The General & the Journalist
Inside the 8,000ft rescue jump onto Tristan da Cunha
Published: 28 May 2026 at 00:01 Europe/London
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Episode notes
Two weeks after British paratroopers landed on Tristan da Cunha, one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands, the rescue team are finally heading home.
Their mission was extraordinary – reach a critically ill Briton on a tiny British Overseas Territory with no runway, no quick route by sea, and no easy way in. Within hours, 16 Air Assault Brigade was mobilised, sending paratroopers, military medics and vital supplies into the South Atlantic.
Brigadier Ed Cartwright, who planned the operation, tells General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn how the daring rescue unfolded and what it says about Britain’s duty to protect its citizens and remote territories. But could the UK really defend these far-flung outposts from disaster or attack?
Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn
Guest: Brigadier Ed Cartwright, Commander, 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team
Producer: Shabnam Grewal
Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia
Image: Getty
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