The President of the Navy League Panama Chapter at war (in 1982)
The Falklands War Through the Eyes of Navy League Panama President Lt Cdr Steve Harrison Thomas, DSC. From the Youngest Front-Line Pilot in British Service to Decorated Combat Veteran
From the Cockpit to the Page: Navy League
Panama President
Publishes Falklands War Memoir
The Navy League of Panama is proud to announce that its President, Lieutenant Commander Steve Harrison Thomas, DSC, Royal Navy (Ret.), has published a new book recounting his first-hand experiences as a Sea Harrier pilot during the Falklands War of 1982—including the combat actions that led to the award of the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC).
The book is a personal combat memoir, written from the perspective of a young front-line naval aviator operating from HMS Invincible during one of the most intense and consequential naval air campaigns since the Second World War. Unlike retrospective histories or secondary analyses, this work places the reader directly in the cockpit: at the edge of fuel endurance, under missile attack, and within seconds of life-or-death decisions that defined the air war over the South Atlantic.
A First-Hand Account of Modern Naval Air Combat
Falkland Skies is not a history of the Falklands War.
It is what the war felt like.
In 1982, barely twenty years old, Royal Navy pilot Stephen Harrison-Thomas found himself flying Sea Harriers from the deck of HMS Invincible, facing overwhelming odds in the cold skies of the South Atlantic. What followed were weeks of exhaustion, fear, exhilaration, loss—and moments of clarity that only come when survival is never guaranteed.
Written from the perspective of the cockpit and the carrier deck, Falkland Skies strips away hindsight and myth. It captures the tension of night launches, the chaos of air combat, the shock of losing friends, and the quiet moral weight of pulling the trigger. Just as powerfully, it explores what happens after the fighting ends—when victory brings no fanfare, and returning home feels stranger than going to war.
This is a deeply personal account of combat aviation, leadership, and the cost of growing up too fast—told not by a distant historian, but by someone who was there, when it mattered.
Central to the narrative are the air combat actions in which Steve engaged and destroyed enemy aircraft while defending Royal Navy ships and ground forces. Conducted under extreme operational pressure, these missions were flown when he was just 20 years old, making him the youngest front-line combat pilot in the British Armed Forces at the time. He reached his 21st birthday during the conflict itself, while deployed in active operations in the South Atlantic. The skill, composure, and courage demonstrated during these engagements ultimately led to the award of the Distinguished Service Cross, one of the United Kingdom’s highest decorations for gallantry in active operations against the enemy.
The DSC citation recognises not only individual courage, but also professional skill, tactical judgement, and unwavering commitment to mission success—qualities that are consistently reflected throughout the book.
Why This Book Matters
The Falklands War remains a defining case study in modern naval warfare: a conflict fought at long range, under political constraint, and with limited resources, yet won through professionalism, training, and leadership. This memoir contributes to that historical record by offering:
A pilot’s-eye view of air combat at sea
Insight into Royal Navy carrier operations under wartime conditions
An honest account of fear, fatigue, camaraderie, and responsibility
Context for how naval aviation decisively shaped the outcome of the conflict
Importantly, the book avoids myth-making. It neither glorifies war nor simplifies it. Instead, it presents events as they were experienced by those who flew and fought—sometimes successfully, sometimes imperfectly, always at great personal risk.
Available in
English and Spanish
In a deliberate effort to ensure historical transparency and accessibility, the book has been published in both English and Spanish. This allows readers in Argentina and across Latin America to engage directly with a primary British combat account of the conflict—an important step in encouraging informed understanding rather than inherited narratives.
The Spanish edition makes the full text available to a wider audience interested in military history, aviation, and the realities of war as lived by those on both sides of the conflict.
Format and Availability
The book is now available globally via Amazon in the following formats:
Paperback
Kindle eBook
English and Spanish editions
This ensures accessibility for readers worldwide, whether academic, military, or general interest.
A President Who Has Served
For members of the Navy League of Panama, this publication is also a reminder that our organisation is led by someone who has not only studied naval affairs, but lived them. Lt Cdr Harrison Thomas’s post-service commitment—to naval history, international understanding, and maritime education—continues through his leadership of the Navy League Panama and through works such as this.
The Navy League Panama warmly encourages its members, partners, and friends to read this book and to share it with those interested in naval aviation, leadership under pressure, and the enduring relevance of sea power in the modern world.
801 Squadron pilots, Sharkey at the front left, Steve is middle row far right. This photo is from a BBC documentary filmed during the war.
Sea Harrier cockpit with HUD (Head Up Display)
Sea Harrier cockpit with Thrust and nozzle controls