NAVY NEWS, DECEMBER 2009 5
Picture: Lt Cdr Peter Pipkin, HMS Kent
Red Rose makes
special delivery
WITH the crash of a 17-gun salute reverberating off The Rock, HMS
Lancaster delivered former Second Sea Lord Sir Adrian Johns to his
new appointment…
… just days after Lancaster’s sister Sutherland had carried his
predecessor home.
Vice-Admiral Johns traded places with Lt Gen Robert Fulton RM as
Governor of Gibraltar.
After handing the Keys of Gibraltar to the Port Sergeant, Gen
Fulton climbed aboard Sutherland and departed the overseas territory
to a 17-gun salute from the Royal Regiment of Gibraltar, with RN
patrol boats and police shepherding the frigate out of harbour in
uncharacteristically wet weather.
And three days later, HMS Lancaster arrived – in rather more
characteristic blue skies and sunshine – making her first port of call as
she heads east of Suez to deal with piracy.
An RAF Tornado flew overhead as Admiral and Lady Johns
disembarked Lancaster – and promptly received the keys to Gibraltar.
From dealers of death
Away from the ceremonial, there was football organised by LPT Daz
Hoare, the Red Rose’s tireless clubz, against the Gib Squadron (a last-
minute goal secured a 2-1 victory over a very talented local side), and
the obligatory Rock race.
...to savers of life
Sixty-one hardy souls rose to the challenge and dashed up to the top
of the dominating height. The first six racers posted the fastest collective
Effi cient 824
time by any RN ship in the past six months.
For some of Lancaster’s ship’s company, the race – and the visit to
Gib – were novel experiences.
FOUR-FIVE, engage!
off plenty of rounds. Lt Gary McCall spied the stricken
“It took me just 827 days from passing HMS Raleigh’s main gate to
honoured
Quite possibly the favourite
The former is typically used to mariner before observer Lt Joe
get to my first foreign visit as part of Lancaster’s ship’s company,” said
instruction of any surface ship
provide support for troops ashore; Keane lowered winchman AET
enthusiastic Logs George Mukasa.
commanding officer.
the latter forms part of the Type Mike Purcell to pluck the sailor
“By the time we entered Gibraltar harbour, I found that every single
THIS rather impressive trophy The man giving the order? Cdr 23’s defences against incoming out of the sea. The Lynx then
day of my training was worth it. I was honoured to be part of the arrival
– the Rolls-Royce Engineering Simon Hopper. The ship? HMS attack in the air or on the surface. landed the exhausted man on the
of Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns and his wife and enjoyed a brilliant
Effi ciency Award – sits proudly in Kent. The location? The Gulf. Kent’s now making her way American destroyer USS Benfold
view over the ceremony, all under a perfectly blue sky and warming
the trophy cabinet of 824 Naval With her duties protecting home to Portsmouth with her for medical treatment.
sunshine.”
Air Squadron after the Merlin Iraq’s oil platforms and providing duties in the northern Gulf being “We train for incidents like this
And talking of warming sunshine...
unit was rewarded for its effort stability at the tip of the Arabian taken up by her sister, HMS all the time – thankfully rarely
The next stop for the Red Rose was Souda Bay in Crete (where the
these past 12 months.
Gulf done, the ship decided to Monmouth (see below).
having to do it for real,” said AET ratings celebrated Pickle Night and the ward room enjoyed ‘Trafanto’
The aviation firm presents the
refresh her gunnery skills. That passage home was
Purcell. night – an amalgam of Trafalgar and Taranto nights, the latter in honour
trophy annually to the Fleet Air
As the bulk of the past six dramatically interrupted by a
“The training paid off today, of the ship’s flight from 815 NAS).
Arm unit which demonstrates
months have been devoted to peace rescue when a sailor was plucked
saving the life of another sailor Rather less raucous than both these legendary affairs was an official
outstanding efficiency when
– maritime security operations from Gulf waters.
and highlighting the importance reception hosted for local dignitaries, including senior Hellenic Navy
it comes to maintenance and
to be precise – rather than war, The seaman was reported to
of being able to respond to such officials, by First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope.
serviceability.
the practice shoot allowed the have fallen overboard the Cypriot-
incidents at the drop of a hat.” The rest of the time on the Mediterranean island was devoted to
To that end, in this 100th
gunnery teams to rehearse and registered merchant vessel MV
The merchant sailor, one of training for Lancaster’s RM/RN boarding team – the crux of the frigate’s
year of Naval aviation, 824 NAS
refi ne their procedures as well as Peter Paul in the darkness.
the Peter Paul’s engineers, was effort east of Suez will be dealing with piracy.
provided four Merlins to support
prove that the weapons function Kent was some 150 miles away
checked over by American medics, After a 13-hour passage of the famous canal, the ship made for Jeddah
Fly Navy 100 events – including
correctly. at the time, but headed for the
found to be fit and well and in Saudi Arabia and a brief visit (with obligatory official reception for
the fl y pasts at Greenwich in May,
It wasn’t just the 4.5in main gun sailor’s last reported position and,
returned to his ship. locals) before beginning her maritime security operations in earnest.
