Navv News APRIL 1994
40p
D-DAY MINUS TWO With two issues to go before June's massive catalogue of D-Day events, reminiscences from veterans are still pouring in. We will be making full use of them in three special FREE supplements in May, June and July — so order your copies now to avoid disappointment.
Portsmouth shopkeepers they didn't need the wool substitutes they sold on coupons," she recalls. 'Rex' was made from the original D-Day pattern in Home Notes magazine — and militarised by PO(Phot) Jan Brayley using his son Toby's Action Man equipment . . . See Page 3 for a D-Day update.
Meanwhile, thanks to 'Invasion Wren' Jenny Hamilton of Wimbledon for the knitted dog — one of 200 the girls serving at Portsmouth 50 years ago were asked to make to help raise funds for the Red Cross. "My craziest duties at that time were trips ashore to convince
Also inside: • Sweet and sour in Hong Kong — HMS Tamar special feature (centre pages). • Talking Turkey — HMS Montrose in Istanbul (page 17). • Two pages of winter sports (pages 28-29).
THE TASK
As Royal Navy Sea Harriers helped protect the UN relief convoy into the Bosnian town of Maglaj — the first for five months — three RFA landing ships were diverted to assist in the deployment of extra troops to the former Yugoslavia. RFAs Sir Tristram, Sir Galahad and Sir Bedivere were taking part in the major amphibious exercise Royal Dawn in Scottish waters when the summons came. ber, is providing temporary They moved down to the accommodation for Army permilitary port of Marchwood on sonnel based in the port area. Southampton Water to load up with troops, stores and vehicles — including Saxon armoured • RFA FORT AUSTIN has a personnel carriers — which major role in operating the 'Air they had all delivered to the Head' link from Bari in Italy, Croatian port of Split within a receiving high priority stores fortnight. and mail from the UK. and In all, the Royal Fleet Auxilpassing them onto the RN Task iary was last month devoting Group. 30 per cent of its strength to operations in the Adriatic. • RFA OLWEN has been in the Adriatic since January. Beyond • RFA RESOURCE has been at her prime function of supplying Split since November 1992, the Task Group w i t h fuel, acting as a 'field' supply depot water and limited stores, her for the Army. She is soon to be ability to operate and support relieved by RFA Fort Grange. Sea King helicopters adds to • RFA SIR GERAINT, also t h e f l e x i b i l i t y o f R N a i r based at Split since last Octooperations.
THREE-STAR LEVEL Navy News has won three awards in the 1993 Editing for Industry competition of the British Association of Industrial Editors — making a total of 65 racked up since it first entered in 1972. In all that time not a year has passed without success in an increasingly competitive contest — a unique achievement, we are assured. An Award of Excellence was made in the class of Best News Story for Navy News' report of a double drugs bust effected by HMS Avenger and HMS Active towards the end of last year. Certificates of Merit were gained for picture editing — and for a feature detailing the historical background of the Battle of the Atlantic commemorations at Liverpool.
• Above: Sea King helicopters of 849 (foreground) and 820 Naval Air Squadrons (rear) in a flying display for members of the House of Commons Defence Committee visiting HMS Ark Royal in the Adriatic. • Right: bound for Bosnia — Saxon armoured personnel carriers in white UN livery are loaded into the RFA landing ship Sir Bedivere at Marchwood military port.