32 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2008
Handbags
Glimpse
at dawn
inside RN
for riders TRI-SERVICE and civilian staff
based at RAF Innsworth headed
IN A refreshing change, cyclists
down from Gloucester to look
from RNAS Culdrose have
inside the dark blue world of
crossed the nation from coast
Devonport Naval Base.
to coast, mountain-biking from
The whistlestop tour was
the west coast of Cumbria to
conceived to give 22 (Training)
Yorkshire’s North Sea coastline.
Group a better understanding of
POPT Neil Howe said: “The
the RN.
night before we started out from
Assault ship HMS Bulwark was
St Bees the barman quizzed us
the first stop, although the visitors
‘Are you doing the handbag route
commented on the ship’s Tardis-
then?’
like nature – baffled by how the
“Seeing our bemused
boat deck managed to fit inside
expressions, he explained that the
the warship.
route we had chosen would result
‘Train hard, fight easy’ was the
in periods of putting the bikes on
motto for a brief on the teach-
our shoulders and carrying them
ing methods of Flag Officer Sea
over the passes.
Training.
“It was a phrase we would be
The visit concluded with a
very familiar with over the next
tour of retired submarine HMS
week.”
Courageous, a real eye-opener to
The sailors and airmen set
the vast majority of the group
themselves a tough challenge,
who had never before set foot in a
crossing the 200 miles of hilly
‘boat’, and couldn’t help but won-
terrain from the Lake District,
der at life underneath the waves.
Yorkshire Dales and North
Yorkshire Moors in just four
days with no support driver, so
Loch look
carrying all their own supplies on
the bikes.
“If we didn’t have it with us,
GRANGEMOUTH artist Lesley Anne Derks had a special com-
we had to do without,” said Neil.
mission to create a distinctive work of art for retiring Naval Base
Thunderer
“Unable to carry tents, we were
Commander, Cdre Carolyn Stait.
accommodated in Youth Hostels
Although mental pictures of Faslane Naval Base do not easily
where at least we had the luxury
conjure up the twinkle of lights and the soft outline of rising hills,
of a hot shower to relieve our
Lesley Anne’s painting, entitled Clyde at Night, brings to life a
aching muscles.”
peaceful scene of the Gareloch and its Naval base.
Aircraft Technician Sandy
The one-off commission has proven so popular that Lesley
Gibson said: “I won’t miss the
Anne has allowed the picture to be reproduced as a limited
up hills, they were severe, but the
edition.
down-hill sections will live long
She said: “I was really pleased that people liked it, especially
thunders
in the memory. My brakes took a
the commodore. I met her and thought she was down to earth
pasting.”
and lovely.
AET Dan Harris added: “It
“I don’t normally do commissions, as I prefer to work from my
was amazing, easily the hardest
own imagination, and have never met the Navy before.
thing I have ever done but
“However I was treated so well and was fascinated by what I
rewarding too.
saw that I would definitely consider doing something else.”
“Not many people can say
Find out more by contacting Peter Adams on 01383 425549
they have cycled the width of the
or email peter.adams@a.dii.mod.uk.
westward
country.”
Dedication after
THIRTY Royal Naval under- seafaring commands. Gloucester, Massachusetts; from
graduate engineers headed
The US Naval Academy has a there, after a few nights ashore,
out to the famous US Naval
fleet of Yard Patrol boats, 108ft the boats headed on to their final
Academy at Annapolis.
long, flat-bottomed with a wood- destination Boston.
The future marine, weapon or
en hull and metal superstructure, “As you can imagine,” said
rehabilitation
air engineer officers came from
which would become the under- Peter, “all on board were devastat-
the universities of Newcastle,
graduate engineers’ home. ed to get alongside a day early and
Loughborough, Aston and
Peter said: “We set off bright watch a Red Sox baseball game.
Southampton – the home of
and early on a weekday morning, a “Whilst in Boston we visited
the lead and founder RN unit
total of six YPs headed north with USS Constitution, and other local
Thunderer Squadron.
a further six heading south. tourist attractions.
Over the course of their four
“All midshipmen, includ- “The exercise finished in
weeks Stateside, the trainee engi-
ing ourselves, were divided into Boston after three days leave, but
neers worked alongside their US
watches – the first taste of watch- not before we all undertook the
midshipmen counterparts on a
keeping we had ever experienced. Officer of the Deck qualification.
summer training exercise.
“Over the next two weeks or so “All UK mids were fortunate
Mid Peter Vincent explained:
we spent at sea we all gained prac- enough to pass the qualification
“LANTPAT – Atlantic Professional
tical instruction and experience with flying colours!”
Afloat Training for Midshipmen
on all aspects of bridgekeeping, He concluded: “It was a rare
– is a maritime-based seamanship,
with the most interesting of all experience to gain this sort of
navigation and ship familiarisation
– some would argue most impor- maritime experience prior to join-
exercise designed to test the US
tant – engine watch. ing Britannia Royal Naval College,
Mids on the practical elements of
“This involved extended peri- whilst also gaining a valuable
their studies.
ods in the engine room conduct- insight in to the workings of an
“It provides individuals with ing machinery rounds and obser- allied Navy – particularly one with
valuable seagoing experience vations, utilising the time-old which we work so closely.”
before entering the fleet ‘proper’.” tradition of taking manual watch-
The British midshipmen had keeping records.” ● Thirty Midshipmen on the
all been carefully prepared back The British sailors enjoyed a Defence Technical Undergradu-
in Blighty with instruction in two-day visit to the small fishing ate Scheme visited America
navigation, and the important dis- village of Greenport on Long to fi nd out about life in the US
tinctions between US and UK Island, before steaming north to Navy
NOW this is truly an inspirational
tale of triumph over adversity.
Back in the summer of 2006, AB Craig Dryen
– a budding PTI – joined shipmates in HMS Lancaster in
the traditional Rock race when the frigate visited Gib.
Having finished the gruelling race, the 22-year-old was bitten
on the leg by something.
Whatever that something was, its venom attacked the young
sailor’s immune system.
His vision blurred, his face became paralysed and left leg
swelled up.
Doctors at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham believed the
only hope of saving Craig’s life was to amputate his leg below
the knee – something they did in January last year.
He spent another five months in hospital, then moved
to the Forces’ specialist rehabilitation centre at Headley
Court in Surrey.
“I went to Headley Court putting on weight, I
couldn’t walk, I was a mess. Within a month they had
me walking again,” said Craig (pictured here courtesy of
The Portsmouth News).
Such is technology these days that with the aid of his prosthetic lower
leg, Craig was running by the autumn.
“Headley Court has been amazing for me,” the AB says enthusiastically. “I
feel it’s only right I give something back.”
‘Giving something back’ takes place in the shape of the Big Battlefield Bike
Ride, organised by the Help For Heroes charity.
That five-day ride, which begins in Portsmouth on May 26, will take 300 sponsored cyclists across
the battlefields of Normandy, through Dieppe, over the Somme and finally to Calais.
The event will end on June 1 with a ride through London, finishing at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.
The charity hopes to raise at least £200,000.
You can support’s Craig’s ride via his website, justgiving.com/craigdryden
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