Themes

Article highlights

• The career of a Falklands veteran

• Early career

• '42 Commando to the South Atlantic - Quick March'

• The 'Great White Whale'

• Taking Mount Kent

• The attack on Mount Harriet

• Post Falklands career

Early career

Nick Vaux enlisted in the Royal Marines in 1954. He undertook the famed Royal Marine Commando officer training course, and after 'passing out', joined 45 Commando as a Second Lieutenant.

Vaux joined the Commando at a period of great activity. The Commando was in Malta and Cyprus training for an assault on Egyptian Forces guarding the Suez Canal at Port Said, Egypt.

As a consequence, Vaux was part of the first ever helicopter-borne amphibious operation at Suez in 1956. 45 Commando sailed from Malta on 2 November.

They made the historic landings from HMS Ocean and HMS Theseus four days later landing a total of 425 men and 23 tons of stores and ammunition in just 89 minutes.

After undertaking various roles in other commando units and in Royal Marine shore establishments Vaux served with the Marines at sea.

In 1963 he trained and commanded a detachment of Royal Marines for sea service in HMS Ursa. Ursa was an anti submarine frigate which was stationed in the Caribbean during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

As Second in Command of 42 Commando Vaux also undertook tours of duty in Northern Ireland during the 1970s.

Vaux was a noted expert on Mountain and Arctic Warfare (M & AW). After he qualified in the field he experienced a number of winter deployments to North Norway before becoming a specialist adviser to the US Marine Corps (USMC) in 1979.

In 1981 Vaux received a commendation from the USMC "for his fine work in compiling a Cold Weather Handbook" for them.

He considers the M & AW experience amongst the Royal Marines in 1982 to have significantly contributed to success in the adverse conditions of winter in the Falkland Islands.