NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2008 23
MS
ark
nd
ht)
ere
the
g a
in
ble Albion
ere who took “Running in the Bible” as their theme – Bai Koroma, to sail along the coast to Freetown
an quite appropriately, as the service was held on the and see for himself the increasing destruction of
mal flight deck, with runners constantly panting past. his country’s beaches and protected forests by
ed Other special events during that week included unlicensed loggers, miners and land developers.
a photography masterclass, run by the ship’s In the presence of his cabinet he made two
nes Leading Photographer LA(Phot) Dan Hooper, presidential decrees designed to stop such activity,
ust who took the pictures on these pages. which will be known as the Albion decrees.
Albion now has a hornpipe display team, and Accompanying the President on the assault
ng although the PTI is confident that he can train ship were senior officers from the Sierra Leone
an, the performers to a high standard, the word on Armed Forces, who toured the ship and attended
ch Two Deck is: “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” presentations with a focus on maritime security.
The ship’s next port of call was not a port at all; More junior warriors took part in practical
she anchored off the idyllic-looking Toke Beach firefighting and damage-control training, some
in Sierra Leone to make final preparations for of which was watched by their president.
training with the Sierra Leone Armed Forces, and Back ashore, shoeboxes filled with toys
to run civilian-military co-operation projects. and educational materials were distributed to
She also had to prepare for a short-notice children in six Freetown schools, identified by
Presidential visit. the charity Missions Direct.
Having visited Sierra Leone in 2006, and One of these schools was in the middle of a
gh-
worked on projects at Toke Beach, the ship’s building project but needed extra funding to
ed
company were keen to help once more. complete the ceiling – and up stepped the ship’s
lls,
On this occasion they concentrated on barber, Sgt Etienne from the embarked Dutch
me
improving the fabric of two local schools and a marines, who raised £500 for the school.
temporary medical clinic. There was just time for Albion to put out a
he
Logs ‘Kavs’ Kavanagh also taught a large football team to take on the local side, and to
nd
group of children the art of the Hokey Cokey. deliver English football strips donated by the
a
With everything spick and span, Albion Football Association, before the ship was on her
an
invited the President of Sierra Leone, Ernest way back north to the UK via Gibraltar.
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