NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2010


We’re 25 by gum


BACK in the late summer of 1985 the world was agog at news of a maritime sensation. Admittedly the commissioning of HMS York didn’t quite make the same headlines as the discovery of the Titanic, but it was a deed worth celebrating. And a quarter of a century


Offi cers of the Type 42 joined current CO Cdr Simon Staley and the White Rose warship’s sponsor Lady Gosling plus York’s newest affi liates, the Worshipful Company of Farmers, for a silver jubilee commemoration. York’s in the throes of an


A dozen former Commanding


later there was another late summer celebration as the veteran destroyer marked 25 years in service.


Take a ’wark on the wild (weather) side


13


Trincomalee joins museum


ONE of the last reminders of the glorious days of sail has become the fi rst affi liate of the Royal Navy’s new umbrella museum. The National Museum of the


Royal Navy was set up to tell the story of the Senior Service over the past millennium using all four Naval museums – RN, Submarine, Royal Marines around the Solent and Fleet Air Arm at Yeovilton – and to tell that story around the country to give Britons a greater understanding of the historic role of the Navy. Affiliation with HMS


Trincomalee – a near- contemporary of HMS Victory, now a floating museum in Hartlepool – allows just that. Trincomalee joined the Fleet


overhaul following her recent exertions in the South Atlantic, but that didn’t stop Cdr Staley and his ship’s company giving guests a tour of the vessel in Portsmouth Naval Base. Seventeen offi cers have commanded York since she was laid down just 12 days into the 1980s and since sea trials began in the middle of that decade the destroyer’s clocked up 706,271 miles – the equivalent of more than 32 times around the globe; some 26,000 of those miles came during last winter’s tour of duty in the South Atlantic. Once her revamp’s complete,


five years after Nelson’s flagship paid off, but the frigate is typical of the warships which helped to defeat Napoleon. When her active life was over, the Bombay-built vessel became a training and accommodation ship and, until the 1980s, a cadet training vessel in Portsmouth. In the late 80s she moved to


York’s earmarked to remain in service until 2012 and despite her age she boasts the title of ‘fastest 42’ (in fact, fastest destroyer full stop) managing an impressive 34 knots (just shy of 40mph) last year.


The ship can trace her lineage back to 1654 with the previous incarnation (York No.11) serving with distinction in the Mediterranean in WW2 before being disabled in Crete by Italian motor torpedo boats. “The silver jubilee is a very special day. With the Fleet being so busy at the moment it is hard to identify an opportunity to do this type of event but we felt it was important to celebrate the ship,” said Cdr Staley. “Having so many former COs back on board shows just how important HMS York is and how proud the current ship’s company is to be serving with her. “She is a terrifi cally capable ship and has a great ship’s company who are hard-working and professional with a great sense of humour – all of which is extremely important for me as a CO.”


Back at sea, York helped with the rescue of a stricken yacht in the Channel. The destroyer was sailing through the South West exercise areas when her Lynx helicopter picked up a garbled radio message.


The aircrew asked Portland coastguard for clarification and learned that the message came from the struggling Mary Flora. The 30ft yacht, making for


Brixham from the Channel Islands, had lost her engine and her sails blew out southeast of Start Point.


yacht’s last reported position, promptly found it and waited till the Type 42 arrived on the scene as the winds grew stronger. The warship remained with


the Mary Flora until the Torbay lifeboat arrived and towed the yacht into Brixham harbour.


You can’t beat a bit of ballet


SAILORS and marines can enjoy high culture for free courtesy of the Tickets for Troops initiative, Mayfl ower Theatre and the English National Ballet. The latter are performing Romeo and Juliet at the Southampton venue between October 20 and 23 – and used HMS Dauntless’ appearance at the city’s boat show to launch the giveaway Ten free pairs of tickets are


The Lynx headed for the


Pre-school for trainers


NAVY instructors who prepare Britain’s sailors for the rigours of life on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq headed to the USA to pick up tips from their American counterparts. Upwards of 1,000 RN sailors undergo Pre-Deployment


Training (PDT) each year if they’re doing a tour of duty in either theatre.


Like Britain, the US Navy sends its sailors to places you perhaps wouldn’t expect to fi nd – but in their case the annual fi gure’s nearer 40,000 men and women. So the team from the Mounting Centre in HMS Nelson, who


provide that key training, headed to Fort Jackson in South Carolina.


The sprawling base a couple of hours outside Charleston is one of eight places where US sailors receive instruction before heading into the sands.


That training covers a wide range of problems and challenges sailors could encounter on the ground: anything from understanding local customs and practices to spotting improvised explosive devices and protecting themselves on foot patrol.


