This following web pages are in Remembrance of and a Memorial to Ian Thomas Molyneux Royal Navy Weapon Engineer Officer of H.M. Submarine 'Astute' who was tragically killed in his submarine on the 8th April 2011.

  The page you are about to visit tells of the death, the funeral and the grave of Lieutenant Commander Ian Thomas MOLYNEUX Royal Navy who departed this life in a most brutal manner on the 8th April 2011.

  The page is intended to be a Memorial to Ian's Memory and has been written primarily with submariners in mind. However, all are welcome to browse this page and we thank you for your visit.

  Mrs Gillian Molyneux, Ian's widow, has given her approval for the publishing of this page, and thanks you all for the many wonderful kindnesses shown to her and her family. It is hoped that as the years roll by, you will find time to occasionally re-visit this page.

  This first page covers the Awards, Dedications and Memorials to Ian whilst at the bottom of this page you will find links to the Inquest into Ian's death, his funeral and finally his grave.

  

Today, Friday the 23rd March 2012 we heard with immense pride of the posthumous award of the GEORGE MEDAL to Lieutenant Commander Ian Thomas Molyneux, Royal Navy.

George Medal awarded to Royal Navy officer Ian Molyneux

  A Royal Navy officer murdered trying to stop a sailor carrying out a gun rampage aboard a nuclear-powered submarine has been awarded one of the highest medals for bravery.

  Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux receives a posthumous George Medal - second only to the George Cross - for attempting to tackle Able Seaman Ryan Donovan as he ran amok on HMS Astute while it was docked in Southampton.

  His widow Gillian said she felt "extremely proud and humbled" to know that her husband's "remarkable bravery" has been recognised.

  Lt Cdr Molyneux, 36, a father of four from Standish, Wigan, tried to disarm Donovan after hearing shots on board the submarine on April 8 last year, but was shot in the head.

  The gunman was then wrestled to the ground by Southampton City Council's leader Royston Smith and chief executive Alistair Neill, who were visiting the submarine at the time.

  In a letter to Lt Cdr Molyneux's widow, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope said: "In giving his life to save others Ian demonstrated courage of the highest possible order. His selfless actions displayed incredible presence of mind and singular bravery."

  Mrs Molyneux said: "On behalf of myself and our children, I wish to express how extremely proud and humbled we all feel to know that Ian's remarkable bravery has been recognised with such a prestigious award.

  "Ian is so desperately missed, but his memory will live on through his four beautiful children and in the hearts and minds of all who knew him."

  Donovan was jailed for at least 25 years in September for murdering Lt Cdr Molyneux and attempting to murder Lieutenant Commander Christopher Hodge, Petty Officer Christopher Brown, and Chief Petty Officer David McCoy.

  The medal citation said: "Lt Cdr Molyneux, with complete disregard for his own safety, had deliberately made an effort to tackle the gunman, knowingly putting himself into extreme danger in order to try to safeguard others from personal injury.

  "His actions were incalculably brave and were carried out in the highest possible service traditions of courage and selfless commitment, resulting ultimately in providing just enough disruption to the sentry's intent to enable him to be subsequently overwhelmed and disarmed."

  Mr Smith and Mr Neill are also awarded the George Medal in the Civilian Gallantry List today for their heroic actions in grabbing the gun from Donovan.

  They both believed the submarine was under terrorist attack and that the sailor would continue to fire until he ran out of ammunition.

  The civic leaders managed to pin Donovan to the floor and fought to restrain him.

  Mr Neill was injured in the struggle but managed to hold on to the gunman until military police officers arrived at the scene.

  Their medal citation reads: "Both men placed themselves at great risk by choosing to tackle someone who had shot at least two naval officers.

  "By their actions they prevented further shootings and possible death or injury to others on board the submarine."

  Admiral Stanhope said: "Cllr Smith and Mr Neill showed tremendous bravery.

  "The Royal Navy as a whole, the ship's company of HMS Astute and their families will always owe a debt of gratitude for their actions in preventing further death or injury on that tragic day."

  The medals will be presented at a later date.

  We share with Gillian and her children, with the Molyneux family close and extended and the many friends of it, with the fellow recipients of the George Medal well deserved, a great and profound pride in this award. With the many others involved with Astute's visit to Southampton in April 2011 and all peoples everywhere who were affected when hearing of this terrible slaughter, we share your empathy, support and understanding.

