James Russell Carlyle

Russell (Russ to all his friends, Jim to his army colleagues) was born on the 8th of June 1956, the first son of Bruce and Gwyneth Carlyle. He had a brother, David (1957) and a sister, Gillian (1961) Russ’s first school was at Pentrecelyn, 6 miles from Ruthin. The family then moved into Ruthin where he then went to Borthyn C of E School, then to Bryn Hyfryd Comprehensive School. At school he took part in all the sports and joined the school band. His main sports were golf and fishing. Leaving school at 16 years he worked with his father for a year.

He joined the Welsh Guards in 1973, seeing service in Cyprus as part of the UN, with tours in Berlin and N Ireland, and an attachment to the Household Division. In 1982, following mobilization for service to the South Atlantic he travelled down to South Georgia in the QE2, and transferred there to ss Canberra, arriving at the Falklands Islands on 2nd June. The Unit transferred to the logistic ship RFA Sir Galahad for the journey around to Fitzroy on 7th June. On the following day June 8th the ship was attacked in Fitzroy Sound by Argentine Air Force A-4 Skyhawks, two bombs exploding in the tank deck.

Russell was not among the survivors. The severely damaged ship was subsequently towed out to sea and sunk as a war grave

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