Buckingham Palace in June and
fi red up for the ‘gunex’; Kent’s at first light, launched her Lynx.
the Liverpool in October (see
30mm close-range guns also shot After an hour’s search pilot
pages 20-21).
The highlight of the squadron’s
display program came at the
Royal International Air Tattoo,
where the RN’s ‘Balbo’ formation
– led by four 824 NAS Merlins –
Black Duke and
won the ‘best fl ying display’
title, despite very demanding
engineering challenges over that
weekend.
When not performing for
black puddings
the public, the Culdrose-based
squadron has been supporting KENT’S place in the Gulf has opportunity – something hard
two Submarine Command been fi lled by the Black Duke, to come by on an operational
Courses (sending its Merlins to which knuckled down to the deployment.
hunt for boats driven by potential task in hand by getting to know On her way to the Gulf,
submarine COs), taking part in a veteran of the region. Monmouth paid a three-day
two Joint Warrior exercises off France’s La Fayette has visit to Alexandria.
Scotland, and completing two spent the past five months The first duty was to lay
Operational Flying Training patrolling these waters – and a wreath at the Tomb of
embarkations with RFA Argus shared her experiences with the Unknown Sailor. CO
and HMS Illustrious. HMS Monmouth courtesy of Cdr Anthony Long and a
That allowed the squadron to a ‘cross-pol’ as the two ships Ceremonial Guard of Honour
transfer 37 fully-trained aircrew exchanged sailors. attended the ceremony at the
to the front line and qualify 89 Seven matelots and sept, er, eternal flame at the memorial
engineers for operations. matelots traded places on the waterfront.
Rolls-Royce’s Director for a morning... just in in The visit included
Production and Programmes, time for breakfast. a number of VIPa
Simon Baldwin, presented the The French received ed engagements anden
trophy to 824’s outgoing CO Cdr a ‘traditional English’ receptions to inform
Colin Miller. with obligatory black locals about the
The presentation was a fi tting pudding... RN, while a good
end to Cdr Miller’s command of ...and the Brits proportion of the
the squadron. His engineers, led sampled a petit ship’s company
by CPOAEM(R) John Gillan, déjeuner of cheeses, headed to Giza to
thanked his efforts in charge and hams and delights see the Pyramids
presented the experienced aviator from the onboard and Sphinx. 6Y^Q^SYQ\IUQb" )" !
with a framed print, leather boulangerie (bakery). Once through Suez,
drinks holder and a bottle of his Both parties were then Monmouth joined in the
Numbers helped and charitable spend to date 3,281 and £1,258,266
favourite whiskey. taken on guided tours of the anti-piracy mission off Somalia
ships with visits to the bridge, monitoring activity to build up a
Winter shows
galley, operations room and ‘pattern of life’ for intelligence
aviation facilities before experts to analyse.
returning to their parent ships. She picked up an SOS from
THE Bands of HM Royal
“We were extremely well a yacht in the Gulf of Aden –
Marines are performing a series
hosted by the French and they not being attacked by pirates,
of ‘themed concerts’ at St Mary’s
put on an awesome breakfast but taking on copious amounts
Church in Fratton, Portsmouth,
for us. La Fayette was very of water.
to keep people entertained over
modern and the ship’s Monmouth was 200 miles
the winter.
company were very dedicated,” away at the time, but put her
There will be one performance
said Capt Chris Armstrong foot down and, as she closed
a month between now and March
RM, in charge of Monmouth’s in on the troubled yacht’s last
either by the Portsmouth or the
commando detachment and reported position, launched her
newly-formed Collingwood band.
one of the seven invitees to the Merlin, codename Blackbird.
December 17 sees the RM
French frigate. The helicopter soon found
School of Music Christmas
The evening before the the yacht, which had beached
Men and women in the Royal Marines and Royal Navy serve their country,
concert; 2010 opens with the
‘cross-pol’, La Fayette and the and although the flooding had
New Year concert on January 14;
often at times of danger: the RNBT serves them and their families, at times
Black Duke’ staged a mock been stopped by her crew, the
the Age of Flight is celebrated in
surface engagement to test water had damaged all radio
of need, throughout their lives. Your donations help us to help them.
musical form on February 25;
the strengths of the opposing comms.
the series ends on March 25 with
sides. Once the Black Dukes were
music through the ages.
Monmouth fared well happy that the boat was ok
The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust
Tickets, priced £6 for adults,
against the stealthy French and had alerted the relevant Castaway House, 311 Twyford Avenue, Portsmouth PO2 8RN
£5 for concessions and £3 for
frigate and both sides agreed authorities, their frigate
children, are available on 02392
t 023 9269 0112 f 023 9266 0852 e rnbt@rnbt.org.uk w www.rnbt.org.uk
that it was an excellent training continued on its way.
726182.
005_NN_Dec.indd 1 20/11/09 13:34:42
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