NAVY NEWS. DECEMBER 1994
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RESCUE MISSION ON REMEMBRANCE DAY REMEMBRANCE Sunday saw HMS Broadsword rushing to the rescue of a stricken fishing boat being swept towards a coral reef in the Caribbean. The Type 22 frigate was providing a colour party and Guard for the Remembrance Day Parade on the island of Turks and Caicos when the local marine police asked for her help. As darkness fell, her Lynx helicopter piloted by Lt Steve Solleveld was able to winch down a spare battery to the boat so the fisherman could restart his engines and head for safety. Meanwhile the unpredictable movements of Hurricane Florence failed to prevent HMS Herald taking part in the ceremonies at Bermuda, where she was taking a five-day break in Hamilton from a two-month programme of oceanographic and hydrographic surveying in the North Atlantic. Wreaths were also laid to mark the sinking of the convoy escort HMS Jcrvis Bay by the pocket battleship Admiral Schcer on 5 November 1940.
HMS Ceres' links with Wetherby, West Yorkshire were further strengthened on Remembrance Day when Lt Cdr Stephen Foster RNR, last Commanding Officer of HMS Ceres — the final RNR unit in Yorkshire to close — presented its White Ensign to the town. This year's Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall featured a Naval display by 36 members of HMS Dryad's ship's company. In keeping with this year's 50th anniversary of D-Day theme, they reconstructed the famous wall map used by General Eisenhower at Southwick House.
Balloon launch The polystyrene replica was made in HMS Dryad's civilian graphics section, who also produced an impressive backdrop for the display. The British Legion Poppy Appeal had earlier been launched in
HMS Illustrious — flagship for the D-Day commemorations at Portsmouth in June. It was a particularly appropriate venue, said her commanding officer Capt Richard Phillips, as Illustrious was shortly to deploy to the Adriatic where she would be doing her best to help minimise the miseries of the war in Bosnia. The Legion has also announced a 'Great British Balloon Launch" on 15 August 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Spike Milligan, helped by serving Guardsmen, Chelsea Pensioners and young supporters, released a batch of balloons at the Guards War Memorial, Horse Guards Parade as a foretaste of the event, when half a million will be launched as a National Act of Commemoration for the 468,000 British lives lost between 1939 and 1945. Tickets at £1 each corresponding to a numbered balloon will be sold through the Legion's 3,200 branches and the holder of the balloon that travels farthest will win a Rover Metro car. Proceeds will go towards caring for needy ex-Service people.
Sharp eyes over the Adriatic
BACK from six months in the A d r i a t i c last month was HMS Nottingham, having steamed 38,000 miles and challenged over 400 vessels enforcing the UN arms embargo against the former Yugoslavia. The burden of Operation Sharp Guard has fallen increasingly on Royal Navy ships following the United States decision to withdraw from the arms embargo against the Bosnian government. HMS I n v i n c i b l e c u r r e n t l y leads the UK Task Group with the Type 22 f r i g a t e HMS Coventry supported by RFAs Olna. Fort Austin and Fort Grange while HMS Cumberland and HMS Campbeltown are part of the NATO force. Also back home last month from the region were HMS Brave and HMS Brilliant. Meanwhile minehunters HMS Berkeley, Brocklesby and Chiddingfold with RFA Gold Rover have been part of On C a l l Force 15 in the Mediterranean.
Family and friends of PO(M) Spike Hughes turn out at Portsmouth for HMS Nottingham's return.
Cake On her way out, while passing to the west of Portugal on passage to Porlimao. Berkeley covered her 100.000th nautical mile — and celebrated with a cake backed by LC'K C h r i s Fcrricr. All four ships arc due to return to Rosyth this month in t i m e for Christmas, h a v i n g visited Gibraltar. Aksaz (Turkey), I z m i r , I r a k l i o n and Malaga. • Right: HMS Invincible's Weapon Engineering Department were missing too many 'stand easys' while working on the carrier's 996 radar platform — 11 decks and 200ft up from the flight deck. So Deputy WEO Lt Cdr Jim Milne decided to serve them a special "high tea" alongside in Naples, as the ship took a short operational stand off from her duties in the Adriatic. An extra-wide angle "fish eye" lens was needed to gel them all in the picture with their tea and biscuits: left to right arc PO Ian Lussmorc, PO Taff Reha. Lt Cdr Milne, Sub Lt Dickie Henderson. CCWEA Peter Holinshead and OM C'ras Craskall.
New home for the MVS The Maritime Volunteer Service formed by members of the disbanded Royal Naval Auxliary Service has moved into new headquarters in Admiralty Road, Portsmouth. The MVS — which already has 1,000 members worldwide — will give training in seamanship, navigation, engineering, c o m m u n i c a t i o n s and operations room skills and provide a nucleus of personnel to assist in emergencies. Southern Region Coordinator Haydn Chappcll may be contacted on 081 332 2233.
NAVY boxers are being warned that the sport may cause minor impairments in brain function, as revealed in a series Since 1989 the Royal Navy has conducted a trial into the effects o f a m a t e u r b o x i n g which demonstrated differences between amateur boxers and other sports of a similar age group on the effects on a s p e c t s of n e u r o l o g i c a l impairment. The implications are now being discussed w i t h i n t h e Ministry of Defence.
A spokesman said the Navy followed the ABA rules explicitly and boxers were being made aware of the report's findings and offered the chance to undergo similar tests. "Boxing in the RN is undertaken entirely on a volunteer basis. The report is cautious itself about its results and clearly indicates that more research would be necessary to gauge the e x t e n t o f any l o n g e r t e r m effects."
Brazen back from Chile HMS Brazen returned to Devonport last month, ten weeks after she ran aground in the Patagonian Canal. The Type 22 frigate was freed after four days and made her way to Talachino, Chile for repairs before heading for home. Further repair work is being done in Devonport Dockyard. She has been away for seven and a half months and steamed 36,581 miles — mostly patrolling off the Falkland Islands, where she handed over South Atlantic Duty to HMS Iron Duke. HMS Norfolk is also back in Devonport after four months operating off the US coast.
Music by stealth STAFF Band of the Royal Marines School of Music Deal took part in the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic Change of Command ceremonies at Norfolk, Virginia. The band is seen with a stealth fighter while performing Beat Retreat on the jetty near the carrier USS Enterprise.
Batch sale to Brazil
BRAZIL has bought four of the Royal Navy's Type 22 Batch I frigates, plus three River Class minesweepers which had already paid off. Broadsword, Brilliant, Brazen and Battleaxe will be handed over as Type 23 Duke Class replacements join the Fleet.
Turbinia move Turbinia, the first turbinep o w e r e d v e s s e l , h a s been moved to a new home at the Discovery e x h i b i t i o n centre, Newcastle upon Tync.