HMS Fearless, on which John Kelly served as Executive Officer during the Falklands War.

John Kelly, BORN 1938
NAVAL OFFICER & HELICOPTER PILOT

Captain John Kelly was a Royal Navy officer and helicopter pilot. He served during the Falklands War as Executive Officer (the second in command) of H.M.S. Fearless. He took to the air only as a last resort. He had not flown on operations for more than ten years, but the ship’s helicopter squadron was short of pilots and Kelly volunteered. Flying under the trajectory of British gunfire, he watched the shells fall on Argentine positions around the capital of the Falkland Islands while his helicopter helped to keep the batteries supplied with ammunition. After the Falklands War he continued to serve in the Royal Navy in influential staff positions. He died in 2023, aged 85.

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