  Gill was presented with the GEORGE MEDAL by Her Majesty The Queen at a private investiture at Buckingham Palace on Friday morning the 16th November 2012. The non-private event was covered by the British Forces Broadcasting Station, and the following video clip is taken from their television broadcast suitably modified and personalised. We thank the BFBS for its use and remind all that they own the copyright to this video. The following is an extract from the BFBS video. Click on the image below and when finished click on your browser back button.

Click image to play

Underneath Ian's Official Number there is a Sterling Silver Hall Mark and the pin fastener.

Today, Friday the 26th April 2013
Gill received a personal gift from H.M. The Queen of the ELIZABETH CROSS

  The image on the left is the obverse side of the Cross whilst the image on the right is the reverse. Clicking on either image will enlarge it and will also allow you to read the inscription on the reverse. It is the only Cross/Medal I know of with a plain reverse given over to personal engraving details.

  On the introduction of the Elizabeth Cross, Her Majesty The Queen in a message to Her Armed Forces, said:

  "This seems to me a right and proper way of showing our enduring debt to those who are killed while actively protecting what is most dear to us all. The solemn dignity which we attach to the names of those who have fallen is deeply engrained in our national character. As a people, we accord this ultimate sacrifice the highest honour and respect."

  "I greatly hope that the Elizabeth Cross will give further meaning to the nation's debt of gratitude to the families and loved ones of those who have died in the service of our country. We will remember them all."

  The following video footage comes from the webpage of the British Forces Broadcasting Service which has magnificent radio and television programmes of great interest to our armed forces. The photograph is included in their coverage.

RN Commander's widow gets honour.

  The widow of the Royal Navy commander shot dead on board the nuclear submarine HMS Astute received a military honour today. Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux died after the incident in Southampton in April 2011. His widow Gillian was handed the Elizabeth Cross, given to the next-of-kin of members of the British Forces killed on duty, in a special ceremony in Wigan.

Click on image to play

  The naval officer at the ceremony is Commodore Dickie Baum Royal Navy, the Northern Regional Commander. He had the unpleasant task of calling upon Gill to break the news of Ian's death.

This is the Scroll awarded with the Elizabeth Cross which is signed by Her Majesty.

  Gill is now the proud recipient of the George Medal and the Elizabeth Cross. Since Ian's death, she regularly uses the expression "bitter sweet" to mean her continuing deep pain and sadness for the loss of her husband but her happiness, thanks and joy, at having so many supportive friends and a wonderful family to support her. She wears these honours on her chest with great pride and in her heart she bears her pain and loss with great dignity.

  There are several other artefacts, or naturally occurring objects, which have been dedicated to Ian's name and to the Molyneux family. These are shown below along with other family photographs.

  The Music you will hear (click on the image of Ian to start the music, click outside the image to stop) is a mix of the naval piping onboard, Last Post, Reveille and Sunset played by the Royal Marines.

Click on image to play

  We know that many of you, particularly those in the submarine service, will wish to pay their respects at Ian's grave side. Our dearest wish is that this website will encourage you to do so and that his memory will be maintained.

These next two pictures below are the front and back of a laminated card which was inserted into Gill's 2011 Christmas card.

  

The following are more Memorial Photographs to Ian's Memory - click on each thumbnail to enlarge it and reveal the caption

          

        

  

The following photographs were taken of the Moly's in the week before they paid their homage for the third anniversary of Ian's death, c.2014.

           

           

           

A family to be proud of. Mum Gill is the President of T.S. Molyneux GM whilst Jamie (right), Arron (left) and Bethy are ratings of the ships company. Little Charlie can't wait to get some of the action other than ringing the bell of course.

           

and mum nod's her approval for her sons new accommodation. Hardly home from home, but it will do!

Wigan newspaper (self explanatory) with lovely picture of proud dad and eldest son.

and this time a proud mum!

Tuesday 12 July 2016 10:03.

Proud moment for son of hero submariner Jamie Molyneux passes out at Welbeck.

  There was a mixture of emotions as the son of a murdered Wigan submariner passed out at military college. Jamie Molyneux, whose heroic father Ian was shot dead while serving on board HMS Astute in 2011, was also selected as the best naval officer cadet at Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College.

