NAVY NEWS. DECEMBER !<•)%
Hail the new Caledonia
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Raleigh sub school move is confirmed
THE ROYAL Navy's Submarine School will be relocating to Cornwall, the MOD has confirmed. The school, currently at HMS Dolphin in Gosport, Hampshire, will transfer to HMS Raleigh at Torpoint over the next few years, with full training unlikely to start before the next millennium. The Dolphin site will then become the new home for the Royal Defence Medical College, which is currently at Millbank in London. The newly-established Submarine School will benefit from its close proximity to the fleet submarine squadron at Devonport, while the medical college will be adjacent to the Royal Hospital at Haslar, which has been the main hospital for the Armed Forces since April.
On parade - the Order of Service at HMS Caledonia.
FOR THE first time in a quarter of a century a new shore establishment has been commissioned in Scotland. The Royal Naval Support Establishment at Rosyth, commanded by Commander Quentin Banting, was commissioned as HMS Caledonia at a ceremonial parade held in the presence of the Countess of Elgin and Kincardine, the ship's patron, and Rear
Royal appointment for Scotia
New base for ships The Marine Society's training ships Jonas Hanway and the Earl of Romney are to use the Historic Dockyard at Chatham as their operational base - though the head office will remain in London.
• Prince Michael of Kent with the tree he planted.
THERE was a royal Guest of Honour at the rededication of HMS Scotia at Rosyth. Prince Michael of Kent, the Honorary Commodore of the Royal Naval Reserve, inspected the guard and presented NATO and Long Service and Good Conduct medals to members of Scotia, the Naval Reserve Training Centre for Eastern Scotland. The prince also planted a tree during the ceremony to commemorate the opening of the unit's new buildings. The unit recently relocated from Pitreavie to Rosyth under the reorganisation following the closure of the Pitreavie maritime headquarters and the Rosyth Naval Base. Scotia's role is to administer the training, pay, travel and records for
Naval party unites the nations A ROYAL Navy survey team started to resemble the United Nations when two students joined up earlier this year. Devonport-based Naval Party 1008, operated by the Hydrographic Surveying Squadron, is embarked in a German-built former trawler, the 2,200-tonne Marine Explorer, owned by a Norwegian firm. Among members of the party were Executive Officer Lt Tony Withers, of the Royal Australian
Navy, Mr Ping Wang, an International Maritime Academy student from China, correspondence officer Lt Victor Ross III of the US Navy and Lt Vinhyak Apte, an IMA student from India. Naval Party 1008, a team of 12, offers excellent training opportunities for British and foreign students, has been surveying the Southern Irish Sea, updating areas which have not been covered since the Admiralty lead-line surveys of the 1860s.
the 250 Reservists on the books, and staff also coordinate recruitment to the unit in liaison with the Edinburgh Careers Information Office. Most of the company live in the area between Edinburgh and Dundee, and in the last year members have been as far afield as the Far East, the Caribbean and the Med on Navy ships and exercises. One officer, Lt Nick Dorman, an executive with a towing company, spent two weeks on exchange with the US Navy in Texas, learning about their new mine countcrmcasures vessel the USS Avenger. Chief Wren Colette Wemyss spent a month of HMS Fearless in the Caribbean, while LS Gavin Watt spent two weeks on minehunter HMS Walney on exercise in the Mediterranean.
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Admiral John Tolhurst. Flag oped for its new role. A number of lodger units at Officer Scotland. Northern Caledonia were also represented England and Northern Ireland. at the parade, including the Royal The parade featured the first Marines Band (Scotland), the performance, by the Royal Royal Naval Careers Headquarters Marines Band (Scotland), of JJie (North) and the Sea C'adet Corps Lady Elgin Air while she inspected TS Cochrane, which provided the the guard of honour. The music was specially com- ceremony guard. Autonomous lodger posed by the Director units include RNR of Music. Lt Chris u n i t HMS Scotia and Davis RM, and the the Naval Regional framed musical score Officer Scotland and was presented to Lady Northern Ireland. Elgin at a reception. The Navy has occuThe new HMS pied the site next to Caledonia is the sixth Rosyth Dockyard to bear the name, and since ll).W when a by adopting the same t r a i n i n g facility for name as the previous engineering apprenestablishment it is tices was b u i l t to hoped she will prereplace the previous serve the strong links Caledonia (RMS between the Navy and Majestic, the former Fife which were H a m b u r g America forged at the beginning of the century. liner Bismurk.) It commissioned in Caledonia will pro1940 as the RN vide support for ships Artificer Training and submarines in Establishment and refit in Rosyth, includlater became the fifth ing accommodation, catering, stores, chap- • The admin block seen "" ''" ".""'", IT, laincy, medical needs, from the quarterdeck. ijfhment with hajand recreation. Although some original buildhour training ships HMS Duncan ings, including the gym and swim- and Eastbourne, trained thousands ming pool, are still in use. the of artificer apprentices before its establishment has been redevel- closure in 1485.
Active volcano sets agenda for frigate HMS BOXER has taken up the role of West Indies Guard Ship - and a rumbling volcano will shape the progress of her deployment. The Devonport-based Type 22 frigate took over from HMS Argyll last month, and has been ordered to remain within easy reach of Montserrat, where the
troublesome Chances Peak volcano is threatening the island's principal town, Plymouth. The need to be on hand in case of emergency relief means Boxer has had to forego the pleasures of Florida at Christmas, where families were planning to meet up with the
ship's company, and will instead spend Christmas Day alongside in Puerto Rico. As well as defending British dependencies in the Caribbean, the ship will also help US Coastguards in stopping drugrunners. Boxer is due to return to home waters next summer.
Under 12 Readers' Club n The July edition of Navy News next year will, we hope, see the launch of a Junior Readers' Club. Aimed at the under-12s, the Club will have its own dedicated section in Navy News and will be packed with news, competitions, offers and ideas. Membership will cost just £2.50 per year, and all new members will receive a welcome certificate, membership card, badge and poster. Parental consent will be needed. Make your birthday special Navy News will help celebrate birthdays, too. If members give their date of birth on joining the Club, Navy News will make the day extra special by printing a greeting in the Junior section, space permitting. Free entry for members Membership cards should be kept in a safe place. Navy News hopes to be giving members the chance of free entry to some exciting events and places.
Navv News Junior Readers' Club ]l like the idea of a Junior Readers' Club: ! I would like the Club to be called: {Junior Jack Club
[ 1
jThe Jolly Rogers
[ ]
i
i JThe Stowaways
[ 1
'The Powder Monkeys
[ 1
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|OR I would like to call the Club
I My name is:
i ]My address is:
Yes/No
Exciting prize To start our special Club for the Under 12s we want the help of all our junior readers. We need a name for the Club. We already have some suggestions from children, shown left, so you can choose one of these or think of one yourself. If your suggested name is chosen for the Club there's a prize to be won. Details will be published early next year. But hurry! We need a name by March 1, 1997, so that we can start the very first section of this paper that will belong to the Under 12s. Fill in the form (left) and return it to: Under 12s Readership Club, Navy News, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH, or telephone Portsmouth (01705) 826040 for further details.
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