Three Royal Navy members who died in helicopter crash in Devon named

The three Royal Navy service members who died in a helicopter crash in Devon on Wednesday have been named.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement on X: "It is with great sadness that we can confirm the deaths of Lieutenant Commander Chris Gayson and Lieutenant Lily-Mae Fisher of 846 Navy Air Squadron, and Petty Officer Owen Green of 845 Navy Air Squadron, who died in Devon during routine training activity on 3 June."

Lt Fisher was Britain's only serving female commando.

The three were on board a Merlin Mk4 helicopter which crashed during a training exercise early on Wednesday, leaving wreckage strewn across a hillside.

Police said emergency services were notified at around 3.45am after reports of a crash at Sourton Down, near Okehampton, Devon.

People living nearby described hearing a "huge bang" shortly after the aircraft went low overhead and seeing the sky lit up by a "red flash".

Emergency personnel and accident investigators are still at the crash scene.

Members of the UK armed forces have started paying tribute to the three killed in the crash.

Commanding Officer of Commando Helicopter Force, Colonel Will Penkman, said: "It is a tragedy that we lost three members of the CHF family yesterday.

"Cherished members of the force with bright futures ahead of them, they were all highly committed professionals infused with the Junglie spirit of the force.

"Their loss leaves a terrible gap in our hearts and my thoughts go out to their family and friends."

Defence Secretary John Healey added on X: "Lieutenant Commander Gayson, Lieutenant Fisher and Petty Officer Green embodied the best of our Armed Forces. Their loss is truly devastating.

"Tonight, we are all thinking of their families, loved ones and those who served alongside them at this deeply tragic time."

The MoD said Lt Fisher, Lt Cdr Gayson and Petty Officer Green were based in Yeovil, Somerset.

The Royal Navy's two air bases are located close to Devon. RNAS Culdrose, one of Europe's largest helicopter bases, is near Helston in Cornwall, while RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset houses more than 100 aircraft.

The scene of the crash was close to Okehampton battle camp, a military facility on the edge of Dartmoor which has been used for training Merlin helicopter crews from the Commando Helicopter Force.

Merlin helicopters usually have a crew of four and can carry up to 24 troops.

Lt Fisher joined the Royal Navy in 2019 and previously described it as a "massive privilege and a huge honour to serve my country".

Her achievement of becoming the only serving British female commando was celebrated by the UK armed forces and NATO, with the MoD describing her as an "inspiration to countless people".

She posted to her thousands of followers on social media about some of her achievements, including stepping into the cockpit of a Merlin helicopter for the first time in August last year.

Before joining the navy, she had graduated from Imperial College London and worked as a geologist for BP, until she switched careers.

She competed for Great Britain at triathlon after accepting a comission and set out to pass the 16-week All Arms Commando Course - something very few women have been able to do, to date, telling the BBC she was determined to pass.

She told the corporation: "It took me five years to get into the Navy because I kept failing and kept failing and I knew I wanted to be here and I eventually (got) here and I've had a really great career.

"Just commit 100% to it if you want to be Marine, if you want to do the commando course - you've got to commit with everything you've got, and it is possible. It's not an impossible task."

Outside of the navy, she also participated in ultra-marathons around the world and took part in ITV TV shows Take Me Out and Ninja Warrior UK.

Lt Cdr Gayson became a member of the Royal Navy in 2008 and was promoted to the role of Lieutenant Commander in 2020.

The MoD said his leadership was "exemplary" and labelled him the "utmost professional".

Petty Officer Green joined the Royal Navy in 2022 and picked up a high number of flying hours during missions in demanding Arctic conditions.

The MoD said he had become one of his squadron's most experienced operators in extreme environments, adding that he made a "significant contribution to squadron capability and mission success".

In a statement, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was "deeply saddened" by the crash, and later described the incident on social media as "utterly tragic".

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