Britain’s only female naval commando among victims of Devon helicopter crash

Lt Lily-Mae Fisher, Lt Cmdr Chris Gayson and Petty Officer Owen Green died during Royal Navy training exercise Britain’s only serving female naval commando has been named as one of the three people who died in a helicopter crash during a military training exercise in Devon on Wednesday. The victims have been named by the Ministry of Defence as Lt Lily-Mae Fisher, 31, Lt Cdr Chris Gayson, 42, and PO Owen Green, 24. John Healey, the defence secretary, described all three as “dedicated and highly valued members of their squadrons who embodied the best of our armed forces”. Their families have been informed and an investigation is under way into the cause of the crash, which occurred when the Mk4 helicopter went down in a field in Sourton Down, near Okehampton, around 4am on Wednesday. Conditions at the time were said to be very poor, with strong winds, heavy rain and low visibility. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash. Col Will Penkman, the commanding officer of the commando helicopter force, said: “It is a tragedy that we lost three members of the CHF family yesterday. Cherished members of the force with bright futures ahead of them, they were all highly commit