IT was a army mishap that left one facet sheepish and the opposite grumbling.
However on February 17 in 2002, a bunch of Royal Marines staged what may very well be described as probably the most unintended invasion in British historical past, after they mistakenly landed on the Spanish facet of the border as a substitute of Gibraltar.
The marines had been conducting a routine train, aiming to storm a seashore of the British Abroad Territory on a morning of exceptionally poor visibility that shrouded even the Rock.
Nonetheless, their navigation was barely off, and as a substitute of stepping onto Gibraltar’s shores on Western Seashore, they discovered themselves on San Felipe seashore the place the automobile park is situated close to the border with La Línea de la Concepción.
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Oblivious to the blunder, the troops moved to safe the realm, solely to be met by a bunch of bemused Spanish fishermen, who shortly identified that they had been, in actual fact, in Spain.
Realising their mistake, the marines needed to confer for a second earlier than making a swift and orderly retreat onto their boat and backtracking in the direction of Gibraltar earlier than the scenario may escalate.
The incident, although minor, prompted an official grievance from the Spanish authorities.
Lord West, First Sea Lord on the time of the incident, informed the BBC ‘it wasn’t the most effective days in my time.’
“I had a telephone name from the army commander saying, ‘Sir, I’m afraid one thing terrible’s occurred.’
“I believed, ‘Goodness me, what?’ And he mentioned, ‘I’m afraid we’ve invaded Spain, however we don’t assume they’ve seen’.”
Lord West defined that the troops had ‘charged up the seashore within the regular manner, being Royal Marines—they’re frightfully good troopers in fact, and jolly good at this form of factor—and confronted a Spanish fisherman who form of identified, ‘I believe you’re on the fallacious seashore’.’
“They usually all scrambled again of their boats and went away once more. So I instantly needed to get on to the Overseas Workplace and the governor of Gibraltar.
“We now have superb hyperlinks, truly, with the Spanish army, and I talked to them they usually perceive, as a result of folks make cock-ups, don’t they.
“Fortunately the Spanish authorities folks didn’t make some factor out of it.
“As a result of I’m afraid, traditionally, they’ve often stirred issues up and made bother over Gibraltar, and I’m glad to say that didn’t occur.
“However it was solely 30 of them as nicely. If I’d put 2,000 ashore it’d’ve been a bit extra tough.”
