Lt Cdr Caroline Frances Oakes received military honours at her funeral in Ballymena, Co Antrim, on Tuesday. The 37-year-old Royal Navy officer passed away on 13 February 2026 from a sudden heart attack while on holiday in Bali.

A service of thanksgiving took place at Wellington Presbyterian Church, followed by a private service at Antrim and Newtownabbey Crematorium. The Royal Navy expressed sadness at her death and noted her recognition in the 2026 New Year Honours List with an MBE.

Oakes was born in May 1988 in Newtownards, attended Regent House Grammar School, and joined Britannia Royal Naval College in 2006. She completed flying training at RNAS Culdrose and the Basic Observer Course at 750 NAS.

She earned Observer Wings in June 2010 after training on the Sea King Mk7 helicopter. Her service with 854 NAS included deployments on Operation Herrick in Afghanistan, Operation Olympic air surveillance in 2012, and operations in the Mediterranean and Middle East.

In 2013, she shifted to uncrewed systems, integrating ScanEagle capability on RFA Cardigan Bay and HMS Northumberland. She served on a board inquiring into a 2015 Watchkeeper crash, conducting interviews with care.

Later, she completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Aerospace Engineering and an Intermediate Command and Staff Course with merit. From 2017 to 2019, she represented the UK at NATO conferences on uncrewed systems.

Recent deployments included leading UK maritime efforts on Operation Orbital in Kyiv before the conflict, facilitating training for the Ukrainian Navy in Odesa and Mykolaiv. In 2021, she handled aviation planning for the UK Carrier Strike Group.

She leaves her mother Roma and sisters Jen and Katrina.