Family of hero will receive top honour

The family of a Black Country war hero killed during the Falklands conflict have been invited to receive a Elizabeth Cross medal in his honour.

Adrian Anslow, from Wolverhampton, was an electrical mechanic with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm when he died, aged 20.

He was on board the Atlantic Conveyor when it sunk after being hit by two Argentine missiles, killing 12 sailors.

More than 28 years later, his parents Rose, aged 72, and Alf, aged 71, have been invited to Birmingham City Football Club next month to receive the medal from the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Mr Paul Sabapathy.

They will be presented with the Elizabeth Cross – a sterling silver emblem in the shape of a cross over a wreath – and a memorial scroll, signed by The Queen, which will bear Adrian's name.

Since July last year, the cross is awarded to families of all serviceman and women who have died during operations or been killed as a result of terrorism since the Second World War.

Adrian, who attended Coppice High School, in Ecclestone Road, signed up to the Royal Navy when he was 17 and completed his training as a helicopter-radio specialist on board HMS Raleigh and HMS Daedalus.

He was one of the first into the Falklands war zone, flying to Ascension Island by RAF Hercules to join a fleet auxiliary. After a spell on HMS Invincible he was part of a small party sent to the unarmed merchant ship, Atlantic Conveyor.

When Adrian died the family lived at Regis Road, in Tettenhall, but have since moved to nearby Compton.

Rose, who plans to travel to the Falklands with her husband on Remembrance Day to see the Atlantic Conveyor memorial, said: "There isn't a day that goes by when we don't think about him and we are honoured that he is being remembered in this way so long after the event."