.gif)
Gavin Hamilton (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Captain
Gavin John Hamilton MC
was the Officer Commanding (OC) 19 (Mountain) Troop
, D Squadron, 22 Special Air Service
(SAS) during the Falklands War
in 1982. He was killed whilst behind enemy lines on West Falkland on 10 June 1982. Hamilton was a Green Howards officer before passing SAS selection and being attached to 22 SAS.
Before the Falklands, Hamilton had served in Cyprus
, Belize
and South Armagh
.
in South Georgia during Operation Paraquet
, two days later Captain Hamilton led the advance elements of the forces which captured the main Argentine
positions in Grytviken
. This action resulted in the total surrender of all enemy forces in South Georgia.
A short while later, Captain Hamilton led his troop into the raid on Pebble Island
which resulted in the destruction of eleven grounded FMA IA 58 Pucará
and T-34 Mentor
enemy aircraft.
, Captain Hamilton deployed with his Squadron 40 miles behind the enemy lines to observe the main enemy defensive positions in Port Stanley. Again, his leadership and courage proved instrumental over seven days of continuous operations in seizing this vital ground from which the attack on Port Stanley was ultimately launched. On 27 May he identified an Argentine probe into the squadron position and in the ensuing battle captured a prisoner of war
. The next night he and his troop held off another enemy attack and by doing so enabled 42 Commando Royal Marines
to fly in as planned to reinforce the position on 31 May, an important step in the repossession of the Falklands. On the following day he ambush
ed another enemy patrol, wounding three and capturing all five members of the patrol."
to carry out observation of Argentine activities in Port Howard
. He managed to establish himself in a position only 2500 metres from the Argentine positions, from which he sent detailed and accurate reports on the enemy. Shortly after dawn on 10 June he realised that he and his radio operator had been surrounded in a forward position. Although heavily outgunned by soldiers from the 1st Section 601 Commando Company
and with no reinforcements available he gave the order to engage the enemy, telling his signaller
that they should both attempt to fight their way out of the encirclement. Since the withdrawal route was completely exposed to enemy observation and fire he initiated the fire fight in order to allow his signaller to move first. After the resulting exchange of fire he was wounded in the back and it became clear to his signaller that Hamilton was only able to move with difficulty. Nevertheless he told his signaller that he could continue to hold off the enemy while the signaller made good his escape, and he then proceeded to give further covering fire. Shortly after that he was killed.
Hamilton was buried with full military honours by the Argentines. The Argentine Army commando patrol commander involved, First Lieutenant José Martiniano Duarte, met Hamilton's wife (Vicky Hamilton) in 2001 and praised the heroism of the SAS officer. Hamilton was posthumously awarded the Military Cross. Some think he should have been given a VC. But because no superior officer was present during this action no VC was awarded.
When the Argentine Commander of Port Howard, Colonel Juan Ramon Mabragaña, was interrogated after the Argentine surrender, he asked that 'the SAS Captain' be decorated for his actions as he was 'the most courageous man I have ever seen'
Captain Hamilton was buried at the small cemetery in Port Howard
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
Gavin John Hamilton MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
was the Officer Commanding (OC) 19 (Mountain) Troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
, D Squadron, 22 Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
(SAS) 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...
in 1982. He was killed whilst behind enemy lines on West Falkland on 10 June 1982. Hamilton was a Green Howards officer before passing SAS selection and being attached to 22 SAS.
Before the Falklands, Hamilton had served in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
and South Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
.
South Georgia and Pebble Island
Having survived two helicopter crashes in appalling weather conditions on the Fortuna GlacierFortuna Glacier
Fortuna Glacier is a tidewater glacier at the mouth of Cumberland Bay on the island of South Georgia. It flows in a northeast direction to its terminus just west of Cape Best, with an eastern distributary almost reaching the west side of Fortuna Bay, on the north coast of South Georgia. Named in...
in South Georgia during Operation Paraquet
Operation Paraquet
Operation Paraquet was the code name for the British military operation to recapture the Island of South Georgia from Argentine military control in April 1982 at the start of the Falklands War...
, two days later Captain Hamilton led the advance elements of the forces which captured the main Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
positions in Grytviken
Grytviken
Grytviken is the principal settlement in the British territory of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. It was so named in 1902 by the Swedish surveyor Johan Gunnar Andersson who found old English try pots used to render seal oil at the site. It is the best harbour on the island, consisting of a...
. This action resulted in the total surrender of all enemy forces in South Georgia.
