Christopher Clayton Rear Admiral Christopher Hugh Trevor Clayton is a former Royal Navy officer who served as a Lynx helicopter pilot during the Falklands War . He went on to become a senior naval officer , commanding ships during the Hong Kong handover ceremony and 2003 invasion of Iraq and later serving high - level positions in NATO . Early career and Falklands War . Clayton joined the Royal Navy as an aviator . He was appointed as an acting sub - lieutenant on 29 February 1972 and after flying training was then commissioned as a sub - lieutenant on 29 November 1973 . After being promoted to lieutenant on 16 October 1974 , Clayton was selected for a Full Career Commission in 1980 , transferring to the General List . On 2 April 1982 , the disputed British overseas territory of the Falkland Islands was invaded by neighbouring Argentina . The United Kingdom , nearly away , assembled and dispatched a naval task force of 28 , 000 troops to recapture the islands . The conflict ended that June with the surrender of the Argentine forces ; the battles fought on land , at sea , and in the air had cost the lives of some 900 British and Argentine servicemen . Clayton served on , piloting their H AS . 3 Lynx helicopter , serial no . 335 or " IVOR " , as part of 815 Naval Air Squadron . " Cardiff " arrived at the islands late in the conflict on 26 May . " Cardiff " ’ s primary role was to form part of the anti - aircraft warfare picket , using her anti - air Sea Dart missiles to protect British ships and attempting to ambush Argentine re - supply aircraft . She was also required to fire at enemy positions with her 4 . 5 - inch gun . On 13 June , around midday , Clayton was performing the routine forenoon clearance search of the area south of the Falkland Sound . Two Argentine Daggers of " Gaucho " flight spotted Clayton ' s Lynx and jettisoned their external fuel tanks in preparation to engage . They began strafing the helicopter with their cannons , but Clayton evaded the attacks and managed to escape . The Daggers returned home empty - handed , their original mission had been to attack British positions on Mount Longdon with retarded bomb s . After the initial Argentine surrender , Clayton flew the OC of 40 Commando , Lt Col Malcolm Hunt , to Port Howard to accept the surrender of the Argentine garrison stationed there . In recognition of his service during the war , Clayton was awarded a Mention in Dispatches . Commands . Clayton was promoted to commander on 31 December 1988 , then to a captain on 31 December 1995 . Clayton commanded the Type 22 frigate during the 1997 Hong Kong handover ceremony . Hong Kong had been a British colony since 1841 , but Britain ' s lease was due to finish and control was to be handed to the People ' s Republic of China . " Chatham " ' s role was to act as guardship for the royal yacht HMY " Britannia " , Clayton said of the experience ; " There is no sense of withdrawal , this is very much one professional armed forces handing over the protection and sovereignty of Hong Kong to another , the People ' s Liberation Army . So I look on it as a classic military evolution and one which we hope to do with some style , orderly and professionally . " He became the first officer to hold the post of " Commodore Naval Aviation " ( COMNA ) , he was based at Northwood Headquarters during this time . The post was created in 2000 to command the newly formed Joint Force Harrier . In 1998 , the UK ' s recently elected labour government reassessed the country ' s defence needs and published their findings in a policy document titled the Strategic Defence Review . One of its key initiatives was a call for the amalgamation of both Royal Navy and RAF Harriers into one force . This would create a closer harmonization of common operating procedures and maintenance practice . Clayton commanded the helicopter carrier during the 2003 invasion of Iraq . " Ocean " was the UK ' s lead amphibious landing ship , providing sea - based logistics to the Royal Marine ' s 3 Commando Brigade and acting as a launch pad for their attack on the Al - Faw Peninsula . Her helicopters also played a role in securing the city of Basra . When interviewed about the experience Clayton said ; " There ' s a sense of pride in a job really well done . [ Ocean ] played a major role in the operations out there . But also we have to remember that we ' re the lucky ones coming back . Not everyone has . There are many we have to think about , including one of our ship ' s company who was killed in action , Marine Chris Maddison . Our thoughts will be about him and with his family . " Later career . Clayton became a rear admiral on 30 August 2004 and took a post at NATO ' s headquarters in Brussels . His role was as an assistant director , in charge of the Intelligence Division of NATO ' s International Military Staff . The Intelligence Division provides day - to - day strategic intelligence support to the Secretary General ; it has no intelligence gathering capacity of its own and therefore relies on input from alliance members . On this basis it could be described as a " central coordinating body " for the collation , assessment and dissemination of intelligence within NATO Headquarters . He retired on 29 December 2007 . Over the course of his naval career , he attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course and the Higher Command and Staff Course .