NAVY NEWS, JANUARY 2012


Sea Viper is put in its place


THE new Sea Viper Maintainer Training Facility has been opened at HMS Collingwood by Cdre Tim Lowe, the training establishment’s Commanding Officer.


Built in compartment A8 of Marlborough Building, the facility will be used primarily to deliver training to Sea Viper maintainers as the practical aspect of the six-week Pre-Joining Training (PJT) course that runs biannually for a maximum of six trainees. The facility will be used to


deliver the practical aspects of the PJT and allows training of maintenance and safety procedures. The facility will also be used for training Leading Engineering Technicians, System Engineers and Weapon Engineer Officers. The Sea Viper Maintainer


Training facility uses the refurbished missile silo from the Longbow trials barge, from which all of the initial trials firing of the Sea Viper system were conducted prior to acceptance.


On completion of the final


trials firing the silo was sent to Italy to be refurbished. Due to the size of the missile silo, compartment A8 in Marlborough building had previously been identified as the ownly option for the facility – the compartment was originally the home of a 4.5in gun used for teaching alignment principles, which had to be rehoused to free up the space. The silo arrived at Collingwood last March and was stored outside while extensive engineering work was carried out to remove the gun and associated support structure and then prepare the compartment. The majority of the equipment had to be craned into and out of the compartment through a soft patch in the roof which had not been removed since installation of the gun. Work was completed on schedule in late August and the system was finally accepted in late September, with training starting three days later.


Souvenir for departing captain


COLD, blustery, grey. It could have been the South Atlantic, rather than Crombie Jetty on the Firth of Forth.


So it seemed quite appropriate weather for Cdr Mike Knott to formally leave HMS Portland, as he had taken the frigate through many similar days (and worse) in the course of her Atlantic Patrol Tasking (South) deployment. Cdr Knott had charge of the ship for nearly


two years, 80,000 nautical miles and 83 weeks away from her home port of Devonport. And as a token of appreciation he was presented with the White Ensign after it was lowered for the final time during his tenure as Commanding Officer (pictured left). Portland grabbed headlines on her


deployment south for capturing drug smugglers and taking part in the Fleet review


for the Chilean Navy’s 200th anniversary, as well as carrying out standard APT(S) duties. Executive Officer Lt Cdr Dan Thomas will


now take over as Senior Naval Officer as the ship moves along the Forth to Rosyth for its year-long refit. Lt Cdr Thomas said: “Cdr Knott epitomises


the very best traits of a commanding officer and it has been a pleasure serving as his Executive Officer during a hugely busy, but rewarding, deployment and demanding UK Syllabus programme. “I have benefited greatly from his guidance, tutorage and friendship during my 14 months on board.”


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Cdr Knott moves on to work at the Ministry of Defence this year. First female frigate CO – p10


York team analyses spheres of influence


TESTOSTERONE was running high on board HMS York when the ship’s company was invited to take part in a health awareness campaign aimed particularly at testicular cancer.


that they could only be used in the Type 42’s NAAFI. LETME Dowson, who was in charge of the stokers’


described the victory as one of the proudest moments of his career so far.


was for sailors to construct their very own pair of mess-deck testicles, using any materials they deemed fit for purpose. The ersatz gonads would then be subject to a deep examination by the destroyer’s Medical Officer, Surg Lt Alex Shaw, and Clubs LPT Richard ‘Chaz’ Charrett, for lifelike texture and anatomical correctness. And to emphasis the thrust of the health initiative, one fake testicle was to be made ‘normal’, the other was to be cancerous. After a few hairy moments and some tough decision-making by York’s Commanding Officer, Cdr Rex Cox, the Stokers’ Mess took the honours, gaining the mess a cool £20 worth of exclusive shopping vouchers – exclusive in


Central to the initiative was the bluntly-titled ‘Build Your Balls’ competition. The objective of the competition


“This competition really has highlighted to me that preparation and focus really got the ball rolling early doors for the team,” said the victorious stoker.


