30 NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2010
Puppies are named as training begins
THE LATEST additions to the MOD Police Force have been named – and for one trainer it brought back memories of his
Scott is Navy’s top bish
A MINISTER from Portsmouth has been selected for the most senior chaplaincy post in the Royal Navy.
currently responsible for all operational aspects of chaplaincy in the Navy and Royal Marines, will take up the historic office of the Chaplain of the Fleet and Director General Naval Chaplaincy Service with effect from November 1. He succeeds the Venerable John
Green.
from Hamilton in Scotland, said: “I am deeply honoured to be asked to lead the Naval Chaplaincy Service for the next three years. “The spiritual and pastoral care of the men and women of the Naval Service, and their families, is vitally important, and I look forward to working with the Kirk and other denominations in that task.”
The Rev Brown, 42, originally The Rev Scott Brown RN,
time in the Navy. The dozen Belgian Shepherd puppies, born in early July, are the first MOD Police Force dog recruits to be born at the Devonport unit. Ten of them were named after Leander-class
frigates –
Scylla, Minnie (Minerva), Cleo (Cleopatra), Rora (Aurora) and Phoebe for the girls, and Sirius, Ury (Euryalus), Juno, Ajax and Apollo for the boys. The other two are being taken on by Kent police, who will choose their own names. PC Stewart
Bull, of MOD
Police in Hereford, took delivery of Scylla, whom he will train initially before she receives full training elsewhere. PC Bull said: “Scylla is lovely – she has taken to me and I have taken to her already. “She has a very apt name as
I
served in HMS Scylla as an aircrewman.” Police dog handler PC Dave Haddon, who nurtured the litter through their early weeks, said: “I will definitely miss them. “They all recognise and respond
to me. I have literally baby-sat them, sleeping
in to go.
“But it is a new beginning for them and they are growing up and have been bred as working dogs.” Mother Willow produced the litter as part of a breeding programme which aims to eliminate the need to bring in new dogs. The Devonport unit usually
brings in German Shepherds, but their increasing susceptibility to health problems shortened their working life. To guarantee healthy dogs and provide value for money, the decision was taken to breed Belgian Shepherds, of the Malinois variety, in-house.
their crèche
kennels with them and been kept awake by them.
“It will be a shame they have ● Lesser Leanne
Less is more for Leanne
● Scylla, one of the Belgian Shepherd puppies, with her own crest at Devonport Naval Base
Mew beginnings
TWO sick feral kittens found wandering
accommodation blocks at Clyde Naval Base are well on their way to recovery thanks to the quick action of the base’s Environmental Health Department.
around new ● The Dyers with PC Simon Clark and Lilly
A cleaner spotted the moggies one Monday morning and, realising they were hungry and ill, quickly reported the find. “It took me quite a while to
● Lt Sean Krueger USCG
Ex-771 pilot mourned
AN American exchange pilot who won awards with 771 Naval Air Squadron has been killed in a helicopter crash in the United States.
Lt Sean Krueger of the US Coastguard died in July when his MH-60 Jayhawk crashed off Washington State while en route from Astoria in Oregon to Sitka in Alaska. Only one of the four-man crew survived. Lt Krueger served with 771 Squadron at Culdrose between January 2007 and March 2009, undertaking 61 missions as part of the crew of Rescue 193. Most notable was the night of
November 10 2008, when Rescue 193 went to the aid of a fisherman with severe abdominal injuries on board Spanish trawler Pesca Verda, 145 miles off the Scilly Isles. The small trawler was being tossed about by 18ft waves in bad weather, but despite the conditions the stricken mariner was airlifted into the helicopter. The fisherman died before he reached hospital, but the skill and fortitude of the air crew during the five-hour mission resulted in the awarding of the Prince Phillip Helicopter Rescue award by the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators (GAPAN) and the Edward and Maisie Lewis award for 2008 by the Shipwrecked Mariners Association. Lt Krueger leaves behind his wife Kyla and three children.
catch the kittens,” said John Belshaw, Base Pest Control Officer (pictured right with the kittens). “But once I did it became apparent that they were in quite bad condition.
