It has always been known that Margaret Thatcher got by on just a few hours of sleep a night whilst British Prime Minister, but during the 1982 Falklands War against Argentina she didn't even get that much.
Throughout the war, Thatcher stayed up in Downing Street all night and never changed into her nightclothes. She sat huddled around an electric fire, sipping whisky, whilst her husband Denis slept in the spare room.
Thatcher survived by taking 20-minute catnaps during the day and catching up on sleep at the weekends at Chequers, the Prime Minister's country residence.
The war lasted from 2nd April -14th June 1982, but in that short space of time 255 British servicemen, and over 700 Argentinian servicemen, were killed. In addition, 777 Brits and over 1,000 Argies were wounded, and 115 Brits and almost 12,000 Argies taken prisoner.
At the time, Argentina was a brutal dictorship led by the madman General Galtieri.
Support for his regime in Argentina was waning, so to become more popular he invaded the Falkland Islands, despite them being British territory. It was very much a decisive victory for the British, which sounded the death knell for Galtieri's regime, who was ousted just four days after the war ended.
But the victory saw Thatcher resoundly win the 1983 General Election in a landslide and start a second term in power. 1983 also saw the granting of full British citizenship to the Falkland Islanders.
International law states that it is up to the citizens of dependent territories to decide which country they wish to be ruled by. Regular polls always show that the vast majority of Falkland Islanders wish to remain British (you can't blame them for not wanting to be ruled by Galtieri's brutal regime in 1982), and they will always remain so if that remains the democratic wish of their people.
In April this year, after Argentina's President Kirchner again met Britain's PM Gordon Brown and made it clear she wanted to discuss Argentina's claim to the Falklands, the Falkland Islands said “…our Argentine neighbours remain in a time warp, still pressing their anachronistic claim to territorial sovereignty. In short, they wish to colonise the Falkland Islands.
We have been encouraged by the UK Government’s clear and unshakeable position that the sovereignty issue is not for negotiation. There is no turning back from this.
Falkland Islanders have expressed their views freely and unequivocally over many years. We wish to remain British. Our constitution enshrines the right to determine our own future.
Surely no-one who supports democracy and human rights can oppose this?”
Sleepless Margaret Thatcher 'stayed up for entire Falklands War'
By Simon Walters
29th November 2009
Daily Mail
Nightwatch: Former PM Margaret Thatcher stayed awake all night listening to news from the war
Margaret Thatcher stayed up all night in her Downing Street flat throughout the three months of the Falklands War and never changed into her bedclothes, it has been revealed.
She sat fully dressed, huddled round a two-bar electric fire, nervously listening to the radio for news of the conflict, nursing a glass of whisky while husband Denis slept in the spare room.
Baroness Thatcher survived by taking 20-minute catnaps - a 'zizz', she called it - in the day and catching up on sleep at weekends at Chequers.
The extraordinary account was disclosed when she returned to No10 last week to unveil a portrait of her commissioned by Gordon Brown.
Her ability to survive on four hours' sleep has long been the stuff of Tory legend.
But she took it to a new extreme in the war with Argentina in 1982, said her former personal assistant Cynthia 'Crawfie' Crawford.
Brutal Argentine dictator General Galtieri was removed from power on 18th June 1982 after his country's heavy defeat against the British
Mrs Crawford, who was at the unveiling, said she moved into the tiny No10 flat to keep Lady Thatcher company in her all-night vigils.
'She did not once change into her nightclothes in the flat for the duration of the war,' said Mrs Crawford.
'We would sit in the flat listening to the BBC World Service for news of the task force. She couldn't sleep because she wanted to be ready in case anything happened.
'She wanted to be able to go to any briefings with the Naval commanders at any time without the fuss and bother of having to get dressed.
'She also wanted to know everything that was happening, every single detail, so she could keep on top of events. She had to know how the soldiers, sailors and airmen were getting on.
'She was so worried about them. It was awful when we heard any reports of our ships being hit. Her determination and powers of endurance were unbelievable.'
Mrs Crawford said she sat with Lady Thatcher through the long nights of the war from April to June.
Margaret Thatcher with Defence Minister John Nott the day after troops began the assault on the Falkland Islands
HMS Sheffield (top) and HMS Antelope were destroyed suring the war
'Denis was in the room next door,' she said. 'The two of us would sit in armchairs either side of a two-bar electric fire, listening to the radio.
'It was cold - the heating would go off at around 11 each evening. We got through it fortified by the occasional glass of whisky.
'I used to prefer gin and tonic, but she told me I couldn't possibly drink that at night. Whisky was much better for energy, she said. I became quite addicted to whisky and soda.
'I taught her to catnap for 20 minutes - we called that a zizz. She would have a few zizzes in the night, then take another in the afternoon. She kept to the habit for ever afterwards. She managed to get a bit more sleep at Chequers at weekends.'
Mrs Crawford said Lady Thatcher left the flat at 8am each day to attend military briefings for an update of events during the night and to discuss the next part of the campaign.
That could mean a 30-minute drive to the Naval Operations Room, an underground Nato bunker at Northwood, Middlesex. 'I would take advantage of that and jump into bed at the flat so I could get some sleep,' said Mrs Crawford.
'I'd tell the Downing Street switchboard to wake me when she was on her way back so I could be ready for work. We don't all have her energy.'
A total of 255 British Servicemen died in the war, which started when Argentine dictator General Galtieri seized the islands. Four British warships, HMS Sheffield, HMS Ardent, HMS Antelope and HMS Coventry, were destroyed as well as a merchant ship, the Atlantic Conveyor. More than 700 Argentines died.
