The four men who died on board the Royal Navy Lynx helicopter which crashed off Cornwall last week have been named by the Ministry of Defence.

The four came from 229 Flight of 815 Naval Air Squadron, based at RN air station Yeovilton in Somerset, and were flying from Type 23 frigate HMS Portland.

The Flight Commander was Observer Lt Dave Cole, aged 34, who lived in Dorset. Dave joined the Navy in 1996 and joined 229 Flight in July this year, having converted to Lynx from Sea Kings. Dave married last summer.

The pilot of the aircraft was Lt Rob Dunn, aged 29, who also lived in Dorset. Rob, who joined the RN in 1998, was engaged to be married next year.

229 Flight’s second observer Lt Jamie Mitchell had just completed his flying training at the age of 29. A Scot who had an interest in aviation from an early age, Jamie first met his partner of many years while at high school in Dundee.

Flight Engineer and winchman LAEM Richard Darnell was the longest-serving member of 229 Flight, having joined in November 2001. Aged 31, Richard – known as Nookie – was honoured in 1998 for bravery when he was awarded the Boyd Trophy after saving a life during a search and rescue mission from HMS Iron Duke. Richard was also engaged to be married to Nickie, a Servicewoman.

The Lynx went missing shortly after 7pm on Wednesday December 8 while engaged on a search mission after sailors reported hearing cries for help from the water.

A search involved RN and RAF Sea Kings, RN frigates HMS Montrose and HMS St Albans and German frigate Sachsen, aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, a French patrol aircraft and the Falmouth lifeboat, but they could not find any sign of the helicopter or its crew until Thursday morning, when the lifeboat spotted wreckage floating in the sea.

Minehunter HMS Pembroke was brought in to pinpoint the wreckage on the seabed, using sonar, and the help of a salvage vessel with underwater cameras was also enlisted.

An inquiry is to be held into the crash.