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Menéndez made only one significant change in the four-paragraph surrender document presented to him by the British. Apparently mindful of his superiors' threat to continue the war, he crossed out the word "unconditionally" to describe his capitulation. According to Moore, Menéndez also gave his personal assurances that there would be no further attacks from Argentina on the British forces in the Falklands.
Moore immediately radioed the good news to London. Said he: "The Falkland Islands are once more under the government desired by their inhabitants. God save the Queen." Then the British commander strolled down the main street of Port Stanley to meet some of the 600 residents who had stayed in the settlement during the final assault. At the West Store, a large, barnlike emporium, a crowd of about 125 Falklanders gave the general a huge cheer of welcome. Responded the British commander: "I'm sorry it took us three weeks to get here." Whereupon the kelpers lifted Moore onto their shoulders and sang For He's a Jolly Good Fellow.
Even before the surrender, Journalist Hastings, who was waiting on the outskirts of the capital along with members of the Parachute Regiment, had changed his military fatigues for civilian clothes and set off alone toward the capital. Waving a white handkerchief high over his head, he talked his way past Argentine guards. Then Hastings encountered "hundreds, maybe thousands, of Argentine troops milling around, marching in columns through the streets, some of them clutching very badly wounded men and looking completely like an army in defeat with blankets wrapped around themselves."
Amid the detritus of war left by the Argentines were a few surprises. One was a plentiful supply of ammunition, indicating that the British air and sea blockade of the Falklands had been less successful than claimed by London's Defense Ministry. Despite repeated bombing attacks on the Port Stanley airport, Argentine C-130 Hercules transport aircraft had managed to land on the pockmarked 4,000-ft.-long strip, delivering supplies to the garrison. In addition, it was learned the Argentines had sneaked a ship, the Formosa, through Britain's naval blockade.
The British also reportedly discovered packing crates for a land-based version of the French-built Exocet missiles that had sunk the British destroyer H.M.S. Sheffield and the cargo vessel Atlantic Conveyor. The Argentines had used the land-based Exocets against the British light cruiser H.M.S. Glamorgan, killing 13 Royal Navy crewmen and injuring 17 others, during the climactic shelling of Port Stanley.
The biggest shock of all for the British was coping with the number of Argentine soldiers ashore in the Falklands. By preliminary estimate, there were some 11,000, including the garrison on neighboring West Falkland. Hard pressed to supply their own troops, the British were overwhelmed by the flood of P.O.W.s, who patiently handed over their arms and then awaited aid. Said a worried Rear Admiral John ("Sandy") Woodward: "They are already suffering from malnutrition, exposure, trench foot, scabies and diarrhea, brought on by lack of food and pure water, proper clothing, shelter and sanitation. Even feeding them for a week presents huge problems."