Anthony Charles Eggington

Anthony, from Purbrook in Hampshire, was born on 29th November 1946.

He sailed aboard HMS Sheffield from Portsmouth on November 19th, 1981 for a patrol in the Arabian Gulf. After taking part in a major Mediterranean exercise, and four days before her planned return to Portsmouth, the ship was diverted to the South Atlantic on April 2nd, 1982, within hours of the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands. While on forward radar picket duty about 70 miles south and east of Stanley, on Sunday May 4th, the Type 42 destroyer was struck amidships by an Exocet missile fired from Argentine Naval Super Etendard aircraft. The missile’s warhead failed to explode, but the resulting fires quickly spread, and the ship had to be abandoned.

Anthony was among 20 who died in the attack. Only the body of Petty Officer David Briggs DSM was recovered; the rest lie in the ship, now a registered war grave at the position 53-04’S 56-56’W, where she sank on May 9th, whilst under tow.

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I became aware of the passing of A C Eggington when following a TV program about the Falklands war in the US where I was then living. I am now back in England and was shocked to see Andy’s photo in your website today.

I say Andy, as that is the name I knew him by when we worked closely together as Instructors at HMS Collingwood.

I got to know him very well during the two years we worked together (1972-1973). He had many outstanding qualities both as a person and at his job. The first thing that comes to mind is his sharp appearance, he took pride in his appearance, and it showed. He was a wizard with electronics. This knowledge and comfort with the subject of his chosen career, made Andy something of a guru to the rest of us, who worked with him. He was modest and unassuming of his abilities, he was popular for the best reason a man can be, in the Navy; he was good at his job.

I was ordered to bed for a few days, due to having the flu (or something similar), at my home in Fareham. On the third day my wife told me I had a visitor. It was a real tonic to see Andy Eggington at the foot of my bed asking if there was anything he could do to help.

Please let those that knew him, know of my regard for him. I look upon having known him as an honour.

Rod Humphreys