Christopher Clayton
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral
Christopher Hugh Trevor Clayton 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.
. He was appointed as an acting sub-lieutenant
on 29 February 1972 and after flying training 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 8000 miles (12,874.7 km) 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.
Clayton served on , piloting their HAS
.3 Lynx helicopter, serial no. 335 or "IVOR", as part of 815 Naval Air Squadron
. Cardiff arrived at the islands late in the conflict on 26 May. Cardiff’s 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. After the initial Argentine surrender, Clayton flew the OC
of 40 Commando
, Lt Col Malcolm Hunt, to Port Howard
to accept the surrender of the Argentine garrison stationed there. In recognition of his service during the war, Clayton was awarded a Mention in Dispatches.
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. The post was created in 2000 to command the newly formed Joint Force Harrier
. In 1998, the UK's recently elected labour
government reassessed the country's defence needs and published their findings in a policy document titled the Strategic Defence Review
. One of its key initiatives was a call for the amalgamation of both Royal Navy and RAF Harriers into one force. This would create a closer harmonization of common operating procedures and maintenance practice.
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."
on 30 August 2004 and took a post at NATO's headquarters in Brussels
. His role was as an assistant director, in charge of the Intelligence
Division of NATO's International Military Staff. The Intelligence Division provides day-to-day strategic intelligence support to the Secretary General
; it has no intelligence gathering capacity of its own and therefore relies on input from alliance members. On this basis it could be described as a "central coordinating body" for the collation, assessment and dissemination of intelligence within NATO Headquarters. 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
.
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Christopher Hugh Trevor Clayton is a former Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who served as a Lynx helicopter
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
pilot during the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
. He went on to become a senior naval officer, commanding ships during the Hong Kong handover ceremony and 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
and later serving high-level positions in NATO.
Early career and Falklands War
Clayton joined the Royal Navy as an aviatorAviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
. He was appointed as an acting sub-lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
on 29 February 1972 and after flying training was then commissioned as a sub-lieutenant on 29 November 1973. After being promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
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
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
was invaded by neighbouring Argentina. The United Kingdom, nearly 8000 miles (12,874.7 km) 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
Falklands War Argentine surrender
The last stage of the Falklands War was the surrender of the Argentine Governor at Port Stanley.-Background:With the last natural defence line at Mount Tumbledown breached, the Argentine town defences of Port Stanley began to falter. In the morning gloom, one company commander got lost and his...
; the battles fought on land, at sea, and in the air had cost the lives of some 900 British and Argentine servicemen.
Clayton served on , piloting their HAS
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
.3 Lynx helicopter, serial no. 335 or "IVOR", as part of 815 Naval Air Squadron
815 Naval Air Squadron
815 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm, part of the Royal Navy. The squadron is currently based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, United Kingdom and it is the Navy's front line Lynx Naval Air Squadron. It currently comprises more than 30 Lynx helicopters of various types...
. Cardiff arrived at the islands late in the conflict on 26 May. Cardiff’s primary role was to form part of the anti-aircraft warfare picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
, using her anti-air Sea Dart
Sea Dart missile
Sea Dart or Guided Weapon System 30 is a British surface-to-air missile system designed by Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and built by British Aerospace from 1977...
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
4.5 inch (114 mm) Mark 8 naval gun
The 4.5 inch Mark 8 is a British naval gun system which currently equips the Royal Navy's frigates and some British destroyers and frigates sold to other countries.-Background:...
.
Falkland Sound
The Falkland Sound is a sea strait in the Falkland Islands. Running south west - north east, it separates West and East Falkland.-Name:The sound was named by John Strong in 1690 for Viscount Falkland, the name only later being applied to the archipelago and its two largest islands...
. Two Argentine Daggers
IAI Nesher
The Israel Aircraft Industries Nesher is the Israeli version of the Dassault Mirage 5 multi-role fighter aircraft...
of Gaucho flight spotted Clayton's Lynx and jettisoned their external fuel tanks
Drop tank
In aeronautics, a drop tank is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often jettisonable...
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
Mount Longdon
Mount Longdon is a mountain in the east of East Falkland in the Falkland Islands. It is best known as the site of the Battle of Mount Longdon, and overlooks Stanley, the islands' capital....
with retarded bombs. After the initial Argentine surrender, Clayton flew the OC
Officer Commanding
The Officer Commanding is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit , principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, the term Commanding Officer is applied to commanders of minor as well as major units.Normally an Officer Commanding is a company, squadron or battery...
of 40 Commando
40 Commando
40 Commando RM is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
, Lt Col Malcolm Hunt, to Port Howard
Port Howard
Port Howard is the largest settlement on West Falkland . it is in the east of the island, on an inlet of Falkland Sound...
to accept the surrender of the Argentine garrison stationed there. In recognition of his service during the war, Clayton was awarded a Mention in Dispatches.
Commands
Clayton was promoted to commanderCommander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
on 31 December 1988, then to a captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
on 31 December 1995. Clayton commanded the Type 22 frigate during the 1997 Hong Kong handover ceremony. Hong Kong had been a British colony
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
since 1841, but Britain's lease was due to finish and control was to be handed to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Chathams role was to act as guardship for the royal yacht HMY Britannia
HMY Britannia
Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia is the former Royal Yacht of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. She was the 83rd such vessel since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. She is the second Royal yacht to bear the name, the first being the famous racing cutter built for The Prince of Wales...
, 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
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
. 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
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
Naval Aviation" (COMNA), he was based at Northwood Headquarters
Northwood Headquarters
Northwood Headquarters is a military headquarters facility of the British Armed Forces in Eastbury, Hertfordshire, England, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood...
during this time. The post was created in 2000 to command the newly formed Joint Force Harrier
Joint Force Harrier
Joint Strike Wing, previously known as Joint Force Harrier, was the British military formation which controlled the STOVL Harrier aircraft of the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm...
. In 1998, the UK's recently elected labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
government reassessed the country's defence needs and published their findings in a policy document titled the Strategic Defence Review
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...
. One of its key initiatives was a call for the amalgamation of both Royal Navy and RAF Harriers into one force. This would create a closer harmonization of common operating procedures and maintenance practice.
Clayton commanded the helicopter carrier during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. Ocean was the UK's lead amphibious landing ship, providing sea-based logistics to the Royal Marine's 3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...
and acting as a launch pad for their attack on the Al-Faw Peninsula
Al-Faw Peninsula
The Faw peninsula is a marshy region adjoining the Persian Gulf in the extreme south-east of Iraq, between and to the south-east of the cities of Basra and Abadan ....
. Her helicopters also played a role in securing the city of Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
. 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."
Later career
Clayton became a rear admiralRear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
on 30 August 2004 and took a post at NATO's headquarters in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. His role was as an assistant director, in charge of the Intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
Division of NATO's International Military Staff. The Intelligence Division provides day-to-day strategic intelligence support to the Secretary General
Secretary General of NATO
The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is the chairman of the North Atlantic Council, the supreme decision-making organisation of the defence alliance. The Secretary-General also serves as the leader of the organisation's staff and as its chief spokesman...
; it has no intelligence gathering capacity of its own and therefore relies on input from alliance members. On this basis it could be described as a "central coordinating body" for the collation, assessment and dissemination of intelligence within NATO Headquarters. 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
Higher Command and Staff Course
The Higher Command and Staff Course is a staff course for senior military officers of the United Kingdom armed forces and allies. It is taught at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom....
.