Rear Admiral Christopher Hugh Trevor Clayton (born 21 May 1951), 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.

[2] After being promoted to lieutenant on 16 October 1974,[3][4] Clayton was selected for a Full Career Commission in 1980,[citation needed] transferring to the General List.

[7] 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.

[9] Two Argentine Daggers of Gaucho flight[nb 1] spotted Clayton's Lynx and jettisoned their external fuel tanks in preparation to engage.

The Daggers returned home empty-handed, their original mission had been to attack British positions on Mount Longdon with retarded bombs.

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,[15] 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.

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.