Yomp

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The iconic image of "The Yomper" shows Royal Marines heading to Stanley at the end of the Falklands War in June 1982. Heading into Port Stanley.jpg
The iconic image of "The Yomper" shows Royal Marines heading to Stanley at the end of the Falklands War in June 1982.

Yomp is Royal Marines slang describing a long-distance loaded march carrying full kit. It was popularised by journalistic coverage in 1982 during the Falklands War. The origin of the word is unclear, and there is no evidence to suggest that it derives originally from an acronym. Various backronymic definitions have however been proposed, including "young officers marching pace", "your own marching pace" and a connection with the term yump used in rally-driving in the sense of "to leave the ground when taking a crest at speed", apparently a Scandinavian pronunciation of jump . [1]

Contents

Falklands War

The word and its meaning came to national prominence in the UK during the Falklands War in 1982. After disembarking from ships at San Carlos on East Falkland, on 21 May 1982, Royal Marines and members of the Parachute Regiment yomped (and tabbed) with their equipment across the islands, covering 56 miles (90 km) [2] in three days carrying 80-pound (36 kg) [3] loads. They were supposed to be transported by helicopters, but after the Atlantic Conveyor , which carried the helicopters, was sunk by Argentinian Exocet missiles on 25 May, the soldiers had to march across the island.[ citation needed ]

Photograph

The image of Royal Marine Corporal Peter Robinson with a Union Jack fixed to his radio antenna became one of the most iconic images of the Falklands War. [4] Now known as "The Yomper", it was taken by Petty Officer Peter Holdgate, Commando Forces Photographer, whilst working as part of the Commando Forces News Team. After landing with 40 Commando at San Carlos, Holdgate accompanied British forces across the Falklands War zone taking hundreds of photographs as the Royal Marines proceeded along the Moody Brook track towards Stanley. [5]

When news of the surrender of Argentine forces was received, Marine Trev Gillingham produced a small Union bunting flag from his bergen, which he had acquired from SS Canberra's bunting locker. Marine Gillingham first tied the flag to Corporal Robinson's radio aerial, who was the last man in the patrol. It eventually blew off and was then fixed with masking tape to the radio aerial. The photograph itself was entirely spontaneous and not staged. The original Union Jack has been lost. [4]

Memorial

Memorial to "The Yomper" at the Royal Marines Museum in Eastney Esplanade, Portsmouth, UK The Yomper Falklands memorial statue, Royal Marines Museum, Portsmouth (1) cropped.jpg
Memorial to "The Yomper" at the Royal Marines Museum in Eastney Esplanade, Portsmouth, UK

The image was used as the inspiration for a statue of Royal Marine Commando that was unveiled by Margaret Thatcher at the Royal Marines Museum in Southsea, Portsmouth on 8 July 1992 to mark the 10th anniversary of the conflict. [6]

Similar terms

British Army slang for the same marching conditions is "tab". (One suggestion is it's from the acronym: Tactical Advance to Battle). [7] )

US Military slang for this concept is to "ruck" (from the "rucksack" being carried) or to "hump" from the phrase "humping a pack". [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Falklands War was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial dependency, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The conflict began on 2 April 1982, when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands, followed by the invasion of South Georgia the next day. On 5 April, the British government dispatched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force before making an amphibious assault on the islands. The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with an Argentine surrender on 14 June, returning the islands to British control. In total, 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel, and three Falkland Islanders were killed during the hostilities.

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The Battle of Mount Harriet was an engagement of the Falklands War, which took place on the night of 11/12 June 1982 between British and Argentine forces. It was one of three battles in a Brigade-size operation all on the same night, the other two being the Battle of Mount Longdon and the Battle of Two Sisters.

The Battle of Two Sisters was an engagement of the Falklands War during the British advance towards the capital, Port Stanley. It took place from 11 to 12 June 1982 and was one of three battles in a Brigade-size operation all on the same night, the other two being the Battle of Mount Longdon and the Battle of Mount Harriet. It was fought mainly between an assaulting British force consisting of Royal Marines of 45 Commando and an Argentine Company drawn from 4th Infantry Regiment.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands</span> Argentine invasion of the Falklands

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References

  1. Ayto, John (2006). Movers And Shakers: A Chronology of Words That Shaped Our Age. Oxford University Press. p. 225.
  2. Freedman, Lawrence (1990). "The Bridgehead and Beyond". Signals of War, the Falklands Conflict of 1982. London: Faber and Faber: Chapter 21. ISBN   978-0-571-14116-6. "There were two considerations. First, the distance between Stanley and San Carlos was some 56 miles and given the problems posed by the terrain it would take at least eight days to cover the ground. Movement would be 'under constant enemy fire from the air, in an area without cover, wood, drinking water or means of subsistence'. When his men arrived, worn out by the long trek, they would have to go into immediate action against an enemy well prepared and supported by field artillery."
  3. Bernard Fitzsimons, ed. (1987). Modern Land Combat. Salamander Books Ltd. ISBN   978-1-85501-165-6.
  4. 1 2 "Falklands veteran on the victory picture that went global". BBC News. 7 April 2020.
  5. "Memorials and Monuments in the Royal Marines Museum, Portsmouth (The Yomper)" (ISO-8859-1). 20 December 2006.
  6. "Memorials and Monuments in the Royal Marines Museum, Portsmouth (The Yomper)" (ISO-8859-1). 20 December 2006.
  7. "TAB". Acronym Finder.
  8. "Hump". www.acronymsandslang.com. Retrieved 7 April 2022.