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NAVY NEWS, JULY 1997
Winchman risked life in 30ft waves
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LYNX RESCUER WINS THE AIR FORCE CROSS
A HELICOPTER winchman who three times risked his own life in "highly dangerous" conditions to save five men from a sinking cargo ship has been awarded the Air Force Cross. This done, he re-attached himALAEM Nick Owen was a member of HMS Northumber- self to the wire and was lifted out land's Lynx flight when it was of the liferaft while holding the recovery drogue. But that attempt called to the aid of the was when the liferaft Rumanian ship Covasna, brokeabandoned free in a squall. foundering in an Atlantic gale In a third bid to save the men, 330 miles south-west of Cape once-only suits and lifejackets Finisterre. It was his first res- were lowered in preparation for another winch operation using the cue since training.
Marines praised for task in Zaire
THE 100 Royal Marines who were deployed for the possible evacuation of British citizens in Zaire have returned to Britain amid praise for the way they carried out their mission. Minister of the Armed Forces, Dr John Reid, told the Marines and Army personnel who had been sent to the region two months before that they had been highly successful. "Your presence undoubtedly contributed greatly to the stabilisation of the region," he said. "I commend you on your professionalism and display of traditional high standards." About 500 Service personnel were deployed in Operation Determinant as a precautionary measure in case the safety of Britons in Kinshasa was threatened by civil war.
Friendly Brig Robert Fulton, Commander of 3 Commando Brigade, welcomed the members of 42 Cdo and 539 Assault Squadron on their return from the former Zaire and Gabon. He said: "I am certain that the Royal Marines' professionalism and training would have enabled them to carry out whatever task the Government set them in an efficient and friendly fashion." While based at Brazzaville on the Congo river, the Marines helped the Red Cross to buy equipment for a children's hospital in Kinshasa. C/Sgt Colin Vout organised and took part in a sponsored marathon run which raised $1.000. A similar sum was raised by Marines of 42 Cdo at Bickleigh Barracks, Plymouth.
Flight commander during the operation on January 7 last year was Lt Robin Scott. Both he and the pilot, Lt Kristopher Zimmerman - a US Navy officer on exchange - have been awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in the Air.
Force 11 gusts Northumberland answered the ship's distress call on her way to South Atlantic deployment. She launched her Lynx in winds gusting to Force 11 and waves of over 30ft. Seventeen of Covasna's crew had abandoned ship in a lifeboat and liferaft and had been picked up by a Russian tanker. However, four more men and the Master were still on board when Northumberland's Lynx arrived at first light. It was decided to winch up the stranded sailors, and Nick Owen was lowered in wind speeds averaging 45-50 knots and waves which were causing the Covasna to rise and fall up to 50ft. That attempt was called off after Owen was nearly hit by the superstructure of the violently pitching vessel. A five-man liferaft was then lowered but was lost by the cold and tired men on the Covasna. Owen was again lowered to retrieve the liferaft, and "oblivious to his own safety" unhooked himself from the wire so he could enter the raft to recover the drogue.
double-lift technique. In the words of the AFC citation, "Owen courageously tried to reach the first man but soon found that he was in danger of drowning, 40ft clear of the water at one moment and under it the next. " Double lifting was proving too dangerous and Owen was recovered to the aircraft. The five Covasna crew were eventually recovered using a single-lift technique. LAEM Owen is now a member of HMS Beaver night, and Lt Zimmerman is in HMS Newcastle. Lt Scott is on course at HMS Dryad.
RM climber falls to death ROYAL Marine Damian Deeley has died after falling during a rockclimbing expedition in North Wales. Mne Deeley (20) was a member of the Commando Logistic Regiment based at Chivenor, and was on a week's training activities when the accident happened on May 29. At the time, he was climbing a rock face with 11 companions near Llangollen. A Sea King rescue helicopter from RAF Valley airlifted him to hospital, but he was dead on arrival.
Newcastle fans turn out in thousands
Pictures: LA(PHOT) Mark Hipkin, FOSF.