“Without their input and testicles,


dedication, I honestly don’t know how I would be stood here today. I really am chuffed!” LPT Charrett said: “I would like to say that this competition gave York’s ship’s company a great opportunity to raise awareness of men’s health issues in a fun and pro-active way. “The unit health committee on the ship have made a fantastic effort to educate personnel in a hands-on way to create a healthy


lifestyle for all on board the mighty York.” PTIs on board deployed ships


and at shore establishments take a leading role in all aspects of health, not just sports and physical fitness.


Using the mantra “Fit to Fight – Fit for Life”, aspects such as lifestyle are also taken into consideration when an individual seeks to improve his or her health and wellbeing.


Picture: LA(Phot) Darby Allen


l Cpl Julian Marchant and Lt Graham Cannell, two of three winners of the individual Fleet Air Arm award, with Rear Admiral Tom Cunningham


Blades of glory


A TRIBUTE to Naval aviators past has been unveiled at the Service’s headquarters in Portsmouth as plaudits were paid to present-day Afghanistan heroes. A ceremonial sword is now on display at RN Command HQ to mark a century of flying by the Royal Naval Air Service and its successor the Fleet Air Arm. The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators


Duke takes title of Lord High Admiral


LISTENING intently to Britain’s most senior Naval officer is the nation’s new Lord High Admiral, who was inaugurated at a ceremony in Admiralty House (picture by PO(Phot) Terry Seward). The historic title was bestowed upon the Duke of Edinburgh last year to celebrate his 90th birthday. The former naval officer – he left the Senior Service in 1952 as a commander – received the Letters Patent and the Lord High Admiral’s verge and flag at a ceremony in London. Before ‘taking office’, Prince accompanied by the


Philip,


Queen, received an outline of the Royal Navy’s efforts to protect the nation’s interests as First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope and CINCFleet Admiral Sir Trevor Soar described the Service’s current global mission.


carries traces its history back to the early 15th century; previous incumbents include Charles II and Queen Anne. In 1709 it was re-titled First


The title which the duke now


Lord of the Admiralty and the holders were the figures held accountable by Parliament for the running of the Navy. The office of First Lord of the Admiralty was abolished in the 1960s and the honorary title Lord High Admiral re-introduced; it has been held by the Queen ever since. The duke was given an overview of the office’s history – and hopefully will prove less renegade than one of his predecessors, the Duke of Clarence. Prince Phillip delighted in the


Priest of GAPAN, Vice Admiral George Zambellas, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet and Robert Pooley of Pooley Swords who donated the blade. The Centenary Sword is inscribed with the three wings symbols of pilots, observers and aircrewmen,


story of the 19th century First Lord who “led a squadron out for manoeuvres without consulting either his council, the King or the Duke of Wellington and was gone, no one knew where, for ten days – it proved too much and he was asked to resign”.


After proceedings inside the Admiralty Boardroom the Queen and Duke were treated to a display by the Royal Marines Corps of Drummers in Admiralty Square before attending a reception with sailors senior and junior.


the past century A GRANT of £1.4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund will be used by the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth to create new exhibitions on the Senior Service in the 20th and 21st centuries. Storehouse 10, built in 1776, will be completely restored and connected to Storehouse 11, allowing the museum to showcase four centuries of Naval history properly for the first time. Dr Dominic Tweddle,


Director-General of the museum, said they hoped to get the new exhibition space open to the public by 2014, the centenary of the outbreak of World War 1, allowing the museum to highlight the vital role of the Royal Navy at sea, on land and in the air.


(GAPAN) presented the commemorative claymore, which was unveiled by Rear Admiral Tom Cunningham, Chief of Staff for Aviation and Carriers in recognition of “a century of outstanding courage, professionalism and technical innovation.” He was joined by Rear Admiral (Rtd) Colin Cooke-


plus a Merlin and Swordfish torpedo bomber. Meanwhile a new Fleet Air Arm Sword, awarded for the finest feat of Naval aviation, was also presented. It was handed to Lt Cdr Michael Brown, Lt Graham Cannell and Cpl Julian Marchant of 846 NAS for their outstanding performance in handling a battle-damaged Sea King helicopter in Helmand. In June 2010 they were flying troops into a patrol base in Babaji when they came under machine gun fire. The aircraft was hit several times but they pressed on to deliver soldiers.


