of his body when his ship – the RAF Sir Galahad – was destroyed in the Bluff Cove air attack. 48 men on board died, most of whom were his friends.

Speaking in Somerset, Weston shared his views on the support available for veterans and spoke about current conflict zones in the world.  

“Veterans are on their own in many ways; all they ask for is to be taken care of when life is against them," he said. “Things are far better from when I was injured 42 years ago, but we still need to have a general consensus that things aren’t good enough for veterans."

Politicians need to “step up to the mark” and properly consider the sacrifice of armed forces personnel, many of whom have “given their all," he said.

Conflicts around the world

Asked whether the UK should be drawn further into the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, Weston responded: “We may not be fully in it at the moment, but at the end of the day, both of these large conflicts could be stopped if the protagonists behind it chose to stop it.”

The conflict in Ukraine passed the 1,000 day threshold this week while the conflict in Israel is already past its one-year point. 

“All I can do is hope that the protagonists of these conflicts stop seeing land and human beings as expendable and start talking to find a sensible solution”, Weston said. “Way too many people have died in these conflicts and at the end of the day, it’s innocent people who are dead.”

Reflecting on innocent people in the Falklands War, the veteran detailed how three female civilians were killed, an event which “seems to stick in my mind." The three women were bystanders in the conflict during the Battle of Mount Longdon.

907 lives were lost in the Falklands War, including 255 British personnel and the three Falklanders.

“In the case of the Falklands, we had a protagonist who invaded the islands," he said. "But humanity must win. It has a greater resonance when you’ve been in conflict and seen the damage that can be done to a human being.”