Simon Jeremy Cockton

Simon Cockton was ‘cap-badged’ Army Air Corps and joined the Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Armoured Corps at Bovington Camp in Dorset in January 1977. He joined 656 Squadron AAC in 1978 where he quickly became a respected member of the Signals detachment. Simon was promoted to Lance Corporal in 1980 and attended his aircrewman course in 1982.

Simon married Lindsey the day before setting sail on the QE2 for the campaign. This was widely reported, especially in the Sun newspaper. The Sun felt they had a newsworthy story and managed to get hold of some personal poems that Simon had written to Lindsey on the voyage with the QE2. Simon did not appreciate the limelight and was pleased to join the Squadron as they re-joined Scout flight that had been in the campaign from the start.

On the night of 5th June 1982, he flew forward from 5 Infantry Brigade lines to position some electronic equipment on high ground with Staff Sergeant Chris Griffin. During the return journey, a missile shot down his aircraft and he was killed instantly along with Chris Griffin and 2 passengers. Simon’s body was recovered to Ajax Bay and temporarily interred there, and then laid to final rest in Frimley at the church where he married.