4 NAVY NEWS, MAY 2010

Top bombing recognised

MEN who bear the nation’s greatest burden will fi nally be recognised for their unique service.

The work of the ballistic missile deterrent submarines – known affectionately in the RN as ‘bombers’ – is the most silent aspect of the Silent Service. More than 300 deterrent

patrols have been conducted by Royal Navy submarines since HMS Resolution headed out on the inaugural one in June 1968. There is always a British ballistic missile boat on duty, 365 days a year, somewhere beneath the oceans. It is a burden borne first by the R-boats carrying Polaris nuclear missiles and, since the 1990s, by the current breed of V-boats and their Trident missiles. To recognise the dedication of the men carrying out these patrols – officially the Continuous At Sea Deterrence – the Navy Board has acceded to the wishes of the bomber community and agreed to award a pin.

The highly-classified nature of these patrols means the men who carry them out are cut off from the outside world; they cannot tell loved ones where they are going – or where they have been – and there’s no way they can send outgoing communications home. In addition, there are the traditional hardships of submarine life – six hours on, six hours off for weeks on end in austere conditions. The Royal Navy Deterrent

Patrol Pin – a 2½in badge which features HMS Resolution with a Polaris missile and electron rings superimposed and a scroll inscribed with the motto ‘always ready’ – will be issued to serving personnel from this October.

Deeps who’ve completed between one and 19 patrols – only those of 30 days’ duration or more will be counted – are eligible to receive a silver pin, while veteran submariners who’ve taken part in 20 or more patrols can receive an identical pin badge, but in gold. Although the pin will not be issued to bomber veterans who are no longer serving, it is anticipated that – like submariners’ trademark dolphins – the level of demand will provoke naval tailors and memorabilia manufacturers to produce their own badges. More details can be found in RNTM 074/10.

Submariners should request silver pins from their divisional officers and gold ones from their commanding officers.

‘The basic human need t

“WE RETURN home privileged to have been able to represent the UK and happy

that we have saved lives.”

So speaketh the Commanding Offi cer of RFA Largs Bay, which is back home in the UK after a “whirlwind” two months which saw the ship help thousands of Haitians whose lives were affected by January’s devastating earthquake. Largs sailed in early February with aid donated by UK charities, British citizens and the Government (part of a £20m aid package to help the victims of the quake).

On top of her RFA crew and troops from 17 Port and

Maritime Regiment, the ship carried a detachment of Royal Marines and RN personnel to help during the month or so which Largs spent around Haiti. After offl oading the donations in the capital of Port-

au-Prince, she remained in Haitian waters to ship sustenance from the UN’s World Food Programme to the country’s outlying areas, notably the city of Gonaïves and the village of Anse-à-Veau. Food to support 400,000 people for a fortnight was

delivered to Gonaïves, while 20,000 people in and around Anse-à-Veau had fare for the same period. It was only thanks to the ship’s Mexefl ote powered

raft that food could be delivered to the latter, and even then a human chain had to be formed to carry the aid the fi nal few feet to dry land. Besides delivering food to Anse-à-Veau, engineers went ashore to fi x the lighting in the village church

and tried to fi x the water purifi cation plant supplying locals with drinking water. The work in Anse-à-Veau proved to be the end of

Largs’ mission; the ship turned about and made for Marchwood, which she reached just before Easter. “The whole experience of sailing to Haiti and back

in two months has been a whirlwind of planning and execution,” said Capt Ian Johnson RFA, Largs Bay’s CO.

“News reports do not prepare you for the reality. “They are two-dimensional and miss out the smell and the feel of the hell that Nature has created. Capt Johnson continued: “We did all that was asked – and more. Was it enough? The truth is, it will never be enough – many years will pass before Haiti is back to normality. “That said, my people can say they helped, they helped in many ways and they can be proud of what they achieved.” Even so, the ship’s company felt somewhat divorced

from events on land. “There was a feeling of frustration at not fulfilling the basic human need to help fellow humans,” said Capt Johnson. But there were also memories to last a lifetime, such as the ‘Pied Pipers of Anse-à-Veau’: two stewards (they’re still called that in the RFA...) singing Everton FC songs to children. “The kids didn’t understand a word,” said Capt

Johnson. “If they only knew, they might have nightmares!”

‘Give me your tired, your po

one like this.

Normally children are on the jetty waving furiously and sailors are lining the sides of the ship. This time the sailors were on the waterfront, the youngsters on the ship. Plus 450 soldiers, air- men, medics and staff officers. After a 40-hour crossing of the Bay of Biscay and Channel, HMS Albion brought Service personnel and civilians to the mother country, the last act of a tortuous journey faced by travellers stranded when an Icelandic volcano erupted – and brought European air travel to a halt for a week.

PORTSMOUTH has witnessed hundreds of homecomings, but never

and chips and curry) to feed the unexpected guests. There was nothing but praise

for the RN from civilians and soldiers.

“The Navy really did this very well indeed,” said one trooper. “They had more than 1,100 people on a ship designed to carry 650 max.

“The crew, especially junior rates, marines and midshipmen, were impressive. “The RN deserve

station for waiting trains... and a bit of a media circus. “What a journey,” enthused

Albion was dispatched from Antwerp to the northern Spanish port of Santander, where a mish- mash of troops – soldiers, sailors, airmen, medics, a handful of Australians serving with the UK military – were trying to get home from Afghanistan after a tour of duty. The ship also collected 265 civilians stuck in Spain – some ‘vulnerable passengers’ identifi ed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Offi c

holidaymakers simply desperate to return from all four corners of the globe. Albion’s ship’s company gave up their bunks where possible to make life more comfortable on the crossing from Spain, while her galley prepared an extra 2,500 meals (chiefl y fi sh

e, others

credit for the way they handled the job.” The troops – with all their personal kit and a sizeable amount of equipment – disembarked fi rst. Waiting trucks and buses took them to their ultimate destinations: 9 Sqn RAF at RAF Markham, 33 Field Hospital at Fort Blockhouse, Gosport, a Chinook detachment from RAF Odiham to name a few. As they stepped off the loading

ramp whistles and rounds of applause rippled along Albion’s upper deck as civilians – and ship’s company – thanked the Servicemen and women for their efforts in Helmand.

As for the civilians, when it became time for them to disembark, a human chain of sailors formed on the steep brow to carry their luggage ashore. Once on dry land they received ration packs to sustain them on the journey home and were bussed to Portsmouth Harbour

architect James Stacey. “The navy made us feel right at home and it was a privilege to share a ship with the people coming back from Afghanistan.” Stanley Johnson and his wife – the parents of London mayor Boris Johnson who were heading home from a trip to the Galapagos Islands – said the trip aboard Albion had been “an extraordinary couple of days”.

Mr Johnson continued: “I would like to congratulate most enormously the Royal Navy for the way they have handled it.

“It has been a humbling experience because of the politeness, consideration and professionalism with which we have been treated by the Navy personnel.” Albion’s logistics offi cer

, Cdr

Geoff Wintle, said there had been “a real party atmosphere” aboard.

“It was absolutely magnifi cent, helped by some wonderful weather and by frequent sightings of dolphins which the children particularly enjoyed. “It’s given civilians a real

insight into life aboard a Royal Navy warship and a chance to mix with people returning from theatre. “We had people all over the ship – sleeping in the vehicle 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