20 NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2008
W
HAT does the name One of its most important Maintaining all this requires fact most of Gibraltar’s naval ships, Sea Cadets and units. Maintaining all this is expensive
Gibraltar conjure up? duties is to run the RAF airfield, a garrison employing nearly personnel work here. It is an “We arrange diving training, in money and manpower, although
To Jack on a two- which as the only one in Gibraltar 1,400 military and civilians, and 11-bed high-tech hospital with SPAG [Submarine Parachute the garrison is now a fraction
day visit, perhaps a run ashore, is also used by commercial flights. an annual budget of over £45 decontamination facilities in case Assistance Group] team exercises, of the size it used to be. In the
a clamber up the Rock the next Another is to maintain training million. of nuclear accidents, an isolation parachute drops and live firings, 1960’s, there were 2,000 RN here
morning to visit the apes and work
facilities for visiting British “Gibraltar’s strategic position ward and intensive care bed. and then we also set up football – now there are just 180.
off the sore head – and then home
Army units, as well as the Royal is fantastic,” explained Cdre Parr. For more routine requirements and cricket matches for visitors and Cdre Parr explained: “When I
or away.
Gibraltar Regiment. “It’s right at the entrance to the it offers dental care, health visiting Sea Cadets, transport for visiting first came to Gibraltar 25 years
Gibraltar is usually the first or
Mediterranean and the only deep and midwifery – with a scale of ships, accommodation, and airport ago the MOD owned just over
last stop from the UK, and so
G
ibraltar has a way of making
itself invaluable to British
water berth in the Med under our midwife to mother which the collection. three-quarters
it’s a traditional place to let off
interests in every century.
control, as well as one of the very NHS would envy. “We liaise The design of the of the land
steam.
During WW2 the airfield was
few operational berths for nuclear “This hospital is so good that with the
place means that, even
mass.
But most visits last only two or
vital to the Africa campaign – it
submarines. a visiting AB asked me if it was Tourist Board
packed to capacity,
“We’re left
three days, so although sailors get
was only from here that aircraft
“Of the UK’s three permanent
a private clinic,” said Surg Cdr
and deal with
to know some of the bars on the
could guard the Strait against
joint overseas bases, it’s more
Martin Randle, the hospital’s first
the embassies
nothing should spark a
now with a
fraction over
Rock, they don’t see what goes on
U-boats, assist relief convoys to
of a naval base than the others,
Commanding Officer, who was in
to arrange chain reaction.
30 per cent and
in the garrison.
reach Malta, and carry paratroops
as we have all the facilities for
charge of the move from the old
clearances, we
most of that is
“Working here gives you an
to Africa.
refuelling, light repairing, and
hospital.
sort out tunnel trips and caving
the airfield, so we’ve scaled down
entirely different perspective from
And in another of those odd
ammunitioning.”
He said: “We closed the doors
expeditions – it’s a pretty busy
hugely.
what the sailor sees when he
quirks of fate, the caves and tunnels
of the old hospital and opened this
job.”
“I think the infrastructure
comes in for a two-day visit and
which were doggedly excavated T
here are about 60 RN ship
visits a year. Most call in to
one on the same day – we were is what we need for today. We
leaves with a bit of a hangover and
by the Royal Engineers in the refuel, carry out minor repairs and
doing surgery within an hour of
T
he military garrison in Gibraltar
grew to meet the needs for a
don’t dock ships or do refits any
a bit of sunburn,” said Cdre Matt
18th, 19th and 20th Centuries take on ammunition.
opening.
much bigger Fleet, and 300 years
more, we lost that capability half
Parr, Commander British Forces
have proved very useful in the Ships making longer visits, like
“We can deal here with
of military history have left an
a generation ago, but in terms of
Gibraltar .
21st for training infantry soldiers HMS Albion, which stayed for
almost any surgical and medical
infrastructure which is too large
supporting ships we have pretty
“If you’re here permanently it’s
for Afghanistan – OTAC, or 11 days in July, can enjoy all
emergencies. We have five
for the 21st Century.
much what we need.
a much more interesting, multi-
Operations in Tunnels and Caves, the shore-based facilities, from
consultants, one obstetrician and
Some of the plants which were
He added: “Our fuel depot at
layered place to live and work.”
is now an important feature of sport, adventurous training, and
a paediatrician.
feats of engineering in their time
King’s Lines is offline, temporarily,
For a start, Gibraltar doesn’t
infantry training on the Rock. tourism. There is also a new He added: “Defence Medical are now showing their age – the but once we work out what we’re
belong to the Navy, although
In a review of state-of-the-art Services have been the Cinderella massive King’s Lines fuel stores going to do with it there will be a
300 years of history have knit an post-Cold War Defence Medical hospital, should for a long time, but this is a are currently out of use, awaiting ‘get well’ plan and the Navy will
enduring bond on both sides. Gibraltar in the
Services have been
they need it. fantastic hospital. I feel blessed to expensive refurbishment (the be getting their fuel again.
This was after all the place early 90s, its
the Cinderella for a
Princess be the first CO of this place.” current plan is to transfer them “Gibraltar is the only place
which Nelson called “the good principal roles Royal Medical Meeting all the visitors’ needs, to the Government of Gibraltar where they can get the pure
old rock,” and the Gibraltarians were identified
long time, but this is a
Centre opened operational and social, is a full- which will repair them and keep fuel that suits the engines. The
are famous for their affection for as maintaining fantastic hospital. in February – time job for the staff in British some for RN use) and the power ammunition depot is fine.”
the Navy (not to mention their a headquarters; the same day Forces Gibraltar HQ. station occasionally needs some The Armament Depot is one of
tolerance of Jack’s runs ashore). running an RAF airfield; berthing that the famous old 200-bed “We are social planners, travel TLC from ships’ stokers to keep Gibraltar’s strangest places. About
But British Forces Gibraltar nuclear warships; gathering Naval Hospital closed its doors. It agents, sports reps – you name it,” it working. 30,000 kilos of ammunition is
is a joint command, run by the intelligence, and maintaining the was too big for current needs and said CPO Neil ‘Fez’ Parker, Staff It is also the only MOD site stored in tunnels and caverns in
Permanent Joint Headquarters in Royal Regiment of Gibraltar. becoming too expensive to run. Assistant Maritime Ops, who with in the world which still generates the depths of the Rock, where
Northwood, and staffed by Navy, Force protection has emerged as The new medical centre Leading Seaman Mark Herbert its own power and makes its own there are 33 miles of tunnels
Army and RAF. another in the early 21st Century. employs 64 tri-Service staff – in arranges programmes for visiting water. (more than the 28 miles of road
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