Defence cuts announced in November 1981 left thousands of Portsmouth naval base workers facing the dole queue.

But as redundancy notices were about to take effect at the end of March 1982, the call came to prepare the fleet for war.

Men and women shelved their hunt for work, directed their anger at the Argentinians and rallied to achieve in days what normally took months.

Portsmouth Naval Base became a high-speed, round-the-clock seven day `pressure cooker' and preparing and supporting the men and the ships was priority.

Twenty-five warships and merchant vessels had to be modified, and fitting helicopter landing pads to the ferry Norland meant an 84-hour stint for men in the Heavy Plate Shop.

Amid the work, there was food, ammunition and stores to be packed into holds and bilge space.

For Ernie Davies, April 5, 1982 was a day to remember.

Although it was his 42nd birthday Ernie, from Purbrook, had little time for celebrations with his twin brother Brian.

For as the aircraft carriers Hermes and Invincible began their long journey to the south Atlantic, Ernie and his hundreds of co-workers had already shelved their personal lives.

He remembered: `Redundancy notices were withdrawn at the last minute. Then it was all hands to the pump. The task force had to be ready to go in just days.

`Jobs were turned round in record time. Nobody thought much about weekends, holidays or tea breaks. The fighting men deserved the best.

`As shipwrights our job was to get ships ready for armaments. We strengthened them and filled every space, even bilges.

`I helped armour-plate one of the old Town class frigates, the Lowestoft. Then there was HMS Liverpool. She had just come from her builders but she needed fitting out to carry more ammo.

`It was all marvelously organised. As one berth emptied another ship came in. Stores were put aboard around us. One merchant ship sailed packed with nothing but cans of beer.

`There weren't any industrial troubles. People forgot themselves and their futures and just got on with the job.

`But when there was time to breathe they hoped they had proved they were needed.

`When redundancy came you can imagine how bitter they felt - they had been dumped despite them answering the call for help.

`Thankfully my job was one of those that remained and I feel proud to have played a part in history.'

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