Single Campaign Medals 599
The rare and significant Sea Harrier pilot’s South Atlantic Medal awarded to Lieutenant Commander R. V. Frederiksen, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy, who was mentioned in despatches for his services with 800 Naval Air Squadron during the Falklands War: launching from H.M.S. Hermes early on 1 May 1982, the opening day of British operations on the Islands, he led the surprise raid on Goose Green airfield, destroying or damaging at least three Argentine planes; later, on 21 May, he shot down a Dagger single-seat fighter over West Falkland with a Sidewinder missile and the following day strafed and wrecked an enemy patrol boat. Described as the ‘epitome of professionalism’, he was twice awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Services in the Air and went on to enjoy a distinguished career as a squadron commander and test pilot
South Atlantic 1982, with rosette and M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt Cdr R V Frederiksen RN HMS Hermes) with the recipient’s two awards to denote Queen’s Commendations for Valuable Service in the Air (1 bronze oak leaf and 1 spray of silver oak leaves), one edge bruise otherwise nearly extremely fine
£12,000-£15,000 M.I.D. London Gazette 11 October 1982: ‘In recognition of service during the operations in the South Atlantic’
The original recommendation states: ‘Lieutenant Commander Fredericksen has played a key role in the battle of the Falkland Isles. On 1st May 1982, he led an attack on the airstrip at Goose Green settlement, which was fiercely defended by heavy anti-aircraft ground fire and subsequently resulted in the loss of two Harriers. He flew over 50 operational missions and a greater number of hours on air defence than any other pilot on H.M.S. Hermes. In one sortie he destroyed one Skyhawk and aggressively engaged the second aircraft until his missiles and guns were expended. Lieutenant Commander Fredericksen’s courage and cheerful determination in conditions of great stress have been an excellent example to all the aircrew and are in the highest traditions of the Service. He is highly commended for his contribution to Operation Corporate.’
Q.C.V.S.A. London Gazettes 31 December 1977 and 11 June 1994.
Rodney Vincent Frederiksen was born in South Shields on 7 April 1947, the son of a Wireless Officer in the Danish Merchant Navy who had moved to England. He was educated at St. Aidan’s Grammar School, Sunderland, and joined the Royal Navy in 1966, beginning his operational career in 1970 as a Sea Vixen pilot with 893 Naval Air Squadron in H.M.S. Hermes. Transferring to 899 Squadron, he flew the Phantom jet fighter-bomber from the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Eagle in the early 1970s before attending the central flying school at R.A.F. Little Rissington in 1973, the following year becoming a Qualified Flying Instructor. In 1977, having been described in his flying assessment as the ‘epitome of professionalism’, Frederiksen was selected for No. 36 Fixed Wing Course at the Empire Test Pilot’s School, and for the next five years he was a Test Pilot at R.A.F. Boscombe Down. During this period his logbook records hundreds of hours flown on a wide variety of aircraft including the Hunter, Jaguar, Lightning and Hawk to name but a few, and he was awarded his first Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in connection with this work in 1977. Notably, his first Harrier flight came on 25 September 1978 and he logs a solo pre-view flight in a Sea Harrier on 2 May 1979. Flying Sea Harriers exclusively from June 1980 as part of 800 Naval Air Squadron, he was still testing at Boscombe Down when jump jets of his squadron were landing on H.M.S. Hermes on 4 April 1982 in preparation for the journey to the Falkland Islands. Inveigling himself aboard, Frederiksen was welcomed by his fellow 800 Squadron pilots under Lieutenant-Commander Andy Auld and a month later was in the thick of war.
On 1 May 1982 Hermes entered the 200 nautical mile Total Exclusion Zone which Britain had declared around the Falkland Islands and moved into a position 95 miles east-north-east of the capital Port Stanley, ready to launch all 12 of her Sea Harrier aircraft for attacks on Stanley Airport (nine aircraft) and Goose Green (three aircraft). Frederiksen, in Sea Harrier ZA191, led the latter group of three (Tartan Section) off the Hermes ‘ski-jump’ at 10.56, a mission later recounted by Jeffrey Ethell and Alfred Price in Air War South Atlantic:
‘While the attack on Port Stanley airfield was in progress, Lieutenant Commander ‘Fred’ Frederiksen led his three Harriers southwards down Falkland Sound before running in to attack Goose Green airfield from north-west. Approaching fast and very low, the raiders achieved almost complete surprise at their target. As the aircraft pulled up to begin their bombing runs one of the pilots saw the muzzle flashes of small arms fire aimed at them, but that was the sole reaction from the ground. The Sea Harriers released their bombs and were clear before the defenders could bring heavier weapons to bear. As they swept in one of the Pucarás had been preparing to take off, and the exploding cluster bombs wrecked the aircraft, killing the pilot and six ground crew.’
By 11.55 ‘Tartan Section’ had landed on Hermes unscathed. The safe return of all the Harriers of 800 Squadron giving rise to BBC Reporter Brian Hanrahan’s oft-quoted phrase “I counted them all out and I counted them all back”. Overall the two attacks were considered very successful with no losses on the British side, while a Sea Harrier photo-reconnaissance flight later the same day revealed five damaged Pucaras on the Goose Green airfield in addition to the one destroyed.
Over the next 18 days, Frederiksen flew a further 13 Combat Air Patrols from Hermes before the British landings in San Carlos Water on 21 May. Provoking a strong reaction from the Argentine Airforce, this was a day of fierce aerial combat with an estimated nine enemy aircraft shot down; unsurprisingly it was also Frederiksen’s busiest day of the war. On his first sortie that day, Frederiksen and Lieutenant M. Hale of 800 Squadron gave chase to six Argentine Daggers (the Israeli version of the French Dassault Mirage 5 multirole fighter) which had just attacked H.M. ships Broadside, Argonaut and Antrim in San Carlos Sound with 1,000lb bombs.
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