14 NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2009
‘Credit
Picture: LA(Phot) Dan Hooper, HMS Albion
GLEAMING under the artificial
light, this is the impressive
crunch’
sight of assault ship HMS
Albion moments before the
waters lapped once more
Navy Days
around her freshly-painted
hull.
The Devonport-based
PEOPLE in the West Country
amphibious ship’s dry dock
– and beyond – will get the first
– No.8 for the record – was
chance to see their Navy up close
flooded up last month, a
and personal in three years this
major milestone in her £26m
summer.
refit, bringing the curtain
After a lengthy hiatus, Navy
down on the first phase of the
Days returns to Devonport Naval
demanding project.
Here comes the science
Base – same venue, but with a
bit...
slightly different date.
The process of flooding the
Organisers promise the biggest
dry dock saw 60,000 tonnes
Royal Navy public event of the
of water pour in over 2½
year, hope new destroyer HMS
hours.
Daring will be on show, and have
Albion was supported on a
frozen many of the admission
system of blocks that spread
prices at the 2006 level given the
the ship’s weight evenly.
economic crisis.
Throughout the refloating
Typically held over the
process, regular inspections
August Bank Holiday weekend
were made to ensure that the
(when most of the RN is still
many hull openings remained
on summer leave), Navy Days
watertight.
this year is being staged over
Which they did evidently...
the first weekend in September
Albion entered dock last
(when much of the RN is back –
November at the start of the
and when the spectacle doesn’t
first significant maintenance
clash with as many major public
programme since she was
events).
launched in March 2001 (and
The last similar showcase for
if you want to know how her
the Fleet – Meet Your Navy in
hull looked before the paint
Portsmouth (which wasn’t Navy
job, flick to page 7 of our
Days, organisers stressed) – drew
January 2009 edition)
35,000 visitors over three days
Work on the 17,000-tonne
last summer.
ship has included the refitting
Navy Days (which isn’t Meet
of her propellers, shafts and
Your Navy but will incorporate
rudders, the application
some of its characteristics,
of over 25,000 litres of
notably the chance to, er, ‘meet
environmentally-friendly
your navy’) drew the same
paint and improvements to
number of visitors to Plymouth
accommodation.
back in 2006. This summer
Cdr Geoff Wintle, HMS
organisers are hoping to reach
Albion’s Commander
similar figures over September
Logistics, said: “This is the
5 and 6.
first period of maintenance
“We are sympathetic to the
in a dry dock since she
financial constraints everyone
was commissioned and
is under with the credit crunch
is essentially routine
are so we’re keeping prices for
maintenance, but amounts to
certain tickets the same as three
a significant work package.
years ago,” said Capt Charlie
“There are no major
King, Devonport’s Captain of
enhancements, but she
the Base.
has had a special re-paint
In view of the RN’s global
and improvements to the
commitments, none of the RN
accommodation for the Royal
and RFA major warship attendees
Marines and sailors.”
are set in stone yet, but Capt
He added: “HMS Albion
King hopes foreign vessels will
is therefore, newly improved
also take part – as they have done
and will be ready later in the
at previous Navy Days.
year for her next operational
What is definite is that
period.”
the Royal Marines will be
Once out of the dry dock
conducting a rescue on the river;
Albion did not have far to go –
a substantial air display will take
she was moved to an adjacent
place to celebrate 100 years of
basin where Babcock Marine
naval aviation; the RN Raiders
are continuing the refit.
parachute display team will be
The ship’s company is
dropping in; and there will be an
expected to move back on
exhibition celebrating the future board towards the end of
Navy – HMS Astute, the next- this month, and the work
generation carriers and the Type completed in summer.
45 destroyers. Albion will then embark
“We are fully committed to on a series of trials and
staging the best event we can training which will prepare
for the people of Plymouth, the her for resuming the role
south west and further afield,” of amphibious flagship (a
Capt King added. title currently held by HMS
“We can promise an exciting Bulwark) early in 2010.
event and the chance to meet
the personnel who crew the
ships and submarines and the
Royal Marines who have combat
and other experience from
Afghanistan.”
Prices are: one-day pass: adults
£14, pensioners £12, children
Paint your (battle) wagon
£3; two-day pass: adults £20,
pensioners £18, children £6.
Passes for groups of eight are
available for £12 per person for
one day and £18 ahead for two
days. They’re available on 08445
787878.
Go to hell! Big Cig is damned
Visit www.royalnavy.mod.uk/
navydays for more details.
IN Roman times, one of the mythical gates to the of smoking.
Helmand in
underworld was reported to be at Solfatara, a
volcanic crater just outside Naples.
Big Cig was on the receiving end of some
Pumping out superheated gases at temperatures
fairly harsh treatment closer to home as well.
focus
up to 320˚F, with the smell of rotten eggs filing the
The errant fag end was spotted near some Hawk
air, and pools of bubbling mud, it’s easy to see why
training aircraft at RN Air Station Culdrose, but
the place was feared.
was quickly set upon and soaked with water by
THE first exhibition in the
As part of National No Smoking Day, the British
two of the Cornish establishment’s fire vehicles.
Royal Marines Museum’s new
Forces Clinic in Naples decided that Solfatara Culdrose’s medical centre has an active
dedicated facility looks at the
was the perfect place to banish Big Cig once and smoking-cessation clinic, and figures show that
Corps’ mission in Afghanistan.
for all. in 2008 33 per cent of the base’s smokers kicked
Return to Helmand explores the
Wearing his pusser’s foulie, SMO Surg Lt Cdr the habit with the support of the centre.
role of the Royals in current and
Matthew Turner braved the intense heat, and with The medical and dental teams at HMS Raleigh
recent operations in Afghanistan,
his best schoolboy Latin curse, he consigned Big were also active on No Smoking Day, co-opting
how they have adapted to
Cig to a fiery end. Big Cig into telling staff at the base of the dangers
deal with the conflict and the
The senior medical officer is a sworn enemy of of smoking.
many demands placed on the
tobacco – he won an award last year for the best As well as the serious facts, there were a variety
commandos.
use of a Big Cig costume. of competitions, including ‘Spot the Cig’, with
Using startling photography,
The clinic in Naples provides medical care staff ringing in for a prize when they spotted the
video footage and personal
to about 1,000 UK military personnel and their dog-end at various locations.
histories, a series of paintings
families in Italy, Spain and Portugal, and has been HMS Collingwood marked the day with a
commissioned from war artist
very active in its No Smoking Day campaign. special promotional stand which, as well as
Gordon Rushmer, plus a range
Senior Nursing Officer Lt Cdr Voz Johnston has pointing out the health issues, also highlighted
of exhibits brought back from
been encouraging smokers to “come and have a other ways one could spend the money used for
theatre, a variety of topics are
little chat”. cigarettes.
highlighted.
And Health Visitor Dawn Baran has been Smoking rates across the RN are estimated to
For details see www.
working with the British school teaching the be 19 per cent, below the national average of 26
royalmarinesmuseum.co.uk or
younger members of the community the dangers per cent.
telephone 023 9281 9385.
NEW 014_NN_apr.indd 1 19/3/09 11:46:50
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58