NAVY NEWS, JANUARY 1992
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Rescues acut above the rest
-Floor work for Herald After a six month refit following her role as headquarters vessel for Royal Navy minehunters in the Gulf War, HMS Herald returns to survey work next month — charting the ocean floor off Brazil. Veterans of another war were invited to her re-dedication at Oevonport. Three survivors from the destroyer HMS Warwick, torpedoed off north Devon in 1944 represented the Herald's affiliation with the town of Warwick.
RESCUE of a seriously-injured seaman from a Spanish trawler found pitching and rolling violently in rough seas earned a nomination for an RN Sea King crew in the rescue (airmanship) category of this year's Silk Cut Nautical Awards.
The incident occurred as RFA Olmeda, with HMS Gannet-based Sea Kings of 819 Squadron embarked, was operating 50 miles west of Rockall in N o v e m b e r 1990.
Despite bad conditions an aircraft was launched and a radar search located the fishing vessel Jositan. Because of the trawler's w i l d movement and scything masts, together with poor visibility, the first rescue attempt was unsuccessful, but it was decided to make another attempt, with the t r a w l e r in the lee of the Olmcda. With the tanker acting as a windbreak, and her lights and silhouette providing hover references for the aircraft, the difficult rescue was successfully completed. The fisherman, who had serious leg injuries, was t a k e n on board the tanker for urgent medical treatment and later transferred ashore.
Courage The Silk Cul Awards, now in t h e i r e i g h t h y e a r , recognise courage, s k i l l , expertise and devoted service in all key areas of marine and nautical life. P r e s e n t a t i o n of the I 99 I awards was made at a London ceremony by the First Sea Lord (Admiral Sir J u l i a n Oswald), who spoke of the continuing need — even in high-tech war - o f t h e b a s i c s k i l l s of seamanship. Duty SAR crews at naval air stations have "scrambled" 443 times and rescued 354 people in the last 12 months. • Winners of the Rescue (airm a n s h i p ) category were t h e SAR crew of 78 S q u a d r o n . RAF Mount Pleasant. Falkland Islands, whose Sea King evacuated 21 people from RFA Gold Rover off Port Stanley after she developed a steering problem in high seas in September I 990. Below: three of the crew of the 819 Squadron Sea King who flew from RFA Olmeda to rescue a seriously injured seaman from a storm-tossed fishing vessel. From the left, Lieut. Andrew Baillie (copilot), LACM Stephen Pointer (winchman), and Lieut-Cdr. George Newlands (aircraft captain and observer). Not here is the pilot, Lieut. Phil Linscott, who is now with 849 Squadron at HMS Seahawk.
IN BRIEF Sunny side up
Second Smith trial A SECOND Joint Services' Expedition to climb Smith Island in Antarctica is being planned for the austral summer of 1993, leaving UK in December 1992 and returning in April 1993. Smith Island is littered with crevasses, ceracs and ice falls making travelling extremely hazardous, so the expedition is not for the fainthearted. If you think you can provide the total commitment to the exped's objectives, have good climbing and skiing skills, then Royal Marines WO John Kimbrey, who plans to lead the Expedition would like to hear from you. He can be contacted at RMSA, CTCRM, Lympstone, Exmouth, Devon EX8 SAR (tel 0392873781 ext 342).
A new survival suit and lifejacket designed to keep the wearer turned face up out of the water has been developed with the help of the I n s t i t u t e of Naval Medicine. It also has a three-layer construction between which carbon dioxide gas is released to p r o v i d e insulation.
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nan The South Korean Navy paid its first visit to Portsmouth when the f r i g a t e s Chung Nam and Che Ju of the Korean Cruise Training Unit arrived for a five-day courtesy call.
n nn Land-locked Switzerland has found a buyer for HMS Fawn, the former coastal survey vessel now re-named MV Red Fulmar and destined for further service with an off-shore oil support company in West Africa and the South China Sea.
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Jenny's thigh party... BEAUTY therapy student Jenny Ray showed Prince Charles the high-tech way she uses to keep her shapely legs trim when he arrived to officially open the new China Fleet Club at Saltash, Cornwall. The fitness suite — also known as the "torture chamber" — was just one of the attractions inspected by the Prince as he toured the ElOm leisure complex on the banks of the Tamar. Princess Diana was to have accompanied him — but was suddenly stricken with 'flu. Inset: Tania Henn (9), daughter of CPO John Hern currently serving in HMS Defiance, presented him with a get well card for her.
Last turn of the RFA TIDESPRING sailed into Portsmouth for the last time under the Blue Ensign, having completed more than 28 years of stalwart service for the Royal Navy. Perhaps her finest role was carried out during the Falklands War. In 1982, returning to UK after exercises at Gibraltar, she was diverted to Ascension Island to embark two Wessex helicopters from 848 MAS and 87 Royal Marines to accompany HM Ships Antrim, Plymouth and Endurance in the recapture of South Georgia. Her most recent deployment was taking part in Operation Dervish, visiting Murmansk and Archangel to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Russian convoys. • On the same day that Tidespring returned, two other ships came into harbour at Portsmouth — HMS Gloucester, returning from her three-month deployment in the Caribbean, and HMS Fearless, back from the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
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NEWLY appointed as Captain Royal Naval Auxiliary Service, Capt. John Neville-Rolfe, on his first visit to the Portsmouth RNXS Unit, presented six long-service medals for 12 years' completed service.
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A L Y N X helicopter from HMS York Flight flew in to Arnold School. Blackpool for an affiliation visit, renewing ties the ship has had with the school for the past five years.
n n n England soccer boss Graham Taylor opened a new fitness centre at RNAY Fleetlands — and accepted the offer of a lift back to London by helicopter.
n nn Four 50kg bombs from a Dornier that crashed on the beach at Whitstable in 1940 were destroyed by Portsmouth Area Clearance Diving Unit.