A CREWMAN has spoken of his memories of returning to Harwich after the Falklands War 40 years ago.

David ‘Pedlar’ Palmer, 80, of Harwich, was the chief cook in the bakery of the MV St Edmund alongside chefs Joe Money and Eddie Bryne.

St Edmund was used to take naval troops from Harwich to the Falklands for the war.

Mr Palmer said: “The ship took all the volunteers from Harwich as well as the Scots Guard, Welsh Guard, Ghurkas, and RAF.

“God knows how many people went from Harwich but it was a lot.

"The town was asked for volunteers and I said yes with no hesitation.”

Before the war, Mr Palmer had experience at sea through his role with the Royal Navy, in which he was a chef for ten years, joining in 1959 and leaving in 1969.

He joined as a 17-year-old before leaving and joining the Sealink shipping company in Harwich.

In 1975, the St Edmund was introduced by Sealink into service between Harwich and the Hook of Holland, eventually leading to Mr Palmer going onboard.

Mr Palmer added: “When I was onboard we worked the night shift cooking for all the seamen, to be honest it wasn’t too bad because the Argentines didn’t really attack in the night.

“My greatest memory of the St Edmund was the comradery between the crewmates.

"It was fantastic being with all the lads and we learned a lot of things, it matured us.”

“I felt proud and chuffed that I’d participated as did everyone else.

"I got a medal for my service and it was a new experience for most of the crew onboard because no one had been involved in something like this.”

When the St Edmund returned to Harwich, the crewmen met their families and Sealink organised a party at Parkeston Railway Club to celebrate.

On his return, Mr Palmer continued to work for Sealink for a short period before moving on and launching his own fish and chip van.

The 40th anniversary of the St Edmund returning is Friday, September 30.