Picture of Lt Cdr Ian Molyneux with his children, from top left clockwise, Arron, Jamie, Charlie and Bethany.

  He has been studying there since leaving St John Fisher in Beech Hill in 2014. The 18-year-old's delighted mum Gillian watched on with pride as he passed out with his classmates at the weekend.

  It was a great day, I really enjoyed it, said the youngster. It was a very proud moment to stand in front of so many people. I couldn't believe I was selected as the best naval cadet. It's judged by our officer commander so it means a lot. It's been hard at times but I've got a lot out of it to take forward to university and then training. I would hope my dad was looking down too and that he will be in a few years time when I am hopefully passing out at Dartmouth as well.

  Lt Cdr Ian Molyneux Royal Navy was killed by able seaman Ryan Donovan, who ran amok while the submarine was docked in Southampton. The courageous father-of-four died while protecting others, attempting to prevent the gunman from killing more people. Since his death, the Molyneux family, who live in Springfield, have done everything to keep his memory alive. Their second eldest son Arron is this year carrying out the role of Mayoral cadet. Mum Gillian said: It was a very proud moment to see Jamie pass out. He has worked so hard for this. There have been times where he has struggled and questioned if he was doing the right thing but he has got through it and done so well. It was a very emotional moment, and I'm sure that Ian was looking down with pride. There were a few other parents there who are in the navy so to not have Ian there was difficult. It was a very happy day though and we are all so proud. Welbeck has the best of the best there, so for him to do so well in such a tough environment is fantastic. It's been a long awaited event; these last two years have been a slog but he has got there.

  Taken from an article published by the media WIGAN TODAY who own the copyright for the story. Thank you.

The NATIONAL MEMORIAL ABORETUM

  Before moving to the National Memorial story, which is in Staffordshire, we want to mention two other Memorials which now bear Ian Molyneux's name. The first one is fittingly in the arms of the submarine world at their Museum, Gosport, Hampshire, adjacent to the former HMS Dolphin the original home of the Royal Navy's submarine service. This photograph shows Gill with her four children Jamie, Arron, Beth and Charlie at the unveiling ceremony at the former submarine base in early 2012.

  The other Memorial, a much closer to home tribute, has recently been added to the War Memorial in Ian's home town of Wigan. Gill and her family will attend the Remembrance Day Service at this Cenotaph this year, 2012, the first with Ian's name proudly displayed.

  The National Memorial Arboretum is a very moving innovation to witness and to pay homage to. As each new year starts, the names of those who die in that year whilst on duty and active service, are collated and compiled and when that year ends, they are added to the Memorial. In the following year, all their next of kin are invited to attend a private dedication for the dead of the preceding year, and regrettably, this goes on, year after year, to commemorate the dead of our Armed Forces. What follows concerns Gill's invite to the 2011 Dedication. For those of you who have not yet had the opportunity to visit the NMA, this rather large photograph, gives a stunning view of the Memorial. It might take a little time for it to download but I know that you will find it a worthwhile wait.

Click image to play video

  Gill figures largely in this video. Also of note are the two admirals. The first you will see is Vice Admiral [Retired] Sir John Dunt KCB BSc CEng FIEE rcds pse hcsc, himself like Ian, a Weapon Engineer officer, followed by the Second Sea Lord [speaking the names of the deceased] Vice Admiral Sir Charles Montgomery KBE BEng pce psc, an Underwater Warfare specialist officer [PWO [U]/AWO [U]].

NMA Programme of Dedication 2011

This is one of Gill's three awarded tickets giving access to the private ceremony.

  The picture below shows Ian's name with his George Medal, posthumously awarded on the 23rd March 2012 almost a year after his death. Gill is due to attend the Palace for a private meeting with HM The Queen in November and to receive the George Medal.

  The Programme of Dedication shown above in the PDF File, rather strangely omits the Honours and Decorations of the fallen whilst adding them for all who officiated at the Service, with the exception of the Second Sea Lord whose Knighthood, although mentioned, omits his KBE, awarded in the Queens Birthday Honours 2012.

The following photographs were taken at the NMA during the 2011 Dedication Service

Click on each thumbnail to enlarge and reveal the caption that accompanies each photograph.

      

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The section above covered a NATIONAL DEDICATION for Ian and those lost in the year 2011.

