NAVY NEWS, MAY 2007 17
Tireless mourns crewmen
THE Silent Service lost two men with big hearts circumstances,” said Cdr Breckenridge. placed an emergency breathing mask on his face
and a love for the Royal Navy when an emergency “His exuberance, good humour and huge and in complete darkness and zero visibility, due
oxygen device exploded aboard HMS Tireless. personality are greatly missed by all of his to the smoke, extinguished the numerous small
LOM Paul McCann and OM Anthony Huntrod shipmates.” fires in the compartment and allowed access to
were fatally wounded in a blast beneath the Cdr Breckenridge also spoke of how the boat the firefighting and medical teams.”
Arctic ice as the fleet submarine conducted – now back in Devonport – coped after the blast. Tireless continued with her exercises,
exercises with the US Navy. “This happened under the ice in what is including a six-day under-ice transit, which the
A third Tireless man was injured in the probably the most demanding environment for CO said demonstrated his and the
explosion, flown to hospital in Alaska and is now a submarine, and in a compartment above the crew’s confidence in
on the road to a full recovery. main sleeping area of the crew and while large a class of submarine
LOM McCann was on the verge of leaving numbers were asleep,” he said. which is “the safest
the RN to begin a new life with his fiancée in “Within minutes, and despite the front end of and most capable” in
Philadelphia; his shipmate had just begun his the submarine being full of smoke, the incident the world.
career in submarines having only recently earned had been contained and within the hour I was
the coveted dolphins badge. able to find and safely conduct a controlled
OM Huntrod, from Sunderland, joined the RN in surface through a gap in the ice, therefore
2005 and Tireless a year later. avoiding any damage to the submarine.”
“It was rare that I talked to him without both of Cdr Breckenridge paid tribute to the high level
us breaking into beaming smiles,” said Cdr Iain of training and professionalism displayed by his
Breckenridge, Tireless’ Commanding Officer. crew – a common factor throughout the Royal ● Crew members of
“Anthony stood at the cusp of a successful Navy, he said, adding he was “hugely proud” of HMS Tireless clear ice
career. His loss has been profoundly felt by all on his crew. from the boat after she
board. He was such a committed, capable and “In particular I would like to surfaced through the
effervescent young man.” mention our crew member Arctic ice cap
LOM McCann, known affectionately as Tinny, who was injured by the
Picture: PO(Phot) Terry Seward
had been in the RN since 2001. He grew up in initial blast and thrown
Halesowen, and excelled on the sports field, to the deck,” said Cdr
representing the Navy at cricket and played rugby Breckenridge.
for Plymouth Command and Old Halesowians. “He recovered
“Paul was simply the kind of man a commanding himself despite
officer could call upon at any time and in any his injuries,
New boat backs Barrow
IT MAY be several weeks before HMS crew are throwing themselves into as how does Santa
Astute is officially launched, but the community work. deliver presents
pace of life in the first of the class has
Sailors have been hard at work with to a submarine
picked up dramatically.
their adopted charity, Age Concern at Christmas,
She now has around 100 sailors on
(Barrow District). and does the
her books, working alongside BAE
WO Cox’n John Hendren and his boat ever get
Systems staff at Barrow-in-Furness on
team have been helping those with no attacked by
training and familiarisation to ensure
family in the area with a range of jobs sharks.
they get full value from the state-of-
from gardening to DIY. Cdr Mike
the-art boat.
The team also gave the Age Concern Moreland
The crew will have expanded to
shop a facelift using material and led the crew
some 140 by the summer, and they
expertise donated by the Duke of of HMS Astute
will face a busy spell of ship trials and
Edinburgh Hotel. on the Mayor of
exercises before Astute is accepted by
Members of the ship’s company Barrow’s Charity Bowling Night at the
the Royal Navy.
In the meantime, members of the
have visited 11 primary schools to SuperBowl in Barrow, which raised
help prepare for school projects on more than £1,000 on the night.
● HMS Astute at sea – as envisaged submarines – with BAE Systems Astute is due to be launched in
by the graphics experts at BAE donating prizes. Barrow on June 8, but she will remain
Systems The questioning was exacting – such in the shipyard for initial trials.
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