Christopher Clayton

Rear Admiral Christopher Hugh Trevor Clayton (born 21 May 1951) is a former Royal Navy officer who served as a Lynx helicopter pilot during the Falklands War. He went on to become a senior naval officer, commanding ships during the Hong Kong handover ceremony and 2003 invasion of Iraq and later serving high-level positions in NATO.

Early career and Falklands War

Clayton was educated at St John's School, Leatherhead. After school he joined the Royal Navy as an aviator and was appointed an acting sub-lieutenant on 29 February 1972. After flying training, he was then commissioned as a sub-lieutenant on 29 November 1973. After being promoted to lieutenant on 16 October 1974, Clayton was selected for a Full Career Commission in 1980, transferring to the General List.

On 2 April 1982, the disputed British overseas territory of the Falkland Islands was invaded by neighbouring Argentina. The United Kingdom, nearly away, assembled and dispatched a naval task force of 28,000 troops to recapture the islands. The conflict ended that June with the surrender of the Argentine forces; the battles fought on land, at sea, and in the air had cost the lives of some 900 British and Argentine servicemen. Cardiffs primary role was to form part of the anti-aircraft warfare picket, using her anti-air Sea Dart missiles to protect British ships and attempting to ambush Argentine re-supply aircraft. She was also required to fire at enemy positions with her 4.5-inch gun.

On 13 June, around midday, Clayton was performing the routine forenoon clearance search of the area south of the Falkland Sound. Two Argentine Daggers of Gaucho flight spotted Clayton's Lynx and jettisoned their external fuel tanks in preparation to engage. They began strafing the helicopter with their cannons, but Clayton evaded the attacks and managed to escape. The Daggers returned home empty-handed, their original mission had been to attack British positions on Mount Longdon with retarded bombs.

Commands

Clayton was promoted to commander on 31 December 1988, then to a captain on 31 December 1995. Clayton commanded the Type 22 frigate during the 1997 Hong Kong handover ceremony. Hong Kong had been a British colony since 1841, but Britain's lease was due to finish and control was to be handed to the People's Republic of China. Chathams role was to act as guardship for the royal yacht HMY Britannia, Clayton said of the experience; "There is no sense of withdrawal, this is very much one professional armed forces handing over the protection and sovereignty of Hong Kong to another, the People's Liberation Army. So I look on it as a classic military evolution and one which we hope to do with some style, orderly, and professionally."

He became the first officer to hold the post of "Commodore Naval Aviation" (COMNA), he was based at Northwood Headquarters during this time. This post directed the Royal Navy's anti-submarine helicopters.

Clayton commanded the helicopter carrier during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Ocean'' was the UK's lead amphibious landing ship, providing sea-based logistics to the Royal Marine's 3 Commando Brigade and acting as a launch pad for their attack on the Al-Faw Peninsula. Her helicopters also played a role in securing the city of Basra. When interviewed about the experience Clayton said; "There's a sense of pride in a job really well done. [Ocean] played a major role in the operations out there. But also we have to remember that we're the lucky ones coming back. Not everyone has. There are many we have to think about, including one of our ship's company who was killed in action, Marine Chris Maddison. Our thoughts will be about him and with his family." He retired on 29 December 2007.

Over the course of his naval career, he attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course and the Higher Command and Staff Course.