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8 NAVY NEWS, DECEMBER 2009
A fi rst for freedom
COLOURS fl ying, the sailors of
she does – aided by a Tornado from her
HMS Portland prepare to march
affi liate RAF unit, 617 Sqn (of Dambusters
through the streets of Weymouth
fame).
Back alongside, the gangway was
for the very fi rst time. opened to 700 visitors for an afternoon
And fi ttingly, the frigate men and women (not all at once), while the ship’s rugby
began their inaugural freedom parade union side locked horns with Weymouth’s
a stone’s throw from the remembrance 3rd XV, notching up a 29-22 victory.
garden which honours those who gave Before heading for Dorset, the Type 23
their lives for our freedom. could be found off the Hebrides.
Although the Type 23 has been And found she was... by HMS
around for nearly a decade, it was Trafalgar.
only in February 2008 that the people The two sparred during Joint Warrior
of Weymouth and Portland bestowed war games. Trafalgar hunted Portland...
their highest honour on the ship… and vice versa.
… and it was only as 2009 waned, It wasn’t necessarily a fair fight as
thanks to the Devonport warship’s other Allied warships also joined in the
demanding commitments, that the hunt for the T-boat, performing her last
Portlanders were able to accept the operational service for the nation before
honour; the frigate spent the tail end paying off (see page 6).
of 2008 and the fi rst half of 2009 on As Joint Warrior came to a close, there
anti-piracy duties east of Suez. was the small matter of hosting the First
The ship’s company marched Sea Lord – and his boss – for Portland.
along Weymouth Esplanade to Royal Marines delivered Admiral Sir
exercise their newly-gained freedom Mark Stanhope and Secretary of State for
(pictured right) with music provided Defence Bob Ainsworth in a patrol craft.
by the Band of the Adjutant Both guests were given a whistle-stop
General’s Corps. tour of the frigate by Portland’s ship’s
They ended at the Pavilion company, who described their deeds
Theatre, where locals had arranged during their recent deployment east of
a reception. Suez chasing pirates.
“To be granted freedom of the The command team briefed Admiral
city or borough is a big thing for Stanhope and Mr Ainsworth in greater
any military unit,” said Portland’s detail on Portland’s anti-piracy/counter-
CO Cdr Tim Henry. narcotics mission in the Indian Ocean and
“This is a big thing for
operations earlier this year.
Gulf of Aden, and the Defence Secretary
any military formed unit. It’s
The ship spent fi ve days in Portland –
thanked the ship’s company for their
recognition that we’ve been
enough time for her to host local bigwigs
continuing efforts to keep the sea lanes
accepted and welcomed by
and movers and shakers at a reception, for
open.
the borough and the people of
her ship’s company to stage a capability
After that a Search and Rescue Sea
Weymouth and Portland and
demonstration, and to join in celebrations
King from HMS Gannet whisked the two
we’re very much a part of this
to mark the 1,000-day countdown to the
guests back to Prestwick and dry land.
place now.”
start of the 2012 Olympics (elements of
The ship is now home in Devonport
In return for their supreme civic
which will be held in Portland Harbour).
for a spell of maintenance and upgrades
honour, the ship presented the borough
In the middle of those fi ve days in
ahead of Operational Sea Training with
with a framed Battle Ensign, flown
Portland, the ship cast off and spent a day
FOST in the new year, then deployment.
while the frigate conducted anti-piracy
at sea, giving guests an insight into what
Pictures: LA(Phot) Caroline Davies, FRPU East
Rs of fun
for Royal
A night which will Nott be repeated...
Gannet team
singled out
GATHERED on the forecastle
ROYAL Marine Commandos of HMS Nottingham are the
in 11 (Amphibious Trials and destroyer’s former commanding
by CINC Fleet
Training) Squadron in Instow offi cers – plus Admiral of
NORMALLY, it’s an individual
are putting the Corps’ next- the Fleet Sir Henry Leach,
who receives a commendation
generation hovercraft through its whose wife launched her in
from the Commander-in-Chief
paces in the Bristol Channel. Southampton on a February
Fleet.
The Landing Craft Air day in 1980, and chaplain the
But after two years breaking
Cushion Light Replacement– Rev Janice Pettipher for a final
all records saving lives, the RN’s
more commonly known by Royals Trafalgar Night dinner.
second ranking sailor singled out
as LCAC (L)(R) – is a successor
Sir Henry and his daughter,
HMS Gannet for their continuing
to the LCAC (L), currently
Henrietta Wood who took over
efforts – and not just in Search
in service with 539 Assault
the role of ship’s sponsor when
and Rescue.
Squadron RM.
