Yomp

Yomp is Royal Marines slang describing a long-distance loaded march carrying full kit. It was popularised by journalistic coverage in 1982 during the Falklands War. The origin of the word is unclear, and there is no evidence to suggest that it derives originally from an acronym. Various backronymic definitions have however been proposed, including “young officers marching pace”, "your own marching pace" and a connection with the term ''yump'' used in rally-driving in the sense of "to leave the ground when taking a crest at speed", apparently a Scandinavian pronunciation of ''jump''.

Falklands War

The word and its meaning came to national prominence in the UK during the Falklands War in 1982. After disembarking from ships at San Carlos on East Falkland, on 21 May 1982, Royal Marines and members of the Parachute Regiment yomped (and tabbed) with their equipment across the islands, covering in three days carrying loads. They were supposed to be transported by helicopters, but after the ''Atlantic Conveyor'', which carried the helicopters, was sunk by Argentinian Exocet missiles on 25 May, the soldiers had to march across the island.

Photograph

The image of Royal Marine Corporal Peter Robinson with a Union Jack fixed to his radio antenna became one of the most iconic images of the Falklands War. Now known as "the Yomper", it was taken by Petty Officer Peter Holdgate, Commando Forces Photographer, whilst working as part of the Commando Forces News Team. After landing with 40 Commando at San Carlos, Holdgate accompanied British forces across the Falklands War zone taking hundreds of photographs as the Royal Marines proceeded along the Moody Brook track towards Stanley.

When news of the surrender of Argentine forces was received, Marine Willy Evans produced a small Union bunting flag from his bergen, which he had acquired from SS Canberra's bunting locker. Marine Evans first tied the flag to Corporal Robinson's radio aerial, who was the last man in the patrol. It eventually blew off and was then fixed with masking tape to the radio aerial. The photograph itself was entirely spontaneous and not staged. The original Union Flag has been lost.

Memorial

The image was used as the inspiration for a statue of Royal Marine Commando that was unveiled by Margaret Thatcher at the Royal Marines Museum in Southsea, Portsmouth on 8 July 1992 to mark the 10th anniversary of the conflict.

In popular culture

In games

* Virgin Games, Inc. published a computer game called ''Yomp'' (1983) shortly after the Falklands conflict.

In literature

* In Raynor Winn's "The Salt Path" (2018) "yompers" are encountered during the course of walking "the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset" in England.
* In Charlie Higson's second novel in The Enemy series, titled '' The Dead'' (2010), Bam tells Greg, "I grew up in the country, you see, always out yomping 'round the fields."
* In Robert Westall's novel '' Urn Burial'' (1987), the main character Ralph wonders "if they’d felt as lonely as this, yomping to Port Stanley".

Similar terms

British Army slang for the same marching conditions is "tab". (One suggestion is it's from the acronym: Tactical Advance to Battle).)

US Military slang for this concept is to "ruck" (from the "rucksack" being carried) or to "hump" from the phrase "humping a pack".

See also

* Dartmoor Yomp
* Loaded march

References

{{Falklands War, style=wide

Royal Marines
Falklands War
Military slang and jargon