OVER 10,000 people took the chance to look round HMS Newcastle when the newly-refitted Type 42 destroyer visited her home city of Newcastle. Main reason for the ship's five-day stand-off was to hold her rededication ceremony, attended by a glittering array of guests, including a former Cabinet Minister, three admirals, the Lord Mayor of Newcastle and five Royal Navy captains. Chief guest was the ship's sponsor, Lady Silvia Rodgers who was accompanied by her husband, Lord Rodgers Minister of State for Defence at the time the Newcastle was launched in 1975. Others included Admiral of the Fleet Sir Julian Oswald; Vice Admiral John Brigstocke, Flag Officer Surface Flotilla and Second Sea Lord designate; Vice Admiral Sir Norman King; and the Lord Mayor, Cllr Margaret Nixon.
Oh baby, we're really home!
On May 30, the day after the ceremony, the ship exercised its Freedom of the City with a march from the civic centre to Grey's Monument, where the salute was taken by the Lord Mayor accompanied by the ship's Commanding Officer, Cdr Nick Lambert. On her passage to Newcastle the ship hosted 60 fathers and sons at sea - a scheme by which a sailor's
father or son could spend two days at sea. HMS Newcastle emerged from a £3 million refit in Rosyth in November last year and has since conducted trials and exercises, included the successful first firing since her refit of a Sea Dart missile. It took place during a Joint Maritime Course which formed the last part of the ship's post-refit trials.
NATO warships out in strength SIX MAJOR warships were included in the British line-up for a wide-ranging peace support exercise off Portugal.
Caning threat men return THE ROYAL Marine who with a REME craftsman were arrested for alleged robbery in Singapore have returned to face military proceedings in Britain. Mne Richard Britten and Craftsman John King could have been given a 14-year jail sentence and a caning if they were tried and found guilty in Singapore.
D-Day statue SIX HUNDRED wartime veterans paraded in Portsmouth to mark the unveiling by the Duke of Kent of the statues of Field Marshal Montgomery and an ordinary soldier. The figures stand outside the D-Day Museum in Southsea, and are a permanent reminder in the city of the 50th anniversary of the Normandy landings and of the end of the war.
• An enviable welcome to Newcastle for OM(AW) Paul Robertson, from Lisa Brown and Joanne Lewis, and (below) HMS Newcastle leaves the Tyne after a memorable visit.
LAC MICK Turnbull (left) and AEM Nigel Richards get acquainted with their new daughters Jessica and Lilly after their ship, HMS Boxer, returned to Devonport from a seven-month deployment. The Type 22 frigate, under her Commanding Officer, Cdr Michael Mansergh, had fulfilled busy and varied tasks as West Indies Guardshlp, steaming more than 28,000 miles. Working with the US Coast Guard, she had-
been involved in several anti-drugs patrols in the region. She had also been on standby to help the people of the island of Montserrat under the threat of a volcanic eruption. While away, Boxer's visits have included 12 islands in the region - among them Bermuda, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Grenada, Antigua and Trinidad. Picture: LA(PHOT) Slinger wood
Exercise Linked Seas 97 involved 12 nations of NATO's military alliance, as well as France, in a two-week scenario designed to develop the Treaty Organisation's new missions and concepts. The total of 80 ships taking part included the destroyers HMS Nottingham and Newcastle; the frigates HMS Campbeltown, Cornwall and Monmouth; RFA Fort Victoria; a British submarine, and four mine countermeasures vessels.
handing over her STANAVFORLANT duty to HMS London; HMS Campbeltown, HMS Birmingham and the MCM vessel, HMS Cattistock.
15,000 personnel
HMS CHATHAM families were holding a party at home to mark the haul-down in Hong Kong, In which the ship was taking part on June 30. The 'eve of haul-down' party on was being held on June 29 at the Crownhill Families Centre, Plymouth from 4-7pm, and all families of Service personnel in the Far East in ships, submarines or RFAs were welcome. Chatham families have met twice at the Crownhill Centre since the Type 23 frigate left on deployment in March. For details contact organiser Nick Bennett on 01752 770860. • The last patrol - page 4.
Senior British commander at sea was Rear Admiral Alan West in his NATO role as Commander Anti-Submarine Warfare Striking Force. The participating ships, 75 aircraft and land forces, involved a total of 15,000 NATO personnel. The scenario included surveillance, embargo enforcement and mine countermeasures at sea, with peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance ashore. After the end of the exercise on May 19,45 warships visited Lisbon. They included vessels of the Standing Naval Forces Atlantic, Channel and Mediterranean. Among them were HMS Cornwall,
HAUL-DOWN PARTY FOR FAMILIES