NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2008 17
Send her (home) Victorious
THERE is no more complex machine within the “We’ve literally stripped her, overhauled her and a bomber at sea.
confi nes of God’s great Earth than the ballistic put her back together again,” said Roger Hardy, At the height of the refit, some 1,000 staff from
missile submarine – as engineers, technicians Babcock Marine’s director of submarines. Babcock were working on Victorious, as well as
and shipwrights in Devonport have come to “The work we have carried out is the best we MOD and RN personnel.
learn these past three and a half years. have ever done – a fantastic achievement.” She is now conducting sea trials before returning
Some 2.2 million man hours (or the In excess of 14,000 items were removed and to her home port of Faslane and beginning work-
equivalent of one person working solidly either refurbished and replaced or simply replaced up to take her place in the line conducting nuclear
for 251 years) have been devoured by Her by teams from Babcock Marine (formerly DML) deterrent patrols once more in 2009. The refit will
Majesty’s Ship Victorious as she was readied before Victorious could finally leave Devon last keep her in service for 15 years.
for the second stage of her career. month, assisted by an armada of tugs. The next V-boat to receive the makeover
The strategic missile boat has been out They did so a day later than planned (thanks to treatment in Devonport will be HMS Vigilant.
of action since 2004 as she underwent the wonderful British summer), but the plus side Picture: LA(Phot) Ray Jones, FRPU West
a £270m refit on the Hamoaze – the was that the bomber crew got to see HMS Albion
second of the bomber force to receive the (pictured in the background here ) returning from
thorough overhaul at the specialist facility Africa... and the amphibious ship’s crew had the
in Devonport. rare treat of seeing
RRolls model for Raleigholls model for Raleigh
IN THE passageway a
on experience. A picture paints a cooked ashore, but the rookies use at Raleigh were determined
sailor in full fearnought
thousand words.” queue for their food as their Brecon should retain her original
suit is geared up to
And that’s why Brecon is pretty qualifi ed counterparts would do lines, unlike Hindustan down at
much as she was when she left at sea), carry it to the nearby mess Dartmouth which has a rather
grapple a blaze. service. deck/dining room (again compact, large classroom plonked in the
Down in the Ship Control
There’s been no rampant but not necessarily bijoux) and
middle of her superstructure.
Centre, an engineer is
cannibalism as you invariably fi nd tuck in.
Almost 3,000 trainees a year
supervising the machinery.
in mothballed Royal Navy vessels. The rest of the evening is
will enjoy the ‘Brecon experience’
And in the radio shack the
No, most of the kit is still here – devoured by lectures, ceremonial
– 60 or 70 each week for 41 weeks,
communications rating is checking
even down to the damage control sunset, then the time is their own.
the average Raleigh intake.
the latest signal.
planks and blocks of wood left in Ish.
Brecon is much more than
Except that he’s forgotten his
their supports. You see you cannot have the full
fl oating accommodation for new
steaming bats. Oh, and he’s made
As for ‘man at C&A’,A , ‘life on board’life experience
entry trainees.
of plastic.
he’s here to give you an an without evwit ening rounds,
The RIB school make constant
A visit to HMS Brecon these
idea of the sort of uniforrmm plus a sentrplu y on duty at
use of her for raising and lowering
days is a rather eerie experience.
the sailors will be wearring the top of the gangwthe ay. So
boats into the water. Seaman
at sea – and he gives you u every couple of hours,
It’s as if her ship’s company fi led
specialists can be found practising
a good idea of how the trainees get a shake
off her three or four years ago,
anchor work and towing, while
large (or small) the and do their bit.
locked the ‘door’ and left her.
swimmers of the watch leap off the
compartments are. Whilst Brecon
But that’s just what HMS
Basic entry isn’t quite a serving
deck into the sea to conduct their
Raleigh wants.
trainees at Raleigh warship – there are
training.
For the former Hunt-class
pay several visits to strict instructions in
Ideally, she could also be used
minehunter, which latterly served
the ship, anchored the ship control centre
for training boarding parties and
on patrols in Northern Ireland,
at Jupiter Point, not to turn the engines
ship protection teams – but other
has been granted a new lease of
during the nine-week k on,o for example – Hunts,
demands on the minehunter are
life in Cornwall.
