Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On 19 March 1969, a contingent of 300 troops from the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, plus 22 London Metropolitan Police officers landed by helicopter and landing craft on the island of Anguilla from two Royal Navy frigates, ostensibly to "restore order". The Invasion of Anguilla, codenamed Operation Sheepskin, had begun.
A neglected British Colony in the Caribbean, Anguilla self-declared as a republic under the banner of anti colonial activist Ronald Webster after being denied greater self determination in a February 1969 referendum. On 11 March 1969, the UK’s diplomatic envoy William Whitlock was expelled from the island at gunpoint, leading to dramatic allegations that mafia-like gangsters and foreign influence ran the island and, ultimately, Harold Wilson’s decision to invade.
Not a single shot would be fired during the operation, which was met with very little resistance and finished on a “hearts and minds campaign” with Anguillans. As such, the international press would accordingly brand this military intervention the “bay of piglets”. The above edit documents the available archive footage of this roughshod military action from 1960s Britain, and how it was reported at the time.
00:00 - Introduction
00:33 - Invasion begins (ITN's Richard Lindley joins the third wave)
01:04 - Vox pops with civilians on the invasion
01:48 - British troops set up roadblocks and check-in points
02:45 - British airdrop
03:15 - Civilians storm the air field
04:05 - Interviews with British military personnel
06:00 - Interview with revolutionary leader Ronald Webster on presence of British troops
06:46 - Fixtures between British troops and Anguillans
07:30 - MET police chat with civilians
08:00 - Military occupation spreads out over Anguilla
08:55 - MET Assistant Commissioner interview on involvement of MET in invasion
09:56 - Interview with revolutionary leader Ronald Webster
10:55 - Protests against British invasion
12:05 - Interview with Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery on invasion
14:06 - British troops at the beach (vox pops)
16:49 - Interview with revolutionary leader Ronald Webster
18:35 - Weapons located on the island
19:29 - American businessman interview on storing and providing weapons to Anguillans
21:12 - Pro-British Anguillans greet Lord Caradon
#militaryhistory #archivefootage #colonialhistory #colonialism #britishempire #queenelizabeth #ronaldwebster #coldwar #anguilla #caribbean #caribbeanhistory #britishhistory #britisharmy #1960s #60s #haroldwilson #imperialism #invasion
To license the footage featured in this clip, follow the link below:
gettyimages.co.uk/search/2/film?phrase=AS240369001*%20or%20AS240369001*%20or%20AS290369001*%20or%20AS240369002%20or%20FS230369075*%20or%20AS280369003*%20or%20AS200369001*&family=editorial&sort=mostpopular&suppressphrasecorrection=true
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On 19 March 1969, a contingent of 300 troops from the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, plus 22 London Metropolitan Police officers landed by helicopter and landing craft on the island of Anguilla from two Royal Navy frigates, ostensibly to "restore order". The Invasion of Anguilla, codenamed Operation Sheepskin, had begun.
A neglected British Colony in the Caribbean, Anguilla self-declared as a republic under the banner of anti colonial activist Ronald Webster after being denied greater self determination in a February 1969 referendum. On 11 March 1969, the UK’s diplomatic envoy William Whitlock was expelled from the island at gunpoint, leading to dramatic allegations that mafia-like gangsters and foreign influence ran the island and, ultimately, Harold Wilson’s decision to invade.
Not a single shot would be fired during the operation, which was met with very little resistance and finished on a “hearts and minds campaign” with Anguillans. As such, the international press would accordingly brand this military intervention the “bay of piglets”. The above edit documents the available archive footage of this roughshod military action from 1960s Britain, and how it was reported at the time.
00:00 - Introduction
00:33 - Invasion begins (ITN's Richard Lindley joins the third wave)
01:04 - Vox pops with civilians on the invasion
01:48 - British troops set up roadblocks and check-in points
02:45 - British airdrop
03:15 - Civilians storm the air field
04:05 - Interviews with British military personnel
06:00 - Interview with revolutionary leader Ronald Webster on presence of British troops
06:46 - Fixtures between British troops and Anguillans
07:30 - MET police chat with civilians
08:00 - Military occupation spreads out over Anguilla
08:55 - MET Assistant Commissioner interview on involvement of MET in invasion
09:56 - Interview with revolutionary leader Ronald Webster
10:55 - Protests against British invasion
12:05 - Interview with Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery on invasion
14:06 - British troops at the beach (vox pops)
16:49 - Interview with revolutionary leader Ronald Webster
18:35 - Weapons located on the island
19:29 - American businessman interview on storing and providing weapons to Anguillans
21:12 - Pro-British Anguillans greet Lord Caradon
#militaryhistory #archivefootage #colonialhistory #colonialism #britishempire #queenelizabeth #ronaldwebster #coldwar #anguilla #caribbean #caribbeanhistory #britishhistory #britisharmy #1960s #60s #haroldwilson #imperialism #invasion
To license the footage featured in this clip, follow the link below:
gettyimages.co.uk/search/2/film?phrase=AS240369001*%20or%20AS240369001*%20or%20AS290369001*%20or%20AS240369002%20or%20FS230369075*%20or%20AS280369003*%20or%20AS200369001*&family=editorial&sort=mostpopular&suppressphrasecorrection=true
To search the ITN Archive collection on Getty Images, follow the link below:
gettyimages.co.uk/footage/itn
🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel (tap the bell icon and stay up to date with all the latest ITN Archive videos!) - youtube.com/@FrontlinebyITN
🎥 Follow us on Twitter - twitter.com/ITNArchive
🎥 Like us on Facebook - facebook.com/ITNArchiveITNP
🎥 Check out our TikTok - tiktok.com/@itnarchive1955
