Christopher Mordecai

Christopher Mordecai was born in Bridgend on July 21st, 1963, to Heather and Gary Mordecai. He had two sisters, Gail and Fay, and was brought up in Maesteg, where he also attended the Plasnewydd primary school five years later. He made many friends there, who still remember him for his kind nature and polite manner. From there he went on to the Llangwynwydd Comprehensive, where he played rugby for the school and discovered a genuine talent for woodwork. To build on this craft skill he also attended the Technical College in Bridgend to study Art and Technical Drawing.

Christopher was a very hard-working young lad and had always wanted to join the Army. A number of his uncles and relatives had been in the Welsh Guards, so that ‘family’ regiment was an obvious choice for him in his desire to emulate them and serve his country. He was interviewed and accepted, and while waiting to go up to the Guards Training Depot, he carried out several jobs with the Forestry Commission and in the local market. He also played soccer for the Maesteg Park Rangers team, gaining the nickname ‘Striker’ within the community for the goal-scoring talents which won him many trophies and medals.

Six months after entering Pirbright, Guardsman Mordecai passed out, and went straight to Sennybridge for pre-deployment training with No 3 Company of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. The unit had been selected for service in the South Atlantic Task Force. With the work-up completed, he then embarked in the QE2 and sailed off to war. On June 7th, 1982, in the Falkland Islands, the Welsh Guards boarded the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Sir Galahad in San Carlos Water, for the journey round to Fitzroy settlement. On the following day the ship was attacked by Argentine Air Force A-4 bombers in Fitzroy Sound and set on fire. Christopher was not among the survivors.

Sixteen days later, the still-smouldering wreck of Sir Galahad was towed out to sea and sunk as an official war grave. Christopher and his colleagues now rest in peace south of the Falkland Islands. In addition to the Welsh Guards memorial at Fitzroy Cove, Christopher Mordecai’s name has also been inscribed, after a long dispute with the local Council, on the cenotaph in the centre of Maesteg. Christopher now has four nieces and nephews – David, Joshua, Kelly Ann and Natasha to miss their uncle, in addition to his grieving mother and sisters whose memories are still fresh, and who think about their son and brother as if he had died only yesterday…

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]