Portsmouth family pay tribute Royal Navy veteran who served in Falklands after he dies in A3(M) crash

Decorated retired sailor Commodore Malcolm Williams, 69, was driving when his car was involved in a crash with another car and a lorry.

It happened at junction three of the A3(M) near Waterlooville on April 20 at 11.42am.

The former chief executive of the Chichester-based Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society in Chichester lived in Gains Road, Southsea.

He served in the Royal Navy for 31 years and was honoured by the Queen with a CBE for his role in the response to crises in Sierra Leone and Kosovo. He also coordinated responses to natural disasters in Mozambique and Honduras.

Today his family paid tribute and said: ‘Commodore Malcolm Williams CBE RN was a man of principle, fortitude and compassion and a loving husband, father, grandfather and brother.

‘Both his naval career and his subsequent work were immensely important to him.

‘He will be missed by those that had the privilege to know him.’

Cdre Williams served as operations officer on the Type 21 frigate HMS Ambuscade during the Falklands conflict.

He also served as navigator aboard aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious and commanded both HMS Andromeda and HMS Scylla.

He was commanding officer on HMS Fearless while she was deployed in the Far East for the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.

Following his naval retirement he took up the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society role, focusing on the welfare of merchant seafarers and fishermen.

Cdre Williams led a campaign to stop cheques being abolished by banks, and called for acknowledgement of merchant seafarers during Remembrance services.

Cdre Williams was also admitted to the fraternity of the Younger Brethren of Trinity House, an organisation concerned with the safety of seafarers.

A Hampshire police spokesman said: ‘Officers investigating the exact circumstances of the collision remain keen to speak with anyone who can assist our enquiries.

If you witnessed the collision or have dash-cam footage that may assist, please call 101, quoting the reference 44210149298.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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