Mrs Crawford added: 'General Galtieri was lucky he never met her face-to-face - she would soon have put him right.'
dailymail.co.uk
Throughout the war, Thatcher stayed up in Downing Street all night and never changed into her nightclothes. She sat huddled around an electric fire, sipping whisky, whilst her husband Denis slept in the spare room.
Thatcher survived by taking 20-minute catnaps during the day and catching up on sleep at the weekends at Chequers, the Prime Minister's country residence.
The war lasted from 2nd April -14th June 1982, but in that short space of time 255 British servicemen, and over 700 Argentinian servicemen, were killed. In addition, 777 Brits and over 1,000 Argies were wounded, and 115 Brits and almost 12,000 Argies taken prisoner.
At the time, Argentina was a brutal dictorship led by the madman General Galtieri.
Support for his regime in Argentina was waning, so to become more popular he invaded the Falkland Islands, despite them being British territory. It was very much a decisive victory for the British, which sounded the death knell for Galtieri's regime, who was ousted just four days after the war ended.
But the victory saw Thatcher resoundly win the 1983 General Election in a landslide and start a second term in power. 1983 also saw the granting of full British citizenship to the Falkland Islanders.
International law states that it is up to the citizens of dependent territories to decide which country they wish to be ruled by. Regular polls always show that the vast majority of Falkland Islanders wish to remain British (you can't blame them for not wanting to be ruled by Galtieri's brutal regime in 1982), and they will always remain so if that remains the democratic wish of their people.
In April this year, after Argentina's President Kirchner again met Britain's PM Gordon Brown and made it clear she wanted to discuss Argentina's claim to the Falklands, the Falkland Islands said “…our Argentine neighbours remain in a time warp, still pressing their anachronistic claim to territorial sovereignty. In short, they wish to colonise the Falkland Islands.
We have been encouraged by the UK Government’s clear and unshakeable position that the sovereignty issue is not for negotiation. There is no turning back from this.
Falkland Islanders have expressed their views freely and unequivocally over many years. We wish to remain British. Our constitution enshrines the right to determine our own future.
Surely no-one who supports democracy and human rights can oppose this?”
Sleepless Margaret Thatcher 'stayed up for entire Falklands War'
By Simon Walters
29th November 2009
Daily Mail
Nightwatch: Former PM Margaret Thatcher stayed awake all night listening to news from the war
Margaret Thatcher stayed up all night in her Downing Street flat throughout the three months of the Falklands War and never changed into her bedclothes, it has been revealed.
She sat fully dressed, huddled round a two-bar electric fire, nervously listening to the radio for news of the conflict, nursing a glass of whisky while husband Denis slept in the spare room.
Baroness Thatcher survived by taking 20-minute catnaps - a 'zizz', she called it - in the day and catching up on sleep at weekends at Chequers.
The extraordinary account was disclosed when she returned to No10 last week to unveil a portrait of her commissioned by Gordon Brown.
Her ability to survive on four hours' sleep has long been the stuff of Tory legend.
But she took it to a new extreme in the war with Argentina in 1982, said her former personal assistant Cynthia 'Crawfie' Crawford.
Brutal Argentine dictator General Galtieri was removed from power on 18th June 1982 after his country's heavy defeat against the British
Mrs Crawford, who was at the unveiling, said she moved into the tiny No10 flat to keep Lady Thatcher company in her all-night vigils.
'She did not once change into her nightclothes in the flat for the duration of the war,' said Mrs Crawford.
'We would sit in the flat listening to the BBC World Service for news of the task force. She couldn't sleep because she wanted to be ready in case anything happened.
'She wanted to be able to go to any briefings with the Naval commanders at any time without the fuss and bother of having to get dressed.
'She also wanted to know everything that was happening, every single detail, so she could keep on top of events. She had to know how the soldiers, sailors and airmen were getting on.
'She was so worried about them. It was awful when we heard any reports of our ships being hit. Her determination and powers of endurance were unbelievable.'
Mrs Crawford said she sat with Lady Thatcher through the long nights of the war from April to June.
Margaret Thatcher with Defence Minister John Nott the day after troops began the assault on the Falkland Islands
HMS Sheffield (top) and HMS Antelope were destroyed suring the war
'Denis was in the room next door,' she said. 'The two of us would sit in armchairs either side of a two-bar electric fire, listening to the radio.
'It was cold - the heating would go off at around 11 each evening. We got through it fortified by the occasional glass of whisky.
'I used to prefer gin and tonic, but she told me I couldn't possibly drink that at night. Whisky was much better for energy, she said. I became quite addicted to whisky and soda.
'I taught her to catnap for 20 minutes - we called that a zizz. She would have a few zizzes in the night, then take another in the afternoon. She kept to the habit for ever afterwards. She managed to get a bit more sleep at Chequers at weekends.'
Mrs Crawford said Lady Thatcher left the flat at 8am each day to attend military briefings for an update of events during the night and to discuss the next part of the campaign.
That could mean a 30-minute drive to the Naval Operations Room, an underground Nato bunker at Northwood, Middlesex. 'I would take advantage of that and jump into bed at the flat so I could get some sleep,' said Mrs Crawford.
'I'd tell the Downing Street switchboard to wake me when she was on her way back so I could be ready for work. We don't all have her energy.'
A total of 255 British Servicemen died in the war, which started when Argentine dictator General Galtieri seized the islands. Four British warships, HMS Sheffield, HMS Ardent, HMS Antelope and HMS Coventry, were destroyed as well as a merchant ship, the Atlantic Conveyor. More than 700 Argentines died.
Mrs Crawford added: 'General Galtieri was lucky he never met her face-to-face - she would soon have put him right.'
dailymail.co.uk
Last edited: