GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY Falklands War 1982 and the sinking of the “Belgrano”


The exact nature and extent of G.C.H.Q.’s successes in interception and code breaking during the Falklands War has never been officially revealed. Richard J. Aldrich gives some indication in his recently published but unauthorised GCHQ – The Uncensored Story of Britain’s Most Secret Intelligence Agency. Following a security gaffe by an M.P. in the House of Commons during the April 1982 Falklands debate the Argentinians ‘improved their cipher security, their material became harder to break ... They improved their procedures, changed their codes more frequently and in some cases double enciphered, but to little avail, since their actual machines were compromised. Commander Robert Denton Green, who was the Intelligence Officer at Fleet Headquarters in Northwood, offers the best assessment:


‘But amid all this difficulty, G.C.H.Q. managed to break the Argentine codes. They were not terribly sophisticated, but we got a lot of very high quality political and battle-planning intelligence. It took us between twelve and twenty-four hours to decipher and translate the messages, so we were always trying to extrapolate forward to see what they meant for us now.’


Denton Green concludes that although the material was sometimes ambiguous, G.C.H.Q. intercepts gave it a reasonable picture of what was going on inside the minds of the main Argentine commanders.


One example is the vital role that G.C.H.Q. played in protecting the vulnerable Task Force through the sinking of the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano by the submarine H.M.S. Conqueror on 2 May 1982, as related by Aldrich:


‘Events largely turned upon a sequence of Argentine Navy signals that were intercepted and read by G.C.H.Q. On 1 May 1982 the Argentine Navy was told to locate the British Task Force around the Falklands and launch a ‘massive attack’ as soon as possible. The Belgrano was ordered south and into the Exclusion Zone. This alarming signal was intercepted by G.C.H.Q., and strongly informed the government’s deliberations. Shortly afterwards, the War Cabinet met at the Prime Minister’s country residence, Chequers, and authorised an attack on the Belgrano. Sigint showed that, although at this moment she still lay outside the Exclusion Zone, her orders were clear, and she constituted a serious threat.’


Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s O.B.E. warrant, in the name of ‘Miss Maureen Mary Jones’, and dated 11 October 1982, together with some letters to her from the Central Chancery; a letter from the Principal Private Secretary at 10 Downing Street, Robin Butler (now Lord Butler of Brockwell K.G., G.C.B.), dated 20 September 1982, informing her that the Prime Minister ‘has it in mind on the occasion of the special honours list to recognise services rendered in connection with the South Atlantic Operation to submit your name to The Queen with a recommendation that Her Majesty may be graciously pleased to approve that you be appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire’; a letter from the Director Government Communications Headquarters, Sir Peter Marychurch ,K.C.M.G., the internationally renowned cryptologist, dated 7 May 1985, addressed to ‘My dear Maureen’ on the occasion of her retirement after ‘more than 41 years service with G.C.H.Q.’ - ‘It is always sad to bid farewell to a colleague of long standing and this is particularly so when it is someone I have known, admired and respected over a very long period ... You will be greatly missed by us all, not only for your expertise and wisdom, but also as a friend’; a photograph of Miss Jones, her sister and a friend after her investiture at Buckingham Palace in October 1982; and original October 1982 newspapers and cuttings from the The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph and the Gloucestershire Echo containing the list of the Falklands War awards and photographs following her investiture.


1651


A military M.B.E. group of four awarded to Lieutenant Percy Howard Cocks, Army Educational Corps and Corps of Army Schoolmasters, a recipient of an M.S.M. for Bermuda


THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 1st type breast badge, silver, hallmarks for London 1919; BRITISHWARMEDAL 1914-20 (W.O. Cl. 1, C. of A.S.); ARMY L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (Schoolmaster, C. of A.S.); ARMYMERITORIOUS SERVICEMEDAL, G.V.R., 1st issue (Schoolmaster, C. of A.S.M.) mounted as worn, good very fine (4)


£400-500


M.B.E. (Military) London Gazette 2 June 1923. ‘Lieutenant Percy Howard Cocks, Army Educational Corps.’ M.S.M. London Gazette 22 February 1919. ‘... in recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the war.’


Percy Howard Cocks was born on 4 October 1876. Served in the Corps of Army Schoolmasters, serving in the ranks 8 years, as a warrant officer for 12 years. As such he was awarded the M.S.M. for services in Bermuda during the Great War. Commissioned a Lieutenant in 1921 and awarded the M.B.E. in 1923.


With copied gazette extracts and other research including M.S.M. m.i.c. confirming the award for ‘Bermuda’.


www.dnw.co.uk


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