Sharkey Ward

Commander Nigel David "Sharkey" MacCartan-Ward, (born Nigel David Ward, 22 September 1943 – 17 May 2024) was a Royal Navy officer who introduced the Sea Harrier aircraft to service with the Fleet Air Arm and commanded 801 Naval Air Squadron during the Falklands War. His nickname of "Sharkey" is traditional for anyone called Ward in the navy, after the Barbary corsair Jack Ward.

Early life
Nigel David Ward was born on 22 September 1943 in Medicine Hat where his father, John Ward, was serving as a Squadron Leader in the RAF. He changed his surname by deed poll in the early 1990s to MacCartan-Ward after his father’s death, in honour of the latter’s Irish ancestry.

Ward travelled to the United Kingdom in 1944 with his mother and elder brother – a five-week journey by sea, avoiding the U-boat threat. He was stricken with bronchiectasis and hospitalized for a year at the age of 5, and only survived the disease by spending three years in the dry climate of Pakistan at RAF Mauripur where his father was posted.

After a return to England, he was educated as a boarder at Reading School where he became Head Boy and captained the rugby Team. He learned to fly with an RAF Flying Scholarship in 1959, earning his Private Pilot’s Licence in a de Havilland Tiger Moth.

Military career
In 1962, he entered Britannia Royal Naval College as a Naval Cadet on the General List. After basic flying training he completed his training with the Fleet Air Arm on the Hawker Hunter and Sea Vixen. He was court-martialled in 1969 for terrifying members of the public on a low-level flight over Devon and Cornwall, receiving a formal reprimand. He then joined 892 Naval Air Squadron and flew the F-4K Phantom from HMS Ark Royal (R09), where he qualified as an instructor. He then worked as a nuclear planning officer at NATO Allied Forces Northern Europe. In 1976 he was appointed to be the naval staff officer responsible for the development of the Sea Harrier. By 1979, the Sea Harrier was ready to enter service, on cost and on time. That year, he took command of the Sea Harrier FRS.1 Intensive Flying Trials Unit at 700 Naval Air Squadron. Ward featured in an episode of Pebble Mill at One that year when he landed a Sea Harrier in a sports field next to the Pebble Mill Studios. This earned him the nickname "Mr Sea Harrier". He was soon given command of 801 Squadron, based in HMS Invincible and was promoted to Commander.

Falklands War
As commanding officer of 801 Squadron, Ward had to prepare the Sea Harrier for action in the South Atlantic. Aircraft and pilots were borrowed from the conversion unit, 899 Naval Air Squadron, and with a strength of eight aircraft they embarked in HMS Invincible on 4 April 1982.

21 May 1982
Ward, flying Sea Harrier XZ451/006, was leading a division of three aircraft launched to carry out combat air patrol over the Falkland Sound, southwest of San Carlos Water. Two Pucara ground-attack aircraft operating from Goose Green at low level were detected by the air defence controller in HMS Brilliant. The three Sea Harriers were in the climb en route to Invincible when they were vectored towards the Pucaras. One of the Pucaras was attacked from abeam by the two Sea Harriers flown by Lieutenant Stephen Thomas (naval officer) and Alisdair Craig but evaded being hit. Simultaneously, Ward attacked Major Carlos Tomba's aircraft from behind with his ADEN cannon, setting the starboard engine on fire and damaging the port aileron. He immediately re-attacked hitting the fuselage and port engine. In his third and final run flying as low as 10 feet above the ground, he destroyed the cockpit canopy and upper fuselage. Tomba ejected from the Pucara at very low-level before the aircraft crashed north-west of Drone Hill. Tomba was unhurt and walked back to Goose Green.

Later that same day Ward, in Sea Harrier ZA175, and his wingman, Stephen Thomas, were carrying out a low-level combat air patrol to the west of San Carlos over the land. Whilst in a turn, Ward sighted two Argentine Air Force Mirage V "Daggers" approaching from the west at very low level. They were on their way to attack the landing force in San Carlos Water. He flew between them head on and then turned hard to engage them in combat. The Daggers also turned hard but not towards their target. They were running for home. This placed them in front of Steve's Sea Harrier and he shot them down with two AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles. Meanwhile, a third unseen Dagger was firing its cannon from behind Ward's aircraft at him but missed. Ward turned on the Dagger and shot him down with a Sidewinder. Whist this dog fight was going on, a fourth Dagger had evaded intercept and had attacked the air defence control ship Brilliant: fortunately with little damage. The three Dagger pilots, Major Piuma, Captain Donadille and Lieutenant Senn, ejected safely.

1 June 1982
Ward, in Sea Harrier XZ451, and Steve Thomas were in the climb returning to Invincible after combat air patrol when they were alerted by HMS Minerva to an intermittent radar contact 40 miles to the northwest. Ward immediately led his wingman in a hard turn towards the reported contact position and detected a large aircraft target on his Blue Fox radar, at 38 miles and 4,000 feet below. He immediately took charge of the intercept and tracked the target turning towards Argentina and descending. At high speed, the two Sea Harriers closed in on the target and, as he emerged through the low cloud, Ward became visual with a four-engined Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft at 200 feet above the sea. Short of fuel for the return to Invincible, immediate action was required. Ward's first Sidewinder missile fell just short of the C-130, but the second started a fire between the inner and outer starboard engines. Ward then fired 240 rounds from his Harrier's two ADEN cannons and this action caused the enemy aircraft to lose control, sending it crashing into the sea and killing the seven crew members.

Ward flew over sixty war missions, achieved three air-to-air kills, and took part in or witnessed a total of ten kills; he was also the leading night pilot, and was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry.

Later life
After retiring from the Royal Navy in 1985, Ward wrote the book Sea Harrier Over the Falklands: A Maverick at War, first published in 1992. In 2001, he returned to the RNAS Yeovilton to fly with his son Kris, after the younger Ward qualified to fly the Sea Harrier FA2. His son died 15 November 2018, aged 45.

In 2011, while residing in Grenada, he had a radio interview with Ezequiel Martel, son of the C-130 Hercules pilot shot down by Ward during the conflict.

Ward died from a suspected heart attack at his home in Grenada, on 17 May 2024, at the age of 80.

Honours and awards

 * 12 June 1982 – Air Force Cross for services to VSTOL aviation in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
 * 8 October 1982 – Distinguished Service Cross for gallant and distinguished service in the South Atlantic:
 * November 1982. Awarded Freedom of the City of London.