Britain’s only female naval commando among victims of Devon helicopter crash

Britain’s only serving female naval commando has been named as one of the three people who died in a helicopter crash during a military training exercise in Devon on Wednesday. The victims have been named by the Ministry of Defence as Lt Lily-Mae Fisher, 31, Lt Cmdr Chris Gayson, 42, and Petty Officer Owen Green, 24. John Healey, the defence secretary, described all three as “dedicated and highly valued members of their squadrons who embodied the best of our armed forces”. Their families have been informed and an investigation is under way into the cause of the crash, which occurred when the MK4 helicopter went down in a field in Sourton Down, near Okehampton, around 4am on Wednesday. Conditions at the time were said to be very poor, with strong winds, heavy rain and low visibility. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash. Map of Devon. Col Will Penkman, the commanding officer of the commando helicopter force, 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.” Merlin helicopters, such as the Merlin Mk4 involved in the incident, are primarily used for anti-submarine warfare. They can also be used for search and rescue, cargo transfers and maritime patrol, according to the Royal Navy’s website. Fisher, 31, who was based in Yeovil, Somerset, had joined the Royal Navy in May 2019. …