  What follows, continuing the theme of dedications, is a Dedication celebrated in his own home town of Wigan on Friday the 27th June 2014.

  At a date prior to the Dedication, a plaque was added to the town's splendid war memorial which stands proud outside the entrance to All Saints Parish Church in the centre of town, which to say the very least, is a beautiful and historic building.

  We start our local story with photographs of the plaque and the war memorial with the church in the background.

    

  The Dedication was covered by the camera and the pen, and was published locally in Wigan newspapers as well as featuring on local TV channels.

  This first entry shows the Service programme. The Service was conducted by the Rector of All Saints, assisted by a Roman Catholic Priest who read the Naval Prayer.

Dedication Programme Wigan War Memorial

  The following link Dedication of plaque in Wigan in honour of heroic Naval officer will take you to the ITV News page that covered the Dedication of a plaque in Wigan. The content of the page has been re-typed below in case the link above is archived in the future.

Granada ITV News

12:21 pm, Fri 27 Jun 2014

Dedication of plaque in Wigan in honour of heroic Naval officer

  Lt Commander Ian Molyneux with his wife Gillian and four children Credit: Royal Navy

  A plaque in honour of an heroic submariner from Wigan has been dedicated during a special ceremony at the town's war memorial.

  Lt Cdr Ian Molyneux's name has recently been added to the cenotaph in Wigan town centre.

  His family and friends attended the special ceremony, led by the Rector of Wigan Parish Church and the Mayor of Wigan.

  Lt Cdr Molyneux was shot dead three years ago on board submarine HMS Astute while tackling a junior sailor who went on a rampage with a gun.

  Ian Molyneux's actions saved the lives of several other naval officers and saw him awarded the George Medal posthumously.

  The dedication comes 24 hours before events to mark Armed Forces Day take place in Wigan town centre.

  Councillor David Molyneux, deputy leader of Wigan Council, said: "Lt Cdr Molyneux's tragic death deeply shocked and saddened the people of Wigan Borough.

  He was clearly an outstanding naval officer, a loving and committed husband and father, and an active member of his local community.

  It is right Ian's name is included on the cenotaph in his home town in recognition of his bravery and sacrifice.

  Ian's widow, Gillian, and their children have shown huge strength and dignity in the face of such a terrible loss. It will be an absolute privilege for me to join them for the public dedication of Ian's plaque.

  I'm sure it will be a memorable occasion and the perfect start to a weekend of activities designed to recognise and celebrate our armed forces"

  and from the video news media comes a very small coverage of the final part of the Dedication. It was just one of many videos covering all kinds of subjects, wrapped up with commercial advertisements and movie previews. There is no sound associated with the clip.

Click image to play video

  In the short video clip above, the Mayor of Wigan, Councillor Phyll Cullen [dressed in a blue suit] can be seen standing next to the Deputy Leader of Wigan Council, Councillor David Molyneux [no relation to Ian] over to the left of the family group. The two clerics stand next to one another, the Rector in gown and the Priest in lounge suit. Gill and her children led the family and friends group, which were many in number. One guest in particular was Chris Hodge who was a good friend of Ian's and now a very close family friend of the special kind. He was also a Lieutenant Commander serving in Astute with Ian, and he like Ian, was shot and severely [near fatally] wounded by the same gunman. Fortunately he survived but only because of the skill of the several surgeons who rebuilt his shattered body. Chris currently serving ashore, leaves the Royal Navy early in 2015 to seek a new adventure! We wish him well. Another nice gesture was the attendance of a Lieutenant Commander RN representing the Senior Naval Officer in the North of England. It was also good to see that Gill's friend and anchor throughout this long grieving period, Patricia Clements {see the Inquest below}, was able to be with the family on this occasion.

  Also seen in the short video, are the children led by Gill, picking up the wreath [Gill and Bethany] and placing it upon the Cenotaph just under Ian's plaque. After the final positioning executed by Arron and Jamie, Arron steps away leaving Jamie to give a smart salute to the Cenotaph and to his dad. No doubt, that he and others will salute in the same manner as each year brings around Remembrance Day. Note how little Charlie [6] is made aware of the solemnity of the occasion, and stands still, almost to attention, whilst his elder brother Jamie salutes.

Awards, Dedications and Memorials The Inquest The Funeral The Grave

Contemplation