Operation Corporate The Skirmish at Top Malo House took place on 31 May 1982 during the Falklands War between Argentine special forces from 602 Commando Company and the British Royal Marines of the Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre (M&AWC).

[6][7] Two days later, a thirteen-man patrol from 602 Commando Company set out from Stanley with orders to establish an observation post on Bluff Cove Peak.

[8] This was part of a larger operation planned by the Argentine commander in the Falklands, Brigade General Mario Benjamín Menéndez, to establish a screen of observation posts in front of his defensive positions in the Stanley area manned by special forces.

[7] The 602 Commando Company's 1st Assault Section of thirteen soldiers earmarked for Mount Simon was led by Captain José Arnobio Vercesi, and included Lieutenants Ernesto Espinosa [es] and Daniel Martínez; First Lieutenants Juan José Gatti, Luis Alberto Brun and Horacio Losito [es]; First Sergeants Mateo Sbert, Humberto Omar Medina, Miguel Angel Castillo, Faustino Pedrozo (medic, not member of 602 commando) and Juan Carlos Helguero (scout, member of 601 commando); Sergeant Carlos Bruno Delgadillo and Corporal Raúl Valdivieso.

[8] Soon after they departed, the weather closed in and a helicopter carrying a patrol from 601 National Gendarmerie Company crashed, killing many of those on board.

There was drizzling rain and intermittent snow, and they had to cross the Malo River, a fast-flowing stream swollen to waist-height with icy rainwater.

[13] At the time the conflict in the Falkland Islands broke out in March 1982, ML1 and ML2 courses had recently been completed, with a curriculum that aimed to prepare graduates to fit into a brigade patrol troop.

[14] The Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre formed a 36-man patrol troop under the command of Rod Boswell from the training staff and recently-graduated students.

[17] On 28 May, the Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre deployed four of its sections in the vicinity of Top Malo House to screen the breakout of 3 Commando Brigade from the lodgement at San Carlos.

When this did not occur he realised that this was not the case, and radioed back to Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre headquarters with a request for an air strike on Top Malo House.

Nor could artillery be used; Top Malo House lay 48 km (30 mi) from the gun positions at San Carlos and was out of range.

The guns were not scheduled to commence displacing forward to Teal Inlet until late the next day, and even then they would be at extreme range, 10 km (6.2 mi) from Top Malo House.

[21] An "O Group", a formal process by which a commander informs his subordinates of the tasks they must perform in order to carry out a mission,[22] was held at 20:00 on 30 May, allowing the men to get a good night's sleep.

The overloaded helicopter took off and, after a 48 kilometre flight at low-level lasting about twenty minutes, deposited the troop at the designated stream junction.

Boswell divided his troop into two groups: a seven-man fire group under Lieutenant Callum Murray, with Sergeant Mac MacLean and Corporals Matt Barnacle, Nigel Devenish, Steve Groves, Steve Nicoll and Bob Sharp; and an assault group led by himself with Colour Sergeant Phil Montgomery, Sergeants Terry Doyle, John Rowe, Chris Stone and Derek Wilson, and Corporals Tony Boyle, Keith Blackmore, Tim Holleran, Sam Healey, Ray Sey and Jim McGregor.

There was a significant risk of compromise as it was now daylight and the team was wearing dark camouflage uniforms that stood out against the snow, leading to the likelihood of visual detection by sentries.

At around the same time Losito, who was second in command of the Argentine patrol, says that Espinosa (who was standing sentry) raised the alarm and opened fire on the assaulting British troops.

Espinosa on the top floor was killed by a 66 mm rocket while Sbert was shot dead as he gave covering fire for the remaining Argentines as they exited the single door.

As the British assault group moved forward, smoke from the burning building screened them from accurate fire by the Argentine commandos in the stream bed.

The three British and seven Argentine wounded were flown to the field hospital at Ajax Bay, escorted by three unwounded members of the Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre.

[35] Espinosa and Sbert were posthumously awarded Argentina's highest decoration, the Argentine Nation to the Heroic Valour in Combat Cross, for this action.

On the British side, Chris Stone was mentioned in despatches, and Tim Holleran received a Commander in Chief's commendation.

[40] The Argentines also claim 602 Commando Company tied up British forces operating ahead of 3 Commando Brigade long enough to allow First Lieutenant Darío Horacio Blanco and his platoon of sappers from the 601st Combat Engineer Battalion to blow up part of the Bluff Cove and Fitzroy Settlements bridge unmolested on 2 June.

[41][42] The action at Top Malo House was part of a series of mishaps and misfortunes that beset the effort to create a special forces screen.