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NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2011
Memorials will be protected
WAR memorials across the UK will be sprayed with an invisible dye in a bid to stop thieves selling plaques for scrap. In response to the growing crime of raiding memorials for their valuable metal, chiefly bronze and copper, an ambitious scheme has begun to mark all monuments and cenotaphs with ‘SmartWater’ – invisible to the naked eye and virtually impossible for thieves to remove. The charity, which records and attempts to conserve the 100,000 war memorials across Britain, believes at least one monument a week is targeted by thieves. With the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Great War looming in 2014, the War Memorials Trust and SmartWater Foundation hope to protect the cenotaphs by marking them. The initiative does not cover the three national naval memorials – the imposing cenotaphs designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens which pay homage to fallen sailors in Portsmouth, Plymouth and Chatham – which are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. In addition to those national monuments, cities, towns and villages raised money to honour their local dead. It is those memorials the ‘In Memorial 2014’ initiative seeks to protect, for just as thieves have been stripping church roofs and telecommunications cables, memorial panels have become targets for criminals. The authorities reckon the criminal trade in metals in the UK is worth around £700m a year. Once applied to the memorials, SmartWater cannot be washed, burned or sandblasted off, but it can leave traces on the clothes or tools thieves might use. The marking shows up under ultraviolet light – and police can use it as prosecution evidence.
Celebrate 50 years of hovercraft
O Royal Navy personnel march in the London Pride parade
Naval contingent take pride of place
MORE than two dozen members of the Naval Service took part in the 40th London Pride parade in London.
SAILORS and Royal Marines ensured the Naval Service was represented when civic leaders in North Yorkshire joined forces to sign an ‘Armed Forces Covenant’. Cllr John Fort, Chairman of North Yorkshire County Council, said that the people of the county owed a huge debt of gratitude to members of the Armed Forces who were prepared to put their lives at risk for the security of the country. Cllr Fort said that the military presence in the county was significant – more than 15,000 men and women, the majority of them Army. The Chair man of Richmondshire District Council, Cllr Jill McMullon, said she was immensely proud of her authority’s connection to the Armed Forces. The signing of the covenant, believed to be the first to be formally recognised at a local level, was carried out at Catterick Garrison.
Sailors marched at the head of an Armed Forces contingent featuring some 80 Servicemen and women from all three Services. Before the group set out, an email from the Prime Minister was read out by Lt Cdr Mandy McBain, Chair of the Naval Service Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Forum, in which David Cameron said: “Your presence in the Pride Parade sends a very strong and clear signal about the type of society we are – where everyone’s contribution is respected and valued regardless of sexual orientation. “I am delighted that this is the largest uniformed contingent ever at Pride.” Senior officers from all three Services and the Civil Service were joined by the Home Secretary, Theresa May, to further endorse the military attendance at Pride. Cdre Rupert Wallace, the Naval Service LGBT Advocate, spoke to the Royal Navy contingent and said how their visible demonstration of the pride they had in their Service sent a strong message to the watching crowds. He then talked informally to the 29 Navy, who were a mix of officers, senior rates and junior
rates, before they set off on the march through London, which ended with the military paying their respects at the Cenotaph. The Armed Forces, which was the largest ever uniformed contingent marching at Pride, received the biggest cheers from the estimated 500,000-strong crowd along the two-mile route. Cdre Wallace, who is Commodore Portsmouth Flotilla, is one of six Diversity Advocates appointed by Naval Secretary Rear Admiral David Steel. Also covering the LGBT plot is WO1 Vic Parsons; race and ethnicity is the responsibility of Capt Mark Windsor (Captain Sea Cadets) and WO1 Colin Thomas (DNLS SHRC WO), while gender is the field of Cdre John Keegan (Commodore Maritime Reserves) and WO Bill Beaumont (Executive WO, HMS Montrose). The initiative further demonstrates the Navy’s commitment to advancing equality of opportunity as required by the Public Sector Equality Duty, which came into force on April 6. Diversity Advocates are recognised as playing a central role in demonstrating senior leadership, disseminating good practice and encouraging the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion within the Naval Service. ! The 2012 Stonewall Staff
FOG on the Tyne – HMS Tyne that is, because the fog is actually shrouding the Scottish highlands. Fresh from three weeks of operational sea training, sailors from the fishery protection ship headed into the mountains for some adventurous training. The crew rotation system used by the Portsmouth-based vessel meant two thirds of Tyne’s ship’s company could take advantage of the outdoor activities. Blue Watch used the Joint Services facilities at Rothiemurchus Lodge, near Aviemore, to go kayaking, sailing, mountain biking and hill walking in the Cairngorms. Red Watch ventured even further afield to Wester Ross in the north-west Highlands where, based from a hostel at the foot of An Teallach, they headed off on numerous coastal and hill walks.
