22 NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2008
F
OR thehe f first tt timeime
aand to shond to showw the v the voluolunteer resernteer reserveve There was a late-eveninening brg briefing iefing
in 1in 13 years ts thehe
fforces aorces at their best, develoeloping their ping their ffor all before they turor all before they turned in readned in ready y
broadbroad pen pennantnant
opoperaerational cational capabilitypability. ffor an early-moror an early-morninning deparg departureture..
AAll the activity wll the activity was captured by One oOne of the parf the participants was Lt
ooff a a ReserReservvistist a BBC South West reportter,er, and Chris Parry RNR, who was trailed
ccoommmmodoodoree h hasas b beeen n
ssubsequently broadcast on prubsequently broadcast on primeime-- on board Fort Austin by the BBC
depeployeoyed at at s seaea as hhiis s
time news programmes over two rreporeportterer.
ddaayyss. LLt Pt Parryy said: said: ““FFoor manr manyy this this
ffoorceess tackckleledd a h a highigh--
TThe reserhe reservvists made full use of ists made full use of waas their firs their first exst experperience of actuience of actu--
tempo weekend od off the auxiliaryy’’ss sta state-of-the-artt f facilacil-- aally getting ally getting awway to sea, bizarbizarre
inintteensnsiveve t trainingng.
ities, with Typype 22 fre 22 friigagate HMS ththough this soundsough this sounds.
Cdre Stephen Cdre Stephen TThorhorne,
Cumberland and a LCumberland and a Lynx helicop-ynx helicop- “Thi“This ws weeekend wekend waas meant to s meant to
Commodore MarCommodore Maritime
ter ter from 702 Nafrom 702 Navaal l Air Squadron, ‘expose’ new and potential recruits
based at Yeovilton, flo flown by reservv-- tto the sea-going expero the sea-going experience, as well
Reserves, presided o presided over a
ists, also joining in to add to the as keeping the saltier oas keeping the saltier of sea dogs f sea dogs
gagattherheriing of more than 100 of ng of more than 100 of training value.alue. up to speedup to speed..
the South the South WeWest’st’s reservvists aists at TThe boahe boat transfer out to the aux-t transfer out to the aux- “Indeed, for me, this was my firsst t
and off Pand off Porttland.land.
iliiliararyy on Fr on Frididaayy ev evenening proing provvided ided exexperperience of beinience of being afloag afloat with the
The gTh round-breaking evd b ki ent,t
thethe firfirstst challenge – relachallenge relativelyely sim-sim RFAA in nearly 15 yin nearly 15 years.”
run and co-ordinated under the
ple in the right gear, but for those The reservists were divided into
auspices of Cdre Jamie Miller, Naval
who had come straight from work teams, who moved through the var-
Regional Commander Western
there was the problem of suitcases ious parts of the ship to undertake
England, saw potential new recruits
and keeping civvy suits and the like training during the weekend.
as well as serving reservists from
from being soaked in seawater. Exercises included weapon
HMS Forward (Birmingham),
HMS Flying Fox (Bristol), HMS
Cambria (South Wales) and HMS
Vivid (Plymouth) sail out on board
Royal Fleet Auxiliary supply ship
Fort Austin for a series of realistic
training exercises.
This was the first time since the
RNR gave up its own fleet of ships
in 1995 that such a large training
exercise has taken place at sea,
enabling reservists to hone their
general naval and seamanship skills
● Clockwise from above: HMS Cumberland during the training weekend; LCIS Nathan Duke (HMS Cambria) mberland during the training weekend; LCIS Nathan Duke (HMS Cambria)
climbs aboard; a fast and furious game of fl ight deck hockey; LA Pyne signals to a Lynx from 702 Naval
Air Squadron; Flight deck crew wait to go into action; CPO Daisy Adams RNR (HMS Vivid) joins in with
the SODS opera; Logs Laura Meeling (HMS Vivid) undergoes fi refi ghting training; ABSea Michael ‘Nobby’
Clarke (HMS Flying Fox) practises weapons drill; Cdre Jamie Miller travels between RFA Fort Austin and
HMS Cumberland by jackstay transfer; sailors take a more familiar form of transport; POSea ‘Snowy’ Dixon
and Logs Nick Hand, both of HMS Flying Fox, help with the fl ight deck barbecue
Pictures: LA(Phot) Alex Cave (FRPU East)
0022-023_NN_oct.indd 122-023_NN_oct.indd 1 119/9/08 13:50:399/9/08 13:50:39
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