Unit numerous Role Royal Navy officer Rank Vice admiral Name John Cox Battles and wars Falklands War | Battles/wars Falklands War Awards Order of the Bath Commands held numerous Died October 3, 2006 Allegiance Royal Navy | |
Other work Wormwood Scrubs parole board and The Spastics Society Books The Miraculous Lives of a Man Called Jack | ||
Vice Admiral Sir John Michael Holland Cox, (27 October 1928 – 3 October 2006) was a senior officer in the Royal Navy.
Contents
Personal life
He was born in Peking, China and first went to sea as a boy (in a small rowboat), when he warned the British fleet of the seizure of British Embassy property by pirates. This resulted in him receiving two reprimands for putting to sea without telling anyone where he was going — one from the Commander-in-Chief, China Station; the other from his mother.
Cox married Anne Folkstone in 1962, and had a son and daughter and two stepsons.
Naval career
As a British sailor, he was an influential figure, rising to numerous staff and sea commands, including Flag Officer Third Flotilla/Commander Anti-Submarine Warfare Group Two, responsible for the aircraft carriers and amphibious ships, although superseded by Sandy Woodward for the Falklands War, since he was about to retire at the time, and was on gardening leave. For his actions in preparing the fleet, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1982 Birthday Honours.
He became Flag Officer Naval Air Command from May 1982 to September 1983.
Prior to the peak of his career, he was appointed to other notable commands, first commanding the minesweeper HMS Dilston, where he was mentioned in despatches for reducing smuggling off Cyprus in 1952. He later commanded the minesweepers HMS Stubbington, Royal Navy Reserve HMS Thames, the frigate HMS Naiad and the guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk.
Diplomatic career
As a Naval attaché, Cox was appointed to West Germany, where his technique of approaching Soviet Navy Officers "sailor-to-sailor" enabled him to learn intelligence while playing tennis.
Post-Naval career
After retirement from the Royal Navy, Cox turned his attention towards working with the disabled, including the Spastics Society, which he helped turn into Scope which led to the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995. He was also on the parole board for HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs along with his wife.