For weeks Chief Petty Officer Michael Debenham from Clyffe Pypard has charted the course of the Falklands War in a secret diary aboard HMS Hermes.

In it he records the devastating losses of taskforce ships and aircraft, including friends and colleagues, the daily air attacks and the successes of the troops ashore.

As the final days of the conflict approach he writes...

June 11: "Preparations are being made for the big push to retake the hills around Port Stanley. Argie air attacks are being repelled by the inshore fighter cover," writes Michael.

June 12: "A day of success and anguish. The military achieved taking the three major mountains of Port Stanley and casualties on our side are believed to be light. Some 300 Argie prisoners have been taken along with the commander of their 4th Inf Bgde who is being militarily debriefed! Glamorgan has been hit by a missile, it is believed to have been an Exocet. So far 12 have died, almost the whole of the ship's flight have gone. Many of them I knew. But she is still able to make passage and is far from being lost. Maybe she will make repairs and head for home. I gave blood tonight for the troops ashore. A whole arm-full!"

On June 14 he recorded the fact a big push was under way and then came the news: "We have retaken the Falklands. At 1200 GMT Gen Menendez surrendered all the Argentine forces to us. Both East and West Island. Some 11,000 troops in all."

The following day there is confusion. "It seems to be utter chaos ashore. More Argie troops than anyone can shake a big stick at. So far there has been little reaction from the junta about the cessation of hostilities. We must get a reply soon or the Argie troops will have problems. Already they they have found them to be suffering from frostbite, dysentery, and trench foot and hypothermia."

Michael adds: "The weather today was appalling. Force 10 gales, very bitterly cold and no flying."

June 16 and the mail is on Michael's mind. 113 bags for the ship but no letters from wife Lynda. He notes the cruise ship Canberra and the ferry Norland are to collect 5,000 prisoners and take them to Uruguay and that England beat France 3-1.

June 18: "At last the Argies have seen sense. They have promised safe conduct to our ships to carry out POW repatriations.

A few days later he writes that he is thinking of his young daughter Aimee on her birthday and England's success in the football. The ship is still on alert and practising action stations because it is though a Argentinian submarine may have put to sea.

In his last entry on June 21 he writes: "We received mail today only six days old, an air drop by a C130."

It is a month before Hermes returns to Portsmouth. She has been at sea for 108 days. Thousands, including families are there to greet her.

Aimee is passed up the gangway into her dad's arms before he is reunited with Lynda and the rest of his family on the dockside.