Airborne Assault MuseumArticle
Falklands (Operation Corporate)
On 2nd April 1982 Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a British Territory in the South Atlantic, followed the next day by...
Donald Robertson joined the Parachute Regiment in 1968 as a private soldier with 15 PARA and after gaining a TA commission in 1970 he commanded a composite TA platoon attached to 3 PARA on an exercise in Ghana.
After attending RMAS he was posted to D Company 2 PARA completing a South Armagh Tour and Ex Deep Furrow in Turkey. Following a tour at Depot PARA he moved to 1 PARA as Anti Tank Platoon Commander for the last 6 months of their Berlin deployment followed by tours in Cyprus and South Armagh. Then posted to Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion before returning to Regimental Duties in 1981 as Ops/Trg Officer 3 PARA .
Post Op Corporate he served with 19 Infantry Brigade in Colchester as SO3 Ops/O&D before joining 2 PARA as OC Sp Coy carrying out LPBG exercises in UK and Oman as well as a further tour in South Armagh. This led on to a time with HQ 1 Group RAF where as SO2 Airborne Forces where he was responsible for planning major parachute and JATFOR exercises.
In 1989 he was once again posted to 2 PARA this time as OC HQ Coy for 6 months before joining 15 PARA (SV) as Training Major appearing on the Pink List in the same year. After his spell in Scotland he was posted to the Joint Arms Control Implementation Group (JACIG) which was forming up at RAF Scampton. The role of JACIG was to carry out inspections in the former Warsaw Pact Countries and to escort ex WP inspection teams at UK bases in support of Arms Control Agreements. The highlight of this tour was leading an inspection of a Russian Parachute Battalion .After this posting he had been pencilled in to command 15 PARA (SV) but due to cuts in the TA this did not take place and he took early retirement.
After leaving the Army Donald he was appointed as the Administrator for the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice before filling the same role at Strathcarron Hospice in Denny. He is married with two sons and now has retired up to his native Isle of Skye where his interests are walking, fishing and supporting local community initiatives.
Service History
- 1968 The 15th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (15 PARA SV) (Private)
- 1970 The 15th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (15 PARA SV) (Second Lieutenant)
- 1972 Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (Officer Cadet)
- 1973 The 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) (Second Lieutenant)
- 1974 Depot The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces (Second Lieutenant)
- 1976 The 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment (1 PARA) (Lieutenant)
- 1978 Infantry Junior Leaders' Battalion (Captain)
- 1981 The 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (3 PARA) (Captain)
- 1982 19 Infantry Bde (Captain)
- 1983 19 Infantry Bde (Major)
- 1984 The 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) (Major)
- 1986 HQ 1 Group RAF (Major)
- 1989 The 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) (Major)
- 1989 The 15th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (15 PARA SV) (Major)
- 1991 Joint Arms Control Implementation Group (Lieutenant-Colonel)
