James was the
much-loved son of Vernon and Liz. He grew up in Winchester with his older sister
Caroline. In 1994 he went to Liverpool University where he met his fiancée
Sarah. James joined the Royal Navy in January 1999 and trained as a Sea King
Observer. He was awarded his wings in July 2002. He joined 849 A Flight in
January this year.
James was a
very popular character in the Squadron, he and Sarah have many good friends, who
are now providing tremendous support at this difficult time. They chose to
settle in Falmouth where Sarah intends to practice as a dentist. The deployment
to the Gulf was his first operational tour of duty. He was 28.
From an
early age James had been fascinated by aircraft, he joined the Royal Navy in
fulfilment of an ambition to fly and to serve his country. His parents recall
how proud he was to wear his uniform and said that he died doing the job he
loved most.