Published in Britain at War - July 2024
Lieutenant Commander William Christopher O’Brien DFM
William “Uncle Bill” O’Brien, whose military career spanned 38 remarkable years, is the only Royal Marine ever to have been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM). No other Marine will in future receive the decoration because it is no longer awarded.
Furthermore, O’Brien has the distinction of being awarded the only DFM of the Falklands War. He enjoyed a long and varied military career that included, as well as his Falklands exploits, serving on the streets of Belfast, in the mountains of northern Iraq and in Afghanistan. During a tour of duty in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, O’Brien became both the only reservist pilot to fly front-line combat missions and the oldest Apache pilot to fly on operations, celebrating his 55th birthday in Helmand Province – hence his affectionate nickname of “Uncle Bill”.
William Christopher O’Brien was born in Romford, Essex, on November 16 1954. He was the son of two Irish car factory workers living in Coventry, where he attended Caludon Castle School, Wyken. He left school at 16 and, after a brief period working in the same factory as his parents, enlisted in the Royal Marines in 1972, aged 17.
On completion of basic training, he was awarded the “King’s Badge” as the best all-round member of his recruit troop, 29 King’s Squad. He was initially posted to 41 Commando, based in Malta, and then volunteered to join 42 Commando on a tour of Northern Ireland. He was promoted to Corporal and, after completing an Arctic survival instructors’ course, became part of the cadre set up to train 42 Commando in Arctic warfare techniques for the first time.
Between 1974 and 1978, and at the height of “the Troubles”, O’Brien completed three tours of Northern Ireland. In 1978 he qualified as an air gunner with 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron and he then completed his fourth tour of Northern Ireland. His career changed direction after he successfully applied for pilot training as a result of the mentoring and guidance he received from many members of the squadron. O’Brien gained his pilot “wings” in 1981 and was awarded the Bob Bowles Trophy for best student on his course. After being posted to Montfortabeek Flight 45 Commando Group, Royal Marines, he completed his fifth, and final, tour of Northern Ireland.
After the outbreak of the Falklands War in 1982, it was with this unit that O’Brien found himself deployed to the South Atlantic to play his part in helping to regain the British territory as part of “Operation Corporate”. In the war zone, O’Brien flew one of Montfortabeek Flight’s three Gazelle helicopters in direct support of the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, at Goose Green and then, at one time or another, most of the other units involved in the conflict.
His DFM for courage during the Falklands War was announced on October 8 1982 when his citation stated: “During the attack on Darwin and Goose Green Sergeant O’Brien piloted a Gazelle helicopter of M Flight, 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron. For two days his helicopter conducted supply and casualty evacuation operations, often under enemy fire. With his Flight Commander, he also took part in 17 night flying sorties to evacuate wounded personnel and resupply vital ammunition.
“At times these sorties necessitated flying forward to company lines in the heat of battle and in appalling weather. The conspicuous gallantry and cool professionalism displayed on all these occasions was superb and Sergeant O’Brien made an outstanding contribution. His expertise and competence as a pilot has been widely admired and recognised.”
In an interview at his home in Somerset for my book Falklands War Heroes, O’Brien said he felt a strong sense of responsibility for the troops on the ground, regardless of the threats posed by Argentinian air and land forces: a number of Royal Marine and Army helicopters were shot down. “I felt a huge obligation to the infantry because I knew what it was like to be running short of ammunition, to be wet, dirty, bone tired, hungry and thoroughly frightened. These were the same men with whom, up until just a few years earlier, I would have been sharing the trenches. So I felt a huge affinity towards them and felt I had to go the extra mile to discharge my responsibility.’”
O’Brien added: “I landed one time at Goose Green during a mortar barrage. I could see the plumes of smoke and explosions and could feel a slight concussion through the airframe, but I felt detached in my own space – because the helicopter was so noisy, you couldn’t hear the battle unfolding. I really thrived on the intensity of it, the test if you like.”
O’Brien heard the news of his gallantry medal while back in Britain and was “very pleased” to discover he was being awarded the DFM. Soon afterwards, along with his wife, Helen, and their two daughters, he found himself at an investiture at Buckingham Palace. O’Brien received his medal from the Queen, who mentioned during their brief chat that her son Prince Andrew (now the Duke of York) had also flown helicopters during the war. As O’Brien was leaving Buckingham Palace, Lieutenant General Sir Steuart Pringle, then Commandant General of Royal Marines, stopped his staff car at the gates in order to shake him by the hand.
O’Brien was at pains to tell me that he had done no more than many other courageous helicopter pilots from the squadron who were doing “very much the same thing and I want to acknowledge that”. He noted that there was a more general citation for 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron, for their contribution to the war effort.
