The Telegraph has posted the Obituary of AVM David Emmerson. Yet no-one who served with him has commented about his passing on pprune.
Air Force Cross
Wing Commander David EMMERSON 4230086, Royal Air
Force.
Wing Commander Emmerson commands No 206 Squadron
based at Royal Air Force Kinloss. Between 21st April 1982 and
6th June 1982, he was detached to Ascension Island to command
a force of Nimrod aircraft deployed in support of Operation CORPORATE.
On arrival at Ascension, Wing Commander Emmerson
found little in the way of a support organisation. However, during
his period in command the detachment doubled in size, an air-to-air
refuelling capability was introduced for Nimrod aircraft to
operate both within the Total Exclusion Zone and close to the
Argentinian coast, and new weapons including air-to-air missiles
were received into service. Throughout the period of expansion
Wing Commander Emmerson displayed exceptional zeal and
patience over long hours of abnormally demanding duties. He not
only prepared his crews for operations close to the Argentinian
coast and within range of fighter aircraft, but also displayed exceptional
leadership and a great sense of courage by captaining each
sortie which broke new ground as new equipments, capabilities
and techniques were introduced. He never tasked a crew to fly
an operation which he himself had not already flown and he displayed
outstanding leadership and skill in completing each mission
successfully regardless of the potential risks to his aircraft and
crew. In the course of ten operational sorties Wing Commander
Emmerson was captain of the Nimrod which supported the first
Vulcan attack on Port Stanley Airfield on 1st May. He led the first
crew to operate within air defence radar and fighter range of the
Argentinian bases of Puerto Belgrano and Commodore Rivadavia.
The latter sortie was conducted in daylight in an environment
of a. considerable risk to aircraft and crew. Another of his operational
sorties was to provide surface surveillance in support of
Task Groups overnight on 20th/21st May to cover the amphibious
landings on East Falkland involving a flight of 19 hours and 7200
nautical miles. Throughout the period of the Falkland campaign,
Wing Commander Emmerson displayed courage and coolness
which were a magnificent example to others. While proving himself
an outstanding leader of his crews through personal example, unselfish
determination and skill he ensured the achievement of the
military aims of his Commander in the employment of the Nimrod.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...12855/data.pdf