Phase 1 course to learn of courf se, still serve, and
too great presently.
She goes to sea no more, but
the fundamentals of a ship’s much of what you see in her
“There’s potential to do more
she serves a vital role preparing
layout, health and safety, ship’s passageways and compartments
with Brecon – since she’s been
tomorrow’s sailors for life in the
husbandry, ceremonial and, above can be found in most of the Fleet.
here the interest in her has been
Fleet.
all, the art of living in a confi ned
huge,” Steve says.
Until Brecon’s arrival earlier
“Everyone you speak to
space.
this year, trainees’ taste of ‘life at
thinks that Brecon is most
Their fi rst taste of the latter
sea’ was overnighting in a yacht
defi nitely a step in the right
● Spruced up and ready for
comes on a Friday or Saturday
at Jupiter Point, home of the Sea
direction,” Steve adds.
a new career... (Right) HMS
night when they spend 24 hours Brecon in her new home at
Sense Training Centre.
aboard Brecon (being a small ship,
“She gives the trainees some
Jupiter Point
It was neither ideal nor authentic she cannot accommodate all 60-70 insight into life at sea – watches,
Picture: Dave Sherfield, HMS Raleigh
(it also meant a long trip to the loo trainees on a course at once, hence living in a confi ned space, life in a
up a pontoon if you were caught the split over two days). mess deck. Hopefully it will help
short in the middle of the night). The trainees fi le on board from the trainees when they join a ship
“It’s like going from a Skoda to a RIB, collect their bedding and for real. The feedback we’ve had
a Rolls Royce,” enthuses Brecon are then directed to their mess from them has been nothing but
TOWN CLASS CRUISERS 1942
instructor Steve Bullock, a former (which in a Hunt is in the bow and positive.”
petty offi cer. is compact, but not necessarily Where once the submersibles
Replica models, measuring 10.5” long, hand cast in metal and hand painted, mounted
“This is something we should bijoux). were stored now sits a classroom
on a wooden plinth 12” x 3” with brass nameplate. HMS Southampton, HMS
have had years ago – there’s They collect their scran from (complete with large windows)
nothing better than that hands- the galley (the meals are actually – the team converting her for
Newcastle, HMS Birmingham, HMS Glasgow, HMS Manchester, HMS Gloucester,
HMS Sheffield. Also available HMS Belfast 1943 and HMS Edinburgh 1940.
The whirly bird catches the rain
CONTINUING their damp summer season, the Merlin fl iers of
£75.00
824 NAS turned up in Lincolnshire... once again in the rain.
Over two days an estimated 130,000 people watched the two-day
+ £8.00 p&p
Waddington Air Show, the second day of which was particularly
UK Only
dogged by bad weather (or ‘marginal’ in 824 terminology).
Rain didn’t stop the Merlin whirlin’ at Southend
airshow earlier this summer... and it didn’t stop it
performing at Waddington either.
Most of the crowd turned out to see the restored
RAF Vulcan bomber flying once again (sadly technical
difficulties meant it was only airborne on the first
day) but that wasn’t going to stop the Fleet Air Arm
aviators putting on a display in a region which is
dominated by the presence of light blue.
To order your model send your name, address and daytime telephone number,
As at Southend, the 824 team conducted a series of along with your cheque or credit card details to:
impressive manoeuvres and winching displays (minus
Skytrex Ltd, Unit 1 Charnwood Business Park, North Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 1LE
the lifeboat they’d worked with in Essex, of course).
“We were able to gain a lot of positive PR engaging with
Tel: 01509 213789 Fax: 01509 230874
crowds who were interested in learning about an aircraft
email: sales@skytrex.com www.skytrex.com
they rarely see in these parts,” said 824 instructor Lt Nick Bates.
PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 28 DAYS FOR DELIVERY
0017_NN_Aug.indd 117_NN_Aug.indd 1 113/7/08 10:46:013/7/08 10:46:01
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