“The courses both run on the exact same principle: to get sailors up to the standard that is required to work with land forces on the ground in Afghanistan,” explains Lt Cdr Pat O’Callaghan, Offi cer in Charge RN Pre-Deployment Training. “Our course is slightly longer than the US, but they both cover all the fundamental aspects of pre-deployment training. We use real-life amputees in our scenarios, whereas the Americans use mannequins.


“The US have a very good admin system when it comes to issuing kit – we think we may incorporate it. “The visit was extremely worthwhile – and important – when it comes to providing top-notch training for sailors.” While American sailors are taught by the US Army, for us it’s an all RN affair (largely Royal Marines). And whereas the US Navy uses eight bases, Britain uses one. Oh yes, and our chaps don’t have to wear those Casey Jones-esque caps… Each year the Mounting Centre in Nelson runs a dozen courses (despite the Pre-Deployment title, they’re still colloquially known by its old name of OPTAG by more seasoned RN personnel). The fi rst fortnight is dedicated to weapons handling and marksmanship with sailors expected to demonstrate accurate shooting at a target 300 metres (1,000ft) away both in daylight and by night. PDT reaches its climax with a week at Longmoor Camp near


Petersfi eld where the trainees must live in and exercise around a mock forward operating base, conducting foot patrols and returning fi re when they come under attack. “This is something brand new for many of them – they are no longer on their ships. They’re drawing on all their military skills to survive out on the ground,” said Lt Cdr O’Callaghan. Once trained, the qualifi ed sailors can fi nd themselves at


forward operating bases across Helmand, training the Afghan Army, working at NATO headquarters in Kabul, or with the Iraqi Navy in Umm Qasr among other postings. At present roughly one in ten Britons in Afghanistan


is provided by the Senior Service, a ratio which will rise dramatically when 3 Cdo takes the lead in 2011.


THIS is the moment 18,500 tonnes of battleship grey is moved to an inner basin at Devonport as a £30m overhaul for HMS Bulwark passes a major milestone. After 127 days ‘feet dry’ in No.8


Dock (you might remember the striking picture of the assault ship out of water in our June issue), Bulwark was re-floated then moved to a non-tidal basin for the next stage of the refit process. It would have been bang on schedule thanks to the efforts of the ship’s company and Babcock Marine... but


then the British weather intervened. Near-gale-force winds in the


West Country prevented Bulwark being moved safely through the narrow gap into the basin, so the


move was put on hold by one day. During time in dry dock, work


on the hull and propeller shaft has been carried out and anti-fouling paint applied.


Computer and combat systems


have been upgraded, so too the magazines and defensive armament, and the fl ight deck is now capable of operating two Chinooks simultaneously, and all Bulwark’s landing craft now have full tactical night vision kit. The ship’s company move back onboard at the end of this month and will fi nd their living spaces revamped.


The refit continues till the year’s end with Bulwark due to begin sea trials early in the new year. Picture: LA(Phot) James Crawford


Hartlepool where, after a ten- year restoration programme, she became a museum and the second oldest ship afloat in the world (only the occasionally- seagoing USS Constitution is older). She attracts in excess of 50,000 visitors a year. The new affiliation was


formalised by the signing of an agreement and the loan of logs and diaries relating to Trincomalee and crew held by the National Museum in Portsmouth to Hartlepool. It will see the historical


expertise and artefacts shared by the two organisations, and possibly see Hartlepool hosting mobile RN exhibitions. The link-up means the teams involved with restoration, conservation and running of Victory and Trincomalee as museums will share their experiences.


PUT DOWN THE UCKERS AND PICK UP THE PHONE FOR YOUR BEST CAR DEAL


Now Brings You Unbeatable UK Deals Too


TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EXCLUSIVE DEALS ACROSS 23 DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS


LOW RATE FINANCE & FULL PART EX-FACILITIES PLUS THE BEST MILITARY PRICES AVAILABLE. CALL US TODAY WITH YOUR “BEST DEAL” AND WE’LL SHOW YOU A BETTER ONE… SIMPLE!! “No Hi Finance Rates, No Middlemen. Deal Direct With Us From Order To delivery”


Europe’s Largest Tax Free Dealer


Owned and operated by ex-Royal Navy personnel, so understanding your needs better than any other car dealer


available for each performance via ticketsfortroops.org.uk. Since the charity was formed it has handed out more than 200,000 tickets to Service personnel for music and sporting events.


Call Us On 01273 574000 WWW.GRIFFINTAXFREE.COM


Fax 01273 679967 German Freephone 08001 800 560


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