GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 958


“I was sure there would be many stories of heroism to come out of it, but of them all, I remain most impressed by the conduct of John Leake who manned the machine gun in Ardent. He was not really in the Navy, but, as we say, we are all of one company, the Captain and the NAAFI man. And we all go together.”


(Extract from, One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander Admiral Sandy Woodward)


The outstanding ‘Falklands War’ D.S.M. group of three awarded to Petty Officer John Leake, Royal Navy, formerly Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, an experienced army machine-gunner, he elected to sign on to the Royal Navy from the civilian NAAFI in order that he could adhere with the Geneva Convention and accompany his ship, H.M.S. Ardent on active service to the Falklands, having left the army ten years previously - extraordinarily and much celebrated at the time, on 21 May 1982 during the so called ‘Battle of Bomb Alley’ he found himself manning a G.P.M.G. on the decks of H.M.S. Ardent firing at successive waves of Argentine Skyhawks, one of which it was later confirmed he had shot down, prior to the eventual sinking of his ship with the loss of 22 lives


DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL, E.II.R., 2nd issue (PO J S Leake D197741A); GENERAL SERVICE 1962, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (24107815 L/Cpl. J. S. Leake D & D.); SOUTHATLANTIC 1892, with rosette (PO J S Leake D197741A HMS Ardent) very fine (3)


£40000-50000


D.S.M. London Gazette 8 October 1982. The published citation states:


‘Petty Officer Leake originally joined H.M.S. Ardent as a civilian N.A.A.F.I Canteen Manager. On the declaration of Active Service he volunteered to enrol as a Petty Officer on 15th May 1982.


On 21st May 1982 H.M.S Ardent came under heavy attack by Argentine aircraft. Using his previous Army training, Petty Officer Leake was stationed as a machine gunner. Throughout the air attacks he remained cool and calm even though the ship was being hit by bombs and cannon fire. He fired large quantities of accurate tracer at the attackers and inflicted damage on a Skyhawk. His courage, steadfastness and total disregard for his own safety undoubtedly saved the ship from many further attacks and was an inspiration to all those in the vicinity.’


Only twelve D.S.M’s. were awarded for gallantry during the Falklands war. www.dnw.co.uk


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