When his platoon commander was injured shortly before the Battle of Darwin and Goose Green, Sergeant Terence ‘Ted’ Barrett stepped forward to take command. Under Argentine machine-gun and sniper fire, his courage would earn him the Military Medal during the Falklands War. Born in Chelmsford, Essex, in 1950, Terence Irving Barrett was the eldest of seven children. Determined to become a soldier, he joined the Parachute Regiment at around 17. He served in Northern Ireland and Belize, and by 1982 was a platoon sergeant with A Company, 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA). Following Argentina’s invasion of the Falklands in April 1982, Barrett deployed with his battalion to retake the islands. On 28 May, at Darwin and Goose Green, he commanded 1 Platoon after its officer was injured on the approach march. As A Company attacked defended Argentine positions, Barrett repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire, leading fire teams forward and directing covering fire. His leadership helped overcome the defences amid hours of intense fighting. On the night of 13–14 June, at Wireless Ridge, he continued to lead despite heavy Argentine artillery fire. For his courage and leadership in both battles, Barrett received the Military Medal. He survived the war and later left the Army, working in security before becoming a long-distance lorry driver based in Hull. Years later, he developed cancer. Despite his declining health, he reportedly told his employer: “Don’t give my cab away, I am coming back!” Sadly, he never returned. Barrett died from cancer almost two decades after the Falklands War. On 2 January 2001, family, friends and former paratroopers gathered in Hull to pay their respects. Remembering: Sergeant Terence Irving Barrett MM 24093381 A Company, 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment Falklands War Veteran, 1982 Military Medal Recipient Lest We Forget. #FalklandsWar #ParachuteRegiment #2PARA #MilitaryMedal #LestWeForget - @historyofthosebefore