Operation Sheepskin

Operation Sheepskin
Date March 1969 Location Anguilla, Caribbean Result British rule re-established.
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Republic of Anguilla
Commanders and leaders
Anthony Lee (British Commissioner)	Ronald Webster
Strength
2 Royal Navy frigates, 300 troops of the Parachute Regiment and 22 police officers[1]	Anguilla Police
Casualties and losses
None	Ronald Webster flees the island.

Operation Sheepskin was a British military operation in the Caribbean, aimed at restoring British rule to the island of Anguilla, after the island had declared itself as an independent Republic. The British government dispatched two Royal Navy ships and 300 soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment and 9 Independent Parachute Squadron RE^[2] alongside 22 officers of the Metropolitan Police to restore order to the island. The operation was a success and British troops were met with no resistance by the islanders, as they had wanted the island to remain a British territory but with direct association with Great Britain, separate from Saint Kitts and Nevis, of which they were a part.^[3]

Background

On 27 February 1967, Britain granted the territory of

On 11 March 1969, the British government sent William Whitlock, a junior minister, as a diplomatic envoy to Anguilla in an effort to resolve the conflict and establish an interim British administration. Whitlock's proposal was rejected in part because of his treatment of the local Anguillians. Despite being greeted with British flags and chants of "God Save the Queen", Whitlock was curt and dismissive. His methods of diplomacy included a brief condescending speech, carelessly throwing leaflets at a gathered crowd, hardly acknowledging the local head of government, refusing the motorcade service arranged for him, and snubbing the plans he had made for lunch with local leader Ronald Webster. Whitlock and his delegation were subsequently ejected from the island via gunpoint.^[6] Whitlock returned to Britain, reporting the ordeal, as well as mischaracterizing the island as being run by mafia-like gangsterism and foreign influence.^{[citation needed]}

The Operation

On 19 March 1969, a contingent of 300 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, plus 22 London Metropolitan Police peacefully landed by helicopter and landing craft on the island from the two frigates, ostensibly to "restore order".^[7] Not a single shot was fired during the operation and British troops were greeted by foreign journalists and Anguillians. The invasion was met with indignation by some Anguillians but the soldiers encountered no resistance and found no elements of intimidation, mafia presence, or even the expected firearms. The British soldiers then worked on a 'hearts and minds' campaign whilst on the island to improve relations with the islanders. Six weeks after the operation had taken place, the initial paratroopers were flown back to Britain and a second force of paratroopers (B Company) stayed on the island until 14 September 1969 to maintain security. The invasion drew ire and ridicule at home and abroad, with the world press dubbing it "the Bay of Piglets". The invasion was a global public-relations embarrassment, contributing to the defeat of

References