And White Watch? Well, lucky lot, they got Faslane and operational sea training – the staff of Flag Officer Sea Training laid on various tests which the ship might be expected to deal with
in addition to routine patrol work and inspections. Salvage exercises, embarking troops, coping with floods, fires and casualties all featured prominently in the programme.
Covenant is signed
Tyne is in Scotland...
Survey is now open for Naval Service personnel to complete, allowing them to express views about acceptance, current communications, role models and overall policy awareness within the Service. Stonewall are placing additional emphasis on this survey during this year’s Workplace Equality Index (WEI) Benchmarking process. The Naval Service made
much progress during last year’s WEI and in order to maintain this advancement and to further the development of LGBT engagement it is important that the survey is completed by as many RN and RM personnel as possible. See http://www.stonewall. org.uk /at_work /wei_sur vey/; the organisation name is ROYAL NAVY, and the Staff code number is 601.
DID you serve in the Interservice Hovercraft Unit, the Interservice Hovercraft (Trials) Unit, the Naval Hovercraft (Trials) Unit, 200 Hovercraft Squadron RCT, the Far East detachment, or are currently serving in 539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines? If so, you are invited to attend an event to commemorate 50 years of UK military hovercraft involvement. Military interest in hovercraft was facilitated by Earl Mountbatten, who recognised the potential of this new concept in amphibious warfare. This interest resulted in the formation of the Interservice Hovercraft Trials Unit, in September 1961, at HMS Daedalus, Lee-on-the-Solent. September 2011 sees the 50th anniversary of this event and is to be commemorated by Seahorse 50, to be held at Browndown, Gosport, over the weekend of September 9-12. The programme will consist of a setup and rehearsal day (September 9), with schools, colleges and cadet forces visiting, a formal opening followed by an assault involving conventional landing craft, hovercraft and helicopters on Sept 10 for military personnel. The hangar at Browndown will be used for static displays and presentations on military hovercraft activity. Public day will be on Sept 11, with the following day used to pack up. As well as commemorating the 50th anniversary, Seahorse 50 will provide a shop window to illustrate UK defence capabilities, a chance to recruit future military personnel and has the potential to raise funds for military charities. Schools, colleges and youth organisations are invited to attend on the Friday and military and ex-military personnel on the Saturday, by contacting the Secretary of Seahorse 50, Brian J Russell, 24 Jellicoe Avenue, Alverstoke, Gosport, Hampshire PO12 2PE, telephone 023 9258 4371, or e-mail Brianatjellicoe@ aol.com
Buddhists gather
BUDDHISTS from across the Armed Forces who gathered at Amport House for a conference also took the opportunity to celebrate. The Buddhist Conference and Spiritual Leadership Course at the Forces’ pastoral headquarters saw the 50 attendees mark the 2,600th Sambuddha Jayanthi, which is the Anniversary of the Enlightenment of the Buddha – a festival celebrated worldwide to commemorate the message of goodwill, tolerance and peace proclaimed in Buddhism. Delegates were welcomed by Dr Sunil Kariyakarawana, the Buddhist Chaplain to the Military, after which the conference started with inaugural chanting led by the Most Ven Seelawimala Maha Thera, Head of London Buddhist Vihara. All three Services were represented both by attendees and by Rear Admiral David Steel, Chief of Staff (Personnel), Maj Gen Gerry Berragan, the Army’s Director General Personnel, and Gp Capt Lorraine Pemberton, the RAF’s Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff Personnel Policy. In his address, Adm Steel (pictured right) said it was an honour to be invited and how he wholeheartedly supported any opportunity for personal development and in particular for those who share a faith to get together and consider the importance of their beliefs and how they apply in their daily working lives. During the three-day conference, attendees took part in panel discussions about mindfulness at work, talks about the seven powerful factors of enlightenment and discussions on developing a daily practice. For more information about Buddhism in the Armed Forces contact Dr Sunil Kariyakarawana at Sunilkari59@gmail.com or the Armed Forces Buddhist Chairman, Lt Richie Moss, at richard.moss922@mod.uk Picture: LA(Phot) Caroline Davies