Next, O’Brien qualified on Lynx helicopters and in 1984 he became a Qualified Helicopter Instructor (QHI), being awarded the Westland Trophy as the best student on his course. O’Brien was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1985. Still serving with 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron, he took part in “Operation Haven” in southern Turkey and northern Iraq at the time of the First Gulf War – his first experience of working with and observing the US Apache attack helicopters in action.
He became the Lynx flight commander of 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron and then served as the first Royal Marines officer on Army Flying Standards, the group responsible for maintaining the highest standards of flying in the Army. In 1999, he had another change of career direction, transferring with the rank of major to the Army Air Corps (AAC) in order to fly Apaches. “I had wanted to fly attack helicopters for as long as I could remember and so I took the opportunity when it was offered,” he said. O’Brien was posted to America where he became a qualified Apache pilot at Fort Rucker, Alabama, in 1999. On his return to the UK, he was posted to the Attack Helicopter Training Unit (which later became 673 Squadron Army School of Aviation).
In 2003, O’Brien became the Senior Flying Instructor (SFI) of the newly formed Air Manoeuvre Training Advisory Team (AMTAT) responsible for delivering Conversion to Role (CTR), effectively combat skills training, to the field army enabling the first Combat Ready (CR) AAC Apache Regiment, 9 Regiment AAC at Dishforth in Yorkshire. In 2005, at the age of 50, O’Brien retired from the military but was then employed by a private company as its first civilian qualified helicopter instructor, flying with 673 Squadron. In 2008, O’Brien was commissioned into the Royal Naval Reserve and volunteered for service in Afghanistan.
Although his wife suggested it might have been a “mid-life crisis”, O’Brien insists his reasons for wanting to serve in the war zone were straightforward: “I had never been on operations in an Apache. I was training Apache pilots to fly but I was also a gunnery instructor involved in Pre Deployment Training (PDT) for Afghanistan. In order better to understand their requirements, I thought I should experience operations in Afghanistan for myself. Once I was there, I again felt a huge, almost parental, responsibility, to the troops on the ground.”
O’Brien was deployed with 663 Squadron, based at Camp Bastion, on September 4 2009. Christened “Uncle Bill” by his more youthful comrades, O’Brien found himself alongside many of the pilots he had trained, none of whom had even been born when he was awarded his Green Beret (presented to those who complete the tough qualifying course to become a Royal Marine). O’Brien’s operational duties ended in January 2010, when he was 55, and he then briefly returned to his duties as a flying instructor with 673 Squadron.
O’Brien finally retired in 2010. In July that year, he received a Personal Commendation from the-then Commander Joint Helicopter Command, Rear Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt (later knighted). The lengthy citation was an affectionate testimonial to an extraordinary career:
“Mr O’Brien is a civilian Qualified Helicopter Instructor currently serving in 673 (Attack Helicopter Training) Squadron in Middle Wallop and is ultimately responsible for the training of future Apache pilots during a period of surge to meet expanding operational output. A former officer in the Royal Marines, Mr O’Brien is a quiet and unassuming man whose faithful service, tireless dedication and devotion to duty is an inspiration to everyone with whom he comes into contact.
“After a service flying career that spanned service on Op Corporate in the Falklands to early conversion onto the Apache, Mr O’Brien retired and joined Aviation Training International Limited in late 2005 as a civilian flying instructor. Since that time he has trained many students on Conversion to Type courses. Not satisfied with this, he recently volunteered to reinstate his commission as a reservist in the Fleet Air Arm and then deploy on a four month tour to Afghanistan as an Apache Aircraft Commander in the rank of Lieutenant Commander – this despite being aged 55 and a Grandfather to boot!
“During this tour he served in support of numerous high intensity operations, overcoming adversity in the face of many challenging aviation situations. His sustained commitment and self sacrifice in a highly charged operational environment proved legendary. Although his deployment attracted considerable media attention Mr O’Brien remained humble and modest throughout. His commanding officer described him as an “exceptional officer, aviator and role model”. He does not seek any public recognition for his contribution and would be highly embarrassed by any award.
“Mr O’Brien remains passionate about aviation and imparting knowledge to his students who, in turn, hold him in high regard. He is a gentle giant of a man who has given much to the benefit of others. For his exceptional and loyal service, and the totality of his commitment, Mr O’Brien is awarded the Commander Joint Helicopter Command’s Personal Commendation.”
A married man with three children and five grandchildren, O’Brien is enjoying his retirement at his home in Somerset and he will celebrate his 70th birthday in November.