NAVY NEWS, JUNE 2009 5
Four-fi ve. Engage!ve. Engage!
A bridge to farm
THESE might look like a few
uneven planks but they’re actually
part of an important piece of naval
architecture.
Spanning 20ft of river outside
Rio de Janeiro, this is HMS
Lancaster Bridge, so called
because it was put up by good
eggs from the Red Rose frigate
back in 2005.
Four years of Brazilian rain
had taken its toll of the wooden
crossing, which connected two
parts of a farm used as a home
and rehabilitation centre by some
of the country’s street children.
Planks were broken or had been
washed away by the river in flood
– as had some of the road leading
up to it.
Tired by their exertions on the
Over four days, the destruction
farmstead, the work party headed
of the elements was replaced by
into the surrounding jungle
the construction by some other
to relax at the foot of a 200ft
fine folk from England’s greatest
waterfall. Those who didn’t take
county, the ship’s company of
a dip in the pool enjoyed a (hard)
HMS Manchester.
water massage at the bottom of
The ship had her two-week
the waterfall.
stand-off from her seven-month
Rio marks the half-way point
South Atlantic deployment in Rio,
in the destroyer’s deployment – a
allowing some of her sailors to get
chance for the engineers to conduct
out into the country.
some much needed maintenance
Chief among beneficiaries of
on the Type 42 after the rigours
Manchester’s goodwill was TASK
of operating in the South Atlantic
Brazil – The Abandoned Street
and a chance for those off duty to
Kids of Brazil – a British-funded
explore the legendary ‘party city’.
charity which looks after some
Some families flew out to Rio
of the country’s orphans and
to be with their loved ones for
abandoned youngsters.
the first time since the ship left
The destroyer provided four
Portsmouth back in January.
working parties for the charity.
The more active-minded took
Some grappled with clearing up
on the Brazilian Navy at football
inside and outside at two hostels
(and lost, perhaps unsurprisingly,
in Rio itself, stripping out debris
4-1), while Manchester’s golfers
and blitzing an overgrown garden
were invited to play at the exclusive
– which can now be turned into a
Itanhangá club, one of Brazil’s
play area.
most renowned courses.
Others headed to the farm
But all that’s in the past now.
which helps 12 teenage boys.
The Type 42 is back at sea around
There they found HMS
the Falklands now. There she’s
Lancaster bridge not only rather
hosting the new Chief of Joint
rickety (it’s now repaired) but
Operations Air Marshal Sir
the main farmhouse rather run
Stuart Peach who’s seeing what
down (it’s now looking quite
the destroyer ‘brings to the party’
chipper after some fresh paint was
when it comes to safeguarding
applied).
Britain’s South Atlantic interests.
WHICH it did. Six hundred and 82 times
to be precise.
Yes, it’s been a good month for Westminster.
No, not that Westminster. The other Westminster.
Missiles. Guns. Merlin. Sleek grey messenger of
death and all that. One hundred and eighty men and
women on the top of their game. That Westminster.
The frigate headed to the Rock for ten days of live
firing exercises.
A Type 23 is not the most spacious of vessels at the
best of times.
Now throw in an extra 37 students and staff from
the Maritime Warfare School.
Student principal warfare offi cers, gun controllers,
captains of the turret and close range weapons
instructors were all under the spotlight as the assessors
from HMS Collingwood, er, assessed.
But before the big bangs, there were big wheezes...
The next thing to do in Gib (after stocking up on
ammo) was to race to the top of the Rock.
And so as the first shafts of light penetrated the
Mediterranean night, hardcore and insane members
of Westminster’s ship’s company mustered on the
quay, ready for the assault on the iconic peak.
And 25 minutes later, ET(ME) ‘Elly’ Elston made
it to the top fi rst in an impressive 25 minutes. “It
hurt,” he complained – but at least the barbary apes
weren’t awake yet...
Pushing the junior rating all the way was
CPOET(WE) Dave Haw, while Commanding
● HMS Westminster’s Merlin returns to mother off
Offi cer, Cdr Ken Houlberg third.
the Spanish coast after several days decamped in
By the time the trio were joined by the rest of the
Gib during gunnery trials
runners for the descent, the apes were awake...
Picture: PO Bob Sharples, 829 NAS/HMS Westminster
The run was the curtain-raiser to a “cracking
for an afternoon, allowing them to crawl all over the
weekend in Gib” before the gunnery began in
helicopter whilst explaining to them the roles that the
earnest.
helicopter fulfi ls.
The barrels must have been red hot after the ten
“The children had a wonderful time and had the
days’ shooting.
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opportunity to do something that very few people get
Westminster expended 682 rounds of 4.5in
the chance to do which was really exciting for them,”
Numbers helped and charitable spend to date 601 and £174,521
ordinance – 272 of the last 275 rounds were fi red
one of the nurses told fl ight commander Lt Simon
without a single stoppage which (we’re told) is almost
Stevenson.
unheard of.
The fl ier added: “The children had a good time
There was a good number of ‘small bangs’ too: 180
understanding what we do and, more importantly,
rounds of 30mm and 9,600 rounds of 7.62mm also
meeting the crew.”
arced over the Mediterranean.
And back on the Type 23...
“I was immensely proud of my team who worked
All 16 trainee PWOs – the largest number taken
tirelessly to ensure that the gun remained available
to sea during the international phase of the course in
throughout an intense period of gunnery,” said
recent times – came through the shooting trials.
Westminster’s delighted weapon engineer offi cer Lt
That they passed, apart from personal effort and
Cdr Andy Donaldson.
skill on their part, was in no small degree down to the
“It’s a feat which is unlikely to be rivalled.”
efforts of Westminster’s ship’s company.
You cannot simply toss all those shell casings
“The week was the culmination of three months’
into the Med, much as it would be a lot easier for
preparation,” said Cdr Houlberg.
the ship’s company. No, they have to be disposed of
“It is fantastic that everyone has passed and it has
properly (the shells that is, not the sailors...).
been a huge boost for our team, who have thoroughly
The hangar became a makeshift ‘dump’ – which
enjoyed the opportunity to demonstrate their gunnery Men and women in the Royal Marines and Royal Navy serve their country,
meant the ship’s 829 NAS Merlin flight had to
credentials.”
decamp to RAF Gibraltar for the duration of the
So it was only fair that the sailors celebrate with
often at times of danger: the RNBT serves them and their families, at times
gunnery exercise.
some Mediterranean TAPAs. of need, throughout their lives. Your donations help us to help them.
From there, the flight served as mailman, aerial
Not Spanish savouries, but Exercise TAPAs
observer, pleasure flight operator (the Merlin took
(Training And Physical Activities), a weekend of sport
50 Gib-based personnel on flights around the Rock),
and adventurous training around the Rock (I would
The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust
intelligence gatherer, and all-round good eggs.
have preferred the nibbles – Ed).
The fl iers’ most rewarding work was hosting around
Castaway House, 311 Twyford Avenue, Portsmouth PO2 8RN
The frigate remains on duty in the Med, visiting
20 youngsters from Gibraltar Air Training Corps and
Barcelona and Algeria between patrols before heading
t 023 9269 0112 f 023 9266 0852 e rnbt@rnbt.org.uk w www.rnbt.org.uk
a number of sick children from St Bernard’s Hospital
back to Portsmouth.
005_NN_June.indd 1 21/5/09 16:14:48
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