Admiral of the Fleet John David Elliott Fieldhouse, Baron Fieldhouse, GCB, GBE, based at Northwood commanded the Falklands Task Force, which was split into four:
- Land – Commanded by Major General Sir John Jeremy Moore, KCB, OBE, MC & Bar
- Sea – Commanded by Admiral Sir John Forster "Sandy" Woodward, GBE, KCB
- Amphibious – Commanded by Commodore Michael Cecil Clapp, CB, ADC
- Submarines – Commanded from Northwood
The whole task force eventually comprised 127 ships: 43 Royal Navy vessels, 22 Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships, and 62 merchant ships. (An RFA ship is a naval ship designed to support combatant ships and other naval operations).
The ocean liner SS Canberra was requisitioned and set sail with 3 Commando Brigade and the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 was requisitioned and left Southampton on 12 May with 5th Infantry Brigade on board. These two brigades included Royal Marine Commandos, Special Boat Service and Special Air Service operatives, units from the Parachute Regiment, Scots Guards, Welsh Guards and Gurkha Rifles, members of the RAF Regiment, and many supporting engineers, logistics teams, artillery companies, medics and more.
These soldiers, sailors and aviators were additionally supported by the Merchant Marine and British Intelligence services who provided critical logistical and intelligence services to the task force.
After the war, the British Prime Minister at the time, Margaret Thatcher, said this about those who served in the conflict:
"Without warning, they and others were called upon to restore British people and British territory to the freedom and justice which we take for granted. It is men and women who fight battles, it is they who overcome danger, it is their character and courage, their professional judgement which triumphs over impossible odds and which restored liberty to those whose faith in Britain had been unshakeable."