NAVY NEWS. JULY 1998
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HMS Cornwall approaches Cape Town - but her visit was to be cut short by further trouble in West Africa. Picture: LA(PHOT) Steve Wood.
Ex-PoWs feel 'encouraged' after meeting Tony Blair CAMPAIGNERS representing former prisoners of war of tin Japanese said they were encouraged after a meeting with Prirm Minister Tony Blair in which he agreed to review a ruling whicl prevents them continuing their claims for compensation agains the Japanese government.
Cutback in helicopter repair group jobs A TOTAL of 174 jobs are to go this year at the Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation's establishments at Fleetlands, Gosport and Almondbank in Perth.
CORNWALL READY TO RESCUE BRITS
WEST AFRICA guardship HMS Cornwall cut short a programme of visits to South African ports to stand by for a possible evacuation of British nationals from troubled Guinea Bissau. Cornwall was back off the West African coast as Navy News went to press, sent there as fighting continued between government troops and rebels following an attempted coup.
The ship, accompanied by the tanker RFA Oakleaf, left Cape Town a few days earlier than planned, and before 40 family members had flown back to UK after spending a week at the Cape. The Ministry of Defence made the decision to redeploy Cornwall as a precautionary measure. The Type 22 frigate's Commanding Officer, Capt James Rapp - who has succeeded Capt Anthony Dymock - said: "We are sad to say farewell to our families, but will approach this new task with our customary professionalism."
However, Cornwall was in Cape Town long enough to fulfil a plan to host a reunion for survivors of her wartime namesake, a cruiser sunk by Japanese aircraft in the Indian Ocean in 1942. Among the veterans were 30 South Africans who had been tracked down by Cornwall's chaplain, the Rev. Garth Petzer. • During the ship's visit to Walvis Bay, Namibia, officer cadets undergoing initial sea training on board helped build an orphanage. And the ship's company raised £3,000 to fly 13year-old Hallasan Kumarah to England for lifesaving medical treatment for cancer.
Royal visits on land
A spokesman for NARO said it was planned to reduce the complement by 137 at Fleetlands and 37 at the smaller Perth repair yard. However, some of the posts Involved were already vacant, and negotiations were being held with trade union representatives in the hope of making all necessary redundancies voluntary or through natural wastage and re-deployment.
Savings The need to trim the workforce has resulted from a 20 per cent budget saving demanded of NARO by the Ministry of Defence. The Organisation says that the cutbacks, which will also involve the possible demolition of redundant buildings, will be made in support areas and will not affect NARO's ability to fulfil its core role of helicopter repair for MOD. Currently Fleetlands employs 1,250 and Almondbank 350. The cutbacks represent just over ten per cent of the workforce.
At present legal opinion is tha too long a period has passed tc make any successful claim feasi ble. A Downing Street spokesman said that the Prime Minister had ; great deal of sympathy for the vet erans and was moved by t h e accounts they gave him of the suffering in the PoW camps. Mr Blair had promised to stud; the case put forward by lawyer.' representing the ex-prisoners although he did not want to raise false expectations. In May. former Far East PoWs orchestrated protests and demonstrations in support of their cause during the visit to B r i t a i n h\ Emperor Akihito of Japan.
Firm to run arms show A SPECIALIST company has been called in to help organise the new, biennial Defence Systems & Equipment International 99 exhibition. DSEI Ltd, a subsidiary of Spearhead Exhibitions Ltd, will produce the show, working with the Defence Sales Organisation and Defence trade associations. DSEI 1999 will be held at the Defence Research Agency site at Chertsey, Surrey.
Training deal to save £28m A DEAL between the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency, Flagship Training Agency and Flagship Training Ltd, is expected to save taxpayers £28 million in the next 13 years. It will mean the transfer of 434 civilian and 550 Service posts to Flagship, who will be expected to market the NRTAs spare capacity.
and at sea
Princess
Royal in London's Puncher
ONE of the smallest ships in the Royal Navy, HMS Puncher, was visited by the Princess Royal for a spell at sea in the training vessel.
Duke spends Ajax Day with Logistic Regt THE Duke of Edinburgh stops for a chat with Mne K. D. Stewart during his inspection of the Commando Logistic Regiment's Medical Squadron. The inspection formed part of Prince Philip's visit to the regiment at its Chivenor HQ in his capacity as
Captain General of the Royal Marines. The event was held to mark Ajax Day which commemorates the part played by the Logistic Regiment in the Falklands campaign, when the Royal Marines landed at Ajax Bay. Picture: POfPHOT) John Lowther
Princess Anne embarked at Portsmouth, while her husband. Capt Timothy Laurence RN, was guest on board Puncher's sistership in the First Patrol Boat Squadron. HMS Dasher. As C h a n c e l l o r of the University of London, the Princess's interest in Puncher stems from the fact that she is the training ship of the university's RN Unit, while Dasher is Bristol University's vessel. Princess Anne and Capt Laurence met the RN crews of the ships, and undergraduates who belong to the units. They witnessed exercises in navigation, manoeuvring and man overboard procedures.
• Princess Anne meets HMS Puncher's Commanding Officer, Lt Cdr Tim Hulme during her trip to sea in the training vessel, during some very unseasonal weather at Portsmouth.