was very ill and run down.” Lomond Veterinary Clinic in Helensburgh confirmed the smaller animal had cat flu, but after treatment it was soon running around John’s office causing mayhem with its companion. “Once they are fully better they will be neutered and we will try to find them a good home – I don’t think we’ll have much trouble finding someone to look after them as they’re beautiful cats,” he said. Clyde has around 35 to 40 feral cats, with kind-hearted base staff
“The smaller kitten in particular
usually involved in feeding and looking after them. “From time to time I hear about people getting a telling-off for feeding the base cats,” said John. “But the truth is that the base has a duty of care to look after all the wildlife at the site, and the feral cat population are no exception.
own money and time to feed them then there’s no problem.”
Branching out
marine (pictured right by LA(Phot) Si Ethell) is now deployed on a six-month operational tour with 40 Cdo in Sangin, Helmand province. The handyman,
TREE surgeon Dan Holder decided to cut back on his full- time job for a while and serve as a Royal Marines Reservist in southern Afghanistan. The 23-year-old Portsmouth
who
specialises in gardening and tree surgery, said: “At first I thought I was going to be out of my depth, but I realised that the training I’d done was adequate enough.
completely part of the team.” Dan, who graduated from the University of Portsmouth 18 months ago, has been a reservist for three years, and joined Taunton-based 40 Cdo last September to carry out pre- deployment training. He added: “I am enjoying it and would recommend it – especially if you want to go for further education and not just join the Royal Marines full time.
“I’m getting on well. I get on fine with all the full-time Royal Marines and, to be honest, I don’t feel any different. I’m
“It means that you get the best of both worlds. You experience both sides of life – one as a civvy and one as a Royal Marine.” After his tour ends, Dan intends to swap the green beret for green fingers and pick up his former trade.
“If base staff want to use their Picture: LA(Phot) Abbie Gadd
Family is reunited with former pet
A WIN at a charity event brought double delight for the Dyer family.
Lee and Lucinda Dyer, with their two children Maya and Isla, took part in the Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal,
is raising money for the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Their prize was a day at RN
Air Station Yeovilton, including a behind-the-scenes visit and a tour of the FAA Museum. For the Dyers there was a special reason for making the trip – a chance to meet up again with a former pet. Lilly was the family dog some
years ago, but when they decided she needed to be rehoused, she was passed on to the MOD Police and trained to help with security.
which
Lilly and her new owner and handler, PC Simon Clark, were delighted to meet her “extended” family and show off her expertise. PC Clark said: “It was great to meet Lilly’s family, and for them to see how happy she is in her new home and as a first-class police dog.”
Community Relations Officer Cdr Richard Seymour said: “The air station always tries to help support charities when we can, and the Wallace and Gromit Appeal is an especially deserving one for children. “In this case, it was marvellous being able to reunite a family with their dog and for them to see her so contented and doing a great job.”
www.grandappeal.org.uk
Picture: LA(Phot) Martin Carney
A NAVY medic has won a slimming group prize for losing six stone – and an old oppo from HMS Ark Royal’s 2003 Gulf deployment helped her on her way.
being overweight for much of her life, and “spent the last ten years gradually piling on the pounds.” She tried a variety of diets to lose
Leanne Sandford admitted
something was Slimming World in Portsmouth. “I never believed that I could eat so much food and still lose weight, but obviously it works as I am now six stone lighter,” said Leanne. “I have gone from a size 22
down to a size 12 and it feels great that I know I can just pick something up and it will fit.” Former LWTR Sarah Harley-
weight and pass the RN Fitness Test to be eligible for promotion, but said she was always hungry. When her weight hit 17 stone she realised she would have to find
something effective; that
Jones took over as the Slimming World consultant for the Portsmouth Newbridge Junior School group earlier this year, and for three weeks didn’t recognise her old shipmate from the Ark, such was the transformation her predecessor had wrought. Leanne was chosen as the
group’s Woman of the Year, and will compete in the district finals, held as Navy News went to press. Now Leanne is hoping to pass on the message by becoming a Slimming World consultant in her home town of Tamworth, as well as becoming a fitness instructor/ personal trainer on leaving the Navy towards the end of this year.
● Greater Leanne
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