NCHQ, said: “The crew carried out a textbook high- speed running landing to save the passengers, crew and aircraft from what could have been a fatal outcome.”


On the final approach it became apparent that the tail rotor was severely damaged and the aircraft was forced to overshoot and fly back to Camp Bastion. Lt Cdr Martin Lanni, deputy staff aviation officer at


29


Second award for Chatham


A BUILDING once described by English Heritage as “one of the most intractable problems in the South East” has won its second award of excellence from British architects. The former iron forge and


workshop at Chatham Historic Dockyard,


imaginative and attractive No 1 Smithery museum and gallery and opened to the public in the summer of 2010, won a much- coveted Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award last May. Now the complex, the result of a project between Chatham, the Imperial War Museum and the National Maritime Museum, has won a RIBA regional award for conservation for re-use of a redundant building. The old brick workshop was in a poor state of repair, open to the skies and with sections of brick wall crumbling. The decay was stabilised and some renovation carried out for safety and aesthetic purposes, and the resultant exhibition spaces now house a collection of around 4,000 ship models, permanent and touring galleries and educational facilities. RIBA stated: “This is a museum within a museum; its function is to show both building and the objects it houses. “The falling-down majesty of the existing buildings has been artfully retained and gently restored.”


Musical Alliance


AMBIENT modern composer and musician Marvin Ayres and his sound engineer Alex Siddall has visited HMS Alliance as part of his Sacred Spaces project. The idea is to use incongruous places for composition and performance


the inherent and/or dormant spirit residing in these unlikely locations.” The artist’s website, www. marvinayres.com, “The


randomly tuned to complement the environments,


link all the locations will be the same series of notes which will be assembled to create one collective piece composed from the overtones,


subject of a £6.5 million appeal to reverse the effects of decades of aggressive corrosion and to make the submarine more accessible to visitors. Over £6 million has been raised through grants and donations, but fundraising continues as trustees strive to obtain the final £480,000 to fully cover the restoration work. For more details see www. submarine-museum.co.uk


Museum looks to Bondi’s grave is in safe hands


A JAUNT along the Western Cape Coast by retired matelot Dave Harding brought to his attention the fact that Just Nuisance is not the only dog with RN links in South Africa. On visiting Knysna, Dave came across a tribute to Bondi the bulldog, complete with the dog’s history. In


January 1931, Flower-class


sloop HMS Verbena visited as part of her South Africa Station duties. On board was a bulldog given to the ship three years earlier by the people of Lourenco Marques (now Maputo), which became the mascot. On the evening of January 30, the


ship’s company marched to the town hall in the early afternoon to decorate it for the a variety concert, but the heat proved too much for Bondi, who collapsed and died. Bondi was buried on the wharf, a


disrepair


wooden tombstone was placed at the head of the grassy mound and a brass plate attached to the wood. Every visiting British naval ship tended the grave, with a gap during the war until HMS Nereid called in 1948. After 1953 Bondi’s grave fell into until


the tradition was


revived by the South African Navy in July 2002 when minehunters SAS Umzimkulu and SAS Umhloti visited. Cdr Andrew Blake, on hearing of the tradition, sent a party of men ashore to polish the brass and tidy the grave again, and the local Sea Cadets undertook to take care of the grave in the absence of the Navy. A bronze statue was unveiled by Admiral Louw of the South African Navy in July 2004, collecting coins and notes for the Knysna Animal Welfare Society.


is the “One element which will instruments be “and reawaken


continues: will


microphones will be used to pick up the full ambience of the spaces once excited by the cellos, violins and violas.


and converted into the


reverberations recorded in each environment.” HMS Alliance, the World War 2-era boat at the RN Submarine Museum in Gosport,


sustains and


l The bronze statue of Bondi at Knysna


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