A short while later, Captain Hamilton led his troop into the raid on Pebble Island
Raid on Pebble Island
The Raid on Pebble Island took place on 14-15 May 1982 during the Falklands War. Pebble Island is part of the Falkland Islands.-Background:Immediately after the Argentines had seized the Falkland Islands they established a small airbase on Pebble Island using the local airstrip on which were based...
which resulted in the destruction of eleven grounded FMA IA 58 Pucará
FMA IA 58 Pucará
The FMA IA 58 Pucará is an Argentine ground-attack and counter-insurgency aircraft. It is a low-wing two-turboprop-engined all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear, manufactured by the Fábrica Militar de Aviones.-Development:...
and T-34 Mentor
T-34 Mentor
The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor is a propeller-driven, single-engined, military trainer aircraft derived from the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza. The earlier versions of the T-34, dating from around the late 1940s to the 1950s, were piston-engined. These were eventually succeeded by the upgraded T-34C...
enemy aircraft.
Observation on Stanley
Once British ground forces had landed at San CarlosSan Carlos, Falkland Islands
San Carlos is a settlement in northwestern East Falkland, lying south of Port San Carlos on San Carlos Water. It is sometimes nicknamed "JB" after a former owner, Jack Bonner.-History:...
, Captain Hamilton deployed with his Squadron 40 miles behind the enemy lines to observe the main enemy defensive positions in Port Stanley. Again, his leadership and courage proved instrumental over seven days of continuous operations in seizing this vital ground from which the attack on Port Stanley was ultimately launched. On 27 May he identified an Argentine probe into the squadron position and in the ensuing battle captured a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. The next night he and his troop held off another enemy attack and by doing so enabled 42 Commando Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
to fly in as planned to reinforce the position on 31 May, an important step in the repossession of the Falklands. On the following day he ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
ed another enemy patrol, wounding three and capturing all five members of the patrol."
West Falkland
On 5 June, he was deployed in command of a four man observation patrol into positions, again behind enemy lines on West FalklandWest Falkland
West Falkland is the second largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. It is a hilly island, separated from East Falkland by Falkland Sound. Its area is and its coastline is long. Including the adjacent small islands the land area is .-Population:The island has fewer than 200...
to carry out observation of Argentine activities in 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...
. He managed to establish himself in a position only 2500 metres from the Argentine positions, from which he sent detailed and accurate reports on the enemy. Shortly after dawn on 10 June he realised that he and his radio operator had been surrounded in a forward position. Although heavily outgunned by soldiers from the 1st Section 601 Commando Company
601 Commando Company
The 601 Commando Company is a special operations unit of the Argentine Army, created January 5, 1982. It was based on the original "Equipo Especial Halcón 8" created by Lt. Colonel Mohamed Alí Seineldín in 1978....
and with no reinforcements available he gave the order to engage the enemy, telling his signaller
Signaller
In the armed forces, a signaller or signaleer is a specialist soldier or seaman or airman responsible for military communications. Signallers, aka Combat Signallers or signalmen or women, are commonly employed as radio or telephone operators, relaying messages for field commanders at the front line...
that they should both attempt to fight their way out of the encirclement. Since the withdrawal route was completely exposed to enemy observation and fire he initiated the fire fight in order to allow his signaller to move first. After the resulting exchange of fire he was wounded in the back and it became clear to his signaller that Hamilton was only able to move with difficulty. Nevertheless he told his signaller that he could continue to hold off the enemy while the signaller made good his escape, and he then proceeded to give further covering fire. Shortly after that he was killed.
Hamilton was buried with full military honours by the Argentines. The Argentine Army commando patrol commander involved, First Lieutenant José Martiniano Duarte, met Hamilton's wife (Vicky Hamilton) in 2001 and praised the heroism of the SAS officer. Hamilton was posthumously awarded the Military Cross. Some think he should have been given a VC. But because no superior officer was present during this action no VC was awarded.
When the Argentine Commander of Port Howard, Colonel Juan Ramon Mabragaña, was interrogated after the Argentine surrender, he asked that 'the SAS Captain' be decorated for his actions as he was 'the most courageous man I have ever seen'
Captain Hamilton was buried at the small cemetery in Port Howard
See also
- Falklands WarFalklands WarThe 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...
- Operation ParaquetOperation ParaquetOperation Paraquet was the code name for the British military operation to recapture the Island of South Georgia from Argentine military control in April 1982 at the start of the Falklands War...
- Raid on Pebble IslandRaid on Pebble IslandThe Raid on Pebble Island took place on 14-15 May 1982 during the Falklands War. Pebble Island is part of the Falkland Islands.-Background:Immediately after the Argentines had seized the Falkland Islands they established a small airbase on Pebble Island using the local airstrip on which were based...
- Skirmish at Many Branch Point