Stephen Tonkin

Stephen, from Sheffield in South Yorkshire was born on 21st November 1961.

He died when HMS Coventry was bombed and sunk while operating off the northern coast of West Falkland, on 25th May 1982.

Personal information courtesy of www.roll-of-honour.com

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I was at FMG with Stephen Tonkin when the Falklands war erupted.
We used to do the rubix cube sat on a settee watching TOTP.
Stephen was drafted to HMS Coventry and I was drafted to security Portland. So upsetting to hear what happened to him. Such a nice young man. I only knew him for a short time working FMG but he left a great impression on me. Always in my thoughts.

Jeff Flindall

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My husband Andrew Brayshaw served in the Falklands War and although I didn’t know him at the time we did meet because of the War. At the time of the Falklands War the Sun newspaper was asking young ladies to write to members of the Task Force that had been sent to liberate the Falkland Islands from the Argentine invasion. Although I sent my details off to the Sun its wasn;t until a year later that I started to receive responses. One of these responses was from my now husband Andy who had been on board the Sir Galahad when it was bombed. It must have been fate that we would meet and marry as the first letter I wrote to him was dated the 8^th June 1983 exactly a year to the date that the Galahad was bombed.

I knew Stephen Tonkins very well; we lived in the same village in Derbyshire called Eckington which was located between Chesterfield and Sheffield. Although Stephen was two years older than me, we did go to the same schools together all the way from primary to secondary. Stephen was a year above me in school, but I was in the same class as his younger sister Jacquline who he was very protective of. We would often hang out together with Stephen during school breaks.

I remember that Stephen was good at sport and would participate in various school sporting activities. Stephen always talked about joining the Navy and as far as I can remember his family were proud of his career choice. 

I recall the moment I heard that the Coventry had been bombed, I was sitting on the bus returning from a hospital appointment. The driver of the bus had the radio on when an announcement came over that HMS Coventry had been bombed. I said to the driver that one of my school friends was on that ship and he asked what he was called and what job did he do. I remember telling the driver that he was an engineer.  

Later when I got home my parents gave me the sad news that Stephen had been killed on the ship. I remember attending the first Remembrance Day Service following the Falklands War. Almost the whole village turned out to pay their respects. It was very emotional.

Anita Louise Brayshaw

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Family and friends are encouraged to contribute.

We will add information to this memorial as we receive it.

If you have a photo, an anecdote, or simply to say you remember him, we will be very pleased to hear from you, so please contact the sama office at [email protected]