Terry Peck - Early Life

Early Life

Born in Stanley, he was descended from Irish and English (Norfolk) emigrants to the Falkland Islands. Educated in Stanley, in his youth he boxed and became a member of the Boys' Brigade. On leaving school he found work in the construction of a meat packing plant at Ajax Bay in Falkland Sound. After joining the Police Force and the Falkland Islands Defence Force he became involved with the Argentine Sovereignty Claim in 1966.

On 26 September 1966, an Aerolíneas Argentinas DC-4 flew low over Stanley before attempting to land at the racecourse. On its approach it clipped telegraph poles, and on touching down the undercarriage sank into the soft ground bringing the aircraft to an immediate and jarring stop. Earlier that day, the aircraft had been hijacked whilst on an internal flight by Right-Wing Argentine nationalists, known as the Condor Group, who forced the crew to fly to the Falklands, apparently unaware there was then no airport. Islanders, including Terry, assumed the aircraft was in trouble and rushed to help only to be taken hostage by the terrorists. Despite the serious nature of this incident, there were many elements of farce, not least of which was Terry's escape hidden under the robes of a local priest acting as mediator. After their surrender the terrorists were returned to Argentina to receive light sentences and were lauded as heroes.