Lady Leach died, were guests
The 98,000 square miles of
First impressions of the Instow
of honour.
land and sea which is Gannet’s
team are that the new hovercraft
They dined alongside the
domain is the largest covered by
is faster and more manoeuvrable
remaining officers serving
any rescue unit (and 12 times the
than its predecessor; it can reach
with Nottingham; the Type 42
size of Wales apparently).
45kts – a considerable increase on
is in a low state of readiness
The Prestwick-based fliers
the old (L) models.
as her 150 or so remaining
were called out 359 times in
The new hovercraft is intended
ship’s company de-store
2007, helping 349 people in the
to carry 16 fully-equipped green
the destroyer, preparing
process.
berets into battle over water, ice,
for the decommissioning in
That record-breaking year was
mud, marshland and beach.
Portsmouth Naval Base on
followed by another. In 2008, the
It has vastly-improved
February 27.
Sea Kings were scrambled 382
navigational kit, helping the two
Former ship’s company who
times, providing assistance to 347
crew to operate much better at
wish to attend the ceremony
in doing so.
night and in poor visibility, and
should see RNTM 219/09.
On top of that, like its
the cabin has enhanced protection
Picture: LA(Phot) Pete Smith, FRPU East
SAR counterpart 771 NAS in
against bullet strikes.
Culdrose, Gannet has taken on
an increasing role supporting
front-line duties, such as the
Show us your tiffs
defence of the Clyde. Last year
the unit hosted 15 detachments
of other units and carried out
140 operational sorties. Oh, and
AFTER 141 years the days of the artifi cer are In September 1983 artifi cer classes marched
Gannet somehow managed to
almost done as the very last tiffs prepare to pass into HMS Sultan, Collingwood and Daedalus for
find time to host more than 500
out of HMS Sultan. their training and in 1985, Caledonia became a
Sea Cadets and raise thousands
Ceremonial divisions at the Gosport satellite unit of the fl eet accommodation centre
of pounds for local charities.
establishment on February 12 will see the final HMS Cochrane.
And so it was that Admiral
Marine Engineering Artifi cer Qualifying Course “Who were the artifi cers of the Royal Navy
Sir Trevor Soar decided Team
formally complete their training. who did their apprenticeships at HMS Fisgard,
Gannet – 40 RN and 70
Although the rank disappears – the dictionary Caledonia, Collingwood, Daedalus and Sultan?”
civilian personnel – deserved
describes ‘artifi cer’ as an archaic noun – the Sultan’s Lt Paul Atkins ponders wistfully.
particular recognition with his
skills of ‘tiffs’ or ‘tiffi es’ now fall under the “They were the men who kept the engines
commendation.
banner of engineering technicians (ME for marine turning, the guns fi ring, the ships fl oating, the
“The achievements of a unit
engineering, WE for weapons engineering). electrical equipment working and the aircraft
with such a small footprint
Tiffs trace their heritage back to Engine Room fl ying.”
are a true testament to the
Artifi cers, introduced to the RN in 1868 to take He continues: “They repaired and maintained
professionalism, dedication and
into account the Senior Service’s transition from all the equipment on His or Her Majesty’s ships
commitment of everyone in the
sail to steam. wherever they were in the world. If a spare
team,” Admiral Soar said.
The branch was given added impetus by Jacky part could not be found they were expected to
Gannet’s CO Lt Cdr Bryan
Fisher in 1903; perturbed that the RN might manufacture one from whatever was available on
Nicholas said the commendation
be surpassed technologically by other navies, the ship.
showed the efforts made by his
especially the Germans, the First Sea Lord “This may have been done during a battle at
“superb team” were “recognised
introduced training for boy artifi cers which would sea or – some would say even worse – during
in wider Royal Navy circles”.
be “second to none” at Chatham, Plymouth and exercises, with chiefs and offi cers shouting
He continued: “Personally, I’m
Portsmouth, the latter housed in a collection of orders at them.”
incredibly proud of this award.
Victorian hulks in the harbour – HMS Fisgard. Sultan is extending an invitation to all former
All the staff at the unit – each
In the ’30s training was transferred to Chatham marine engineering artifi cers to mark the historic
and every one of them – should
and Torpoint with the later addition of HMS occasion; there will be a chance to catch up with
feel equally proud.
Caledonia at Rosyth. Each year 15-year-olds old oppos as well as see some of the training
“This is very rare indeed and
were selected by examination to join up in the given to today’s successor branch. Details
an absolute credit to all the hard
engine room, electrical or ordnance – and from from Lt Atkins on 023 9254 2989 or Sultan-
work that every single person
1938, air – categories. ocmmesm@nrta.mod.uk
here at Gannet has put in. I
congratulate and thank them all.”
008, 010_NN_Dec.indd 1 19/11/09 18:54:51
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