The Falkland Islands Conflict 1982 On the 5th April 1982, a large British task force set out on a 7500 mile journey to liberate a group of tiny windswept islands in the South Atlantic. On 1st May began the biggest naval action to take place since the Second World War - more than 1000 men lost their lives. met.open.ac.uk/group/cpv/falkland.htm