NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2008 5
THREE hundred and forty-nine people
Records compiled by the Aeronautical Rescue
– and one bull – owe their lives to the
Co-ordination Centre only go back to 1983 (so,
selfl ess fl iers of HMS Gannet who had
for example, they don’t cover the Fastnet yacht
race tragedy).
Ordnance and survey (ship)
the busiest year of any search and But those records show that the festive season
rescue unit since records began.
offered no let-up for the Gannet team.
MINEHUNTER HMS Hurworth Cool waters prevail initially “The group has had a highly
The Sea Kings of the Prestwick-based unit
On Christmas Day alone, one Sea King
has left behind the cold, for the Hunt; the Baltic remains successful year marking,
were scrambled on 357 occasions in 2007 –
crossed the Irish Sea to ferry a premature baby
unforgiving Solent in winter... littered with ordnance from two identifying and disposing of
that’s a third more than the previous year, and
from Craigavon on the shores of Lough Neagh
for the cold unforgiving Baltic world wars and the NATO force dangerous ordnance,” Admiral
100 more times than any other search and
to Glasgow’s specialist children’s hospital,
and North Sea. conducts regular sweeps which Stanhope continued.
rescue formation.
Yorkhill.
The Hunt-class warship always locate mines, bombs “This ordnance is a direct
Gannet’s domain covers the Highlands, Lake
The hectic year continued up to the stroke of
will be away from home until and other explosives. threat to seafarers and the
District and Northern Ireland – and the missions
midnight on December 31.
the end of May, working As Hurworth joined the task economic lifelines that the
the helicopters flew last year were as diverse
Four missions were carried out on the
with NATO’s Standing Mine group, so too did another RN maritime sector provides our
as the terrain they flew over: climber
final day of 2007: a canoeist with spinal
Countermeasures Group 1 vessel – as its leader. nations.”
rescues, a boat explosion, medical
injuries needed plucking from the River
(now in its 59th year in various Command of the force now Besides disposing of
emergencies and a randy bull who
Etive near Glen Coe; a young asthma
guises). rests in the hands of Cdr Chris wartime explosives, there will
became trapped on a farm.
sufferer needed assistance, as did two
Hurworth (pictured below by Davies who is using survey ship also be time on the deployment
Weather-wise, 2007 wasn’t
pensioners who suffered heart attacks.
LA(Phot) Jay Allen leaving a HMS Roebuck as his HQ. It’s the for goodwill visits to Lithuania,
particularly harsh and Scotland did
“We saw in the bells of 2008 on
stormy Pompey) takes over first time in six years the RN has Germany and Belgium.
not suffer the horrendous floods
board the helicopter – New Year’s Eve
from her sister Middleton, been in charge. And not all the task group’s
southern and central England
was a busy day,” said Lt Cdr Lanni,
operating alongside vessels The entire group gathered in time will be spent in chilly
endured last summer.
Gannet’s second-in-command.
from Belgium, Germany, the the Belgian port of Zeebrugge for northern waters.
But Gannet Search and Rescue
“As we were heading back to base
Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland the official change of command In June, the force will switch
Officer Lt Cdr Florry Ford believes
after the final call-out, we were able
and Norway. ceremony as Belgium’s Cdr its attention to the shores of
the weather was one factor behind
to enjoy a unique view of what must
The Portsmouth-based Serge Ots handed the reins Spain for NATO’s principal
the record-breaking year.
have been the best fireworks display
sailors go away safe in the to Cdr Davies, watched by naval exercise of the year,
“There are more people walking in
in Scotland as we flew along the Clyde
knowledge they’re at the peak Commander-in-Chief Fleet and Loyal Mariner 2008.
the hills; less snow has meant climbing
all the way from Glasgow to Prestwick. It
of their game. Allied Maritime Component
has been more technical – which has caught
really was quite spectacular.”
Before departing, the ship’s Commander Admiral Sir Mark
people out; a lot more people are conducting
2008 opened for Gannet’s sister SAR unit
company received the James Stanhope.
dangerous sports; and people have mobile
771 Naval Air Squadron with a tragedy off The
Acton Mine Warfare Efficiency The admiral told the group’s
phones so they can better call the rescue
Lizard. Two helicopters from Culdrose were sent
Award – presented to the ship men and women that their force
services,” he explained.
up after the trawler La P’tite Julie was feared
which stands out in the MCMV was a fine example of NATO’s
Perhaps the most demanding rescue of 2007
to have sunk in the stormy Channel roughly 50
community. value and had scored “notable
was one which lasted nearly ten hours – most
miles from England’s southernmost tip.
Hurworth earned the success” in its clearance
of them in darkness – above the slopes of Ben
In a combined Anglo-French search, one
award, named in honour of a efforts.
Nevis last June.
fisherman was rescued, but all the Culdrose Sea
lieutenant commander killed
“We had a crewman swinging on a 250ft wire
Kings saw of the trawler were two empty life
by an earthquake in Turkey,
to get down to three men and two rescue team
rafts and wreckage strewn across the ocean.
for her efforts in the Med in
members,” recalled Lt Cdr Martin Lanni, the pilot
late 2006.
that night. ● Rescue 06 of HMS Gannet Search and Rescue
“Those guys on the wire are very brave. I fl ight banks over the murky Highlands on one of
really take my hat off to them because it’s scary the few training fl ights the unit had time for in
enough being in the front of the helicopter.” 2007 Picture: WO Ian Arthur, FRPU Clyde
Gannet’s
SAR turn
005_NN_Feb.indd 1 16/1/08 15:05:05
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