HMS Sheffield: Town Hall flag flies at half-mast on 40th anniversary of ship's sinking during Falklands War

The flag above Sheffield Town Hall is being flown at half-mast to mark one of the saddest days in the city’s history.
By Robert Cumber
Published 10th May 2022, 13:58 BST
Updated 10th May 2022, 14:17 BST
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It is 40 years ago today, Tuesday, May 10, that the stricken HMS Sheffield sank while it was being towed away from the Falklands.

Six days earlier, on May 4, 1982, the 4,100-ton destroyer had been struck by an Exocet missile fired from an Argentine fighter bomber during the Falklands War, killing 20 crew members and injuring many more.

HMS Sheffield: City centre comes to a standstill during ceremony held to mark 40 years since sinking of Royal Navy ship

The union flag flying at half-mast above Sheffield Town Hall on Tuesday, May 10, marking the 40th anniversary of the sinking of HMS SheffieldThe union flag flying at half-mast above Sheffield Town Hall on Tuesday, May 10, marking the 40th anniversary of the sinking of HMS Sheffield
The union flag flying at half-mast above Sheffield Town Hall on Tuesday, May 10, marking the 40th anniversary of the sinking of HMS Sheffield
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The 40th anniversary of the tragedy was marked in Sheffield with a ceremony last Wednesday.

On the same day, a new memorial commissioned by the HMS Sheffield Association Committee was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum in Burton-on-Trent.

It is a place of remembrance for those lost in action that fateful day but also celebrates the service of all those who served on the three ships, a cruiser, a destroyer and a frigate, that have borne the name HMS Sheffield.

Related topics:Town HallSheffield Town HallArgentineRoyal Navy