200609 by Navy News

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" Welcome to Chatham: a member of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment is welcomed on board for Exercise Purple Strike

" Going shoreside: Troops clamber into a landing craft during the exercise

" Fond farewell: Soldiers prepare to go ashore during Exercise Purple Strike

NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2006

Frigate strikes out to rescue

HMS CHATHAM has been exercising with troops in the Falklands - and managed to help out in a high seas rescue as well. The Type 22 frigate joined Falkland Islands guardship HMS Dumbarton Castle for Purple Strike, a joint exercise run every six months to test the deterrent force in the South Atlantic community.

The two ships carried almost 90 members of the 'roulement infantry company' - currently the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment - from East to West Falkland overnight, then put them ashore. The following day, while the soldiers carried out mock attacks, Chatham fired 120 rounds from her 4.5in gun in support. After the exercise the troops were airlifted out by Chinook while Chatham and Dumbarton Castle exercised at sea. Lt Andy Ball, of HMS Chatham, said: "This exercise has clearly demonstrated the capability of the forces in the Falklands. "Having 68 infantrymen on board HMS Chatham and a further 18 in Dumbarton Castle has allowed the ships' companies to gain an understanding of how the other forces work and some of the issues they face. "Similarly it has allowed the Army to see what we can offer in terms of support, both logistically and operationally." More recently Chatham was called on to help a fisherman who damaged a hand.

Spanish fishing vessel Playa de Arnales, 200 miles north of the Falklands, sent out an emergency call after a crewman slashed his hand, almost severing two fingers. With the RAE search and rescue helicopter unable to help, Chatham sailed through the night to rendezvous with the boat. Ship's doctor Surg Lt David Longmore was winched from Chatham's Lynx on to the fishing boat, and having stabilised the patient they were taken back to Chatham and the ship headed back to the Falklands, where the fisherman was transferred ashore. Chatham's CO, Capt James Morse, said: "This is a classic case where the capabilities of the Royal Navy could be used to assist the wider seafaring community." The frigate is due back in the UK in November.

" Happy eater: the food on board HMS Chatham wins Army approval

Uniform approach welcomed

HMSVICTORY has taken delivery of a replica dress uniform as worn by Nelson, thanks to the generosity of an American enthusiast. Patrick Taylor, who founded the Taylor Energy Company, accrued an extensive collection of Nelson memorabilia which now adorns the company HQ in New Orleans. He already had one speciallymade dress uniform, and commissioned a second to be given to the Royal Navy, but died before he could make the presentation. The uniform, which was on display in Victory's Great Cabin during Trafalgar 200, was officially presented to the ship by Patrick's widow, Mrs Phyllis Taylor. During the presentation, at a lunch on board Victory attended by Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Adrian Johns and Victory's CO, Lt Cdr John Scivier, Mrs Taylor was given life membership of the Friends of the Royal Naval Museum and HMS Victory, and a piece of stone from Nelson's Column to add to the collection. The hand-made uniform includes gold medals and diamonds in the hat decoration.

" Paying their respects: from left, Ken Clark, Lt Cdr Robert Philpott (retd), Capt Nick Butler, Percy Price and Cdr Keith Evans (retd)

Veterans seek closer Pannopt

" Lt Talan Skeels-Piggins competes in the British Army Alpine Divisional Ski Championships this year

Landmark ruling for disabled Reservist

A DISABLED man has won a landmark ruling by being allowed to remain in the Royal Naval Reserve despite being paralysed from the chest down in a road crash three years ago. Lt Talan Skeels-Piggins had served six years as a Royal Navy fighter controller before leaving the Service to travel then take up a career in teaching. He joined the Bristol RNRunit, HMS Flying Fox, in November 2002, but four months later "things went a bit wrong for me," he recalls. He had been heading for a rugby match on his motorbike when he lost control of it, sliding across the road. Oncoming traffic ran over him. He broke his neck, back and some ribs, suffered internal bleed- docing and a collapsed lung tors initially gave him a 30 per cent chance of survival, let alone recovery. "I was told I'd be in hospital for

" Lt Ta/an Skee/s-Piggins

18 months to two years, but I was out in six months," he said. He settled into a flat in Bath and started to get his life back together. He was soon competing in various sports - skiing, wheelchair road races and sailing among them - and in skiing has gained

a world ranking of 66 - he aims to compete in the 2010 Winter Paralympics. "Once I was strong enough to be able to start work I felt I could also fulfil a role in the RNR, so I turned up at Flying Fox and said 'Hello, can I still work here?" There was some initial confusion - a matelot in a wheelchair is not a common sight by any means - but with support from the Flag Officer Maritime Reserves, Rear Admiral Philip Wilcocks, Talan passed his medical board and, as well as working at Bath University Sports Village as a disability sports co-ordinator, he can now undertake a range of duties as an RNR officer. There are caveats to his service, but he could still be deployed to a major establishment abroad if the need arose. Lt Skeels-Piggins said: "I am delighted by the ruling, and hope that this sets a positive precedent for the service and its personnel."

ROYAL Navy veterans have made an emotional pilgrimage to France to pay their respects to the victims of a naval action which still sparks controversy. With the fall of France in June 1940 the British Government feared that French warships could fall into the hands of the Germans and be used against the Allies, potentially tipping the balance of power. A Royal Navy force, under Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville in HMS Hood, was sent to Algeria, where the greatest concentration of French ships had gathered in Mers-el-Kebir and Oran, and an ultimatum was issued - either put your ships beyond the reach of the Nazis or they will be sunk. Although options were given - such as sailing them across the Atlantic - the negotiations stalled and Somerville felt obliged to attack. In the ensuing actions, almost 1,300 French sailors were killed, causing much hatred of the British in Vichy France and something of a propaganda coup for the Germans. But the action proved Britain's determination to fight on, a message picked up by the Americans. On July 3, 66 years after Operation Catapult, a

delegation from the HMS Hood Association, led by vice chairman Cdr Keith Evans (retd), attended a service of commemoration at Brest. Cdr Evans, who laid a wreath and delivered speeches, was joined by the British Ambassador to France, Sir John Holmes, and the British Naval AttachĂŠ, Capt Nick Butler. Also attending were 300 relatives and friends of victims, including the vice president of the Mers-elKebir victims association, HervĂŠ Grall, who hosted the Hood group, and whose father died in the action. "In my speech I referred to the welcome I had always received from local people on many visits to France over some 65 years, and to Operation Catapult," said Cdr Evans. "In expressing the deepest sympathy for the relatives and friends of those who lost their lives on that sad day 66 years ago, I hoped for a closer rapport between our two associations in the years ahead." Later the group visited a monument to all French sailors who died in the war - five Free Frenchman were lost with the Hood when she was sunk by Bismarck in May 1941.

HMS WARRIOR 1860 Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

This beautifully restored Victorian Battleship offers a superb maritime setting for those who seek a unique historical venue for corporate or private entertaining. Warrior was the first iron hulled, steam and sailing warship. She was commissioned in 1860 and was the biggest, fastest and most fearsome of her time. Evening events can be held for 20 - 600 guests using a variety of areas including the Ward Room, Officers Half Deck and the Gun Deck (using wooden mess tables and benches where the sailors would have eaten in 1860) For a truly memorable evening why not join other guests for our Special Fundraising Evenings:

Trafalgar Night -20th October 2006 " Pickle - 1OtI November 2006 Night " Sea - 7th & 14th December 2006 Shanty Nights " Burns 26th Night January 2007 For more information contact: Corinne Marshall, Special Events Manager HMS Warrior 1860, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, P01 3QX Telephone: 02392 778604

specialevents@hmswarrior.org