4 NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2008
Twice in two Whistle-stop
months for tour for HMS
Somerset Campbeltown
THERE’S a double dose of HMS Campbeltown has seen
Somerset in her native county the last of her home port for
this autumn. more than a year.
Several members of the The frigate is not heading
ship’s company left the frigate off on a marathon deployment,
behind in Devonport and however. She’s paying a
headed east to catch up with poignant visit to France,
affiliates: the Royal British heading to her namesake town,
Legion and Baytree School in then steaming to Rosyth for a
Weston-super-Mare, the Mayor multi-million pound refi t.
of Wells and Sea Cadet units France fi rst, and the port
in Glastonbury and Weston- where the ship and her sailors
super-Mare. were immortalised more than
They hadn’t seen the sailors, six decades ago.
led by Commanding Offi cer Cdr In March 1942, the previous
Rob Wilson, for some time: the Campbeltown, a former US
Type 23 spent more than seven destroyer, rammed the dry dock
months away this year with at St Nazaire and was blown up
NATO in the Mediterranean. by hidden charges.
Having left the ship behind The explosion rendered the
last month, the ship’s company dry dock useless for fi ve years
will be bringing it with them on – and scuppered any hope that
their second visit. the Germans might use it for
The ship will serve as the their surface fl eet.
host for the launch of the Campbeltown’s captain that
Royal British Legion’s annual fateful day Lt Cdr Stephen
poppy appeal when she visits Halden Beattie earned the VC
Avonmouth on October 29. for his bravery.
For Somerset folk who have Sixty-six years later his son
not had or will not have the Nick sailed with the modern-
chance to see the ship or her day frigate and members of
men and women in person, the St Nazaire Association to
they have been at least able take part in a memorial service
to hear about the frigate’s with the ship’s company in the
exploits. French port, followed by a civic
Tony Smedley of Taunton reception.
Hospital Radio visited the ship There are more receptions in
to record a special edition of his store for Campbeltown’s sailors
weekend request programme. when she heads to the Scottish
The show, broadcast to town for which she is named
patients in Taunton’s Musgrove to catch up with locals and
Park Hospital (and also on the
● A Naval Strike Wing Harrier high above the waters of the Kajaki Lake during Operation Oqab Tsuka...
affi liates, taking some to sea for
Apple AM website), featured a day.
a Desert Island Discs-style
The good shepherds
After that there’s a spell of
interview with Cdr Wilson and exercises in Scottish waters
input from the rest of his ship’s before heading for Rosyth and
company. refi t.
The ship’s company will be
RN suffering
reduced from around 250 to just
35 as the Type 22 undergoes a
major overhaul to her machinery
‘locust years’
NAVAL jets were the
create a little slice of home. and weapons systems.
angels on the shoulders
In Alan Titchmarsh-fashion, “After what’s been a very
busy period for the ship with a
SOME of the leading fi gures
of British forces involved
the naval aviators have created a
fenced garden (with bird table, lot of time away on operations,
in naval circles agree that
in the nation’s most kennel and benches). we have two very important
today’s – and tomorrow’s – important mission yet in
“Don’t let me mislead people,” visits before going into refi t,”
Senior Service is “grievously
Afghanistan.
says AET Christopher Peart. said Lt Cdr Colin Williams,
weakened” by years of under-
Campbeltown’s CO.
funding.
Two years after Royal
“Between the coffee and pizzas,
sunbathing and snake-wrangling – “Most of the ship’s company
Former First Sea Lords
Marines seized the Kajaki
we do work. will be assigned to different
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Julian
Dam on the Helmand River, “With regular missions, vessels, so we’d like to express
Oswald and Admiral Sir Jock
a large convoy was dispatched scheduled maintenance and day-
our thanks to all our friends in
Slater and ex-Commander-in- from Kandahar to deliver a
to-day events, things can quickly
Devonport for the support we
Chief Fleet Sir John Treacher, huge turbine for the dam’s
heat up.”
have received and say ‘Au revoir
plus counterparts from the
hydro-electric power station.
Indeed it can. For alongside
– see you in 2009’.”
Army and RAF, have all put
Operation Oqab Tsuka (Pashtu
the busy daily routine of planned
their names to a report by
for ‘eagle’s summit’) was central to
missions, there are also unplanned
the UK National Defence
the British aim of bringing stability
missions – war, unsurprisingly,
O to be back
Association.
back to Helmand – and above
never runs to timetables...
The group was formed to
all power to support the region’s
Several aircraft wait on the
campaign for improved funding
inhabitants and their economy.
tarmac, assigned with their
at sea...
for Britain’s military. It believes
The turbine components were
engineers and pilots to GCAS –
the Forces have not been so
fl own into Kandahar, the aerial
Ground Close Air Support. When
HELICOPTER carrier HMS
starved of money since the
hub of all Allied operations in
the GCAS bell sounds, as the sign
Ocean has fi nally escaped the
‘locust years’ of the 1930s.
southern Afghanistan.
next to it imparts: run like hell.● ...And returning past the snow-covered peaks of Afghanistan
confi nes of the basin which has
The RN is roughly half
But the only way of transporting
In true Battle of Britain fashion,
been her home for the past year.
the size it was in 1982, yet
it to Kajaki was by road (or
refuelling, re-arming and It normally takes around
the pilots dash for their aircraft
Britain’s largest warship is now
it has been involved in five
in many cases dirt track), in a
preparing the jets to go seven hours to draw up all and head off to provide urgent on a tidal berth in her home port,
conflicts in the past decade –
convoy (or, more properly, combat
again reminded them of the information – charts, support for ground troops caught one step closer to resuming her
Kosovo, Bosnia, Sierra Leone,
logistic patrol) of more than 80
just why we’re here.” intelligence picture, data in a spot of bother. duties.
Afghanistan and Iraq – while
vehicles, trundling slowly through
Naval aviators are just – for each Naval Strike Excluding such spur-of-the- The assault ship – aka ‘The
the UK depends more than ever
Helmand – and through terrain
over a month into their Wing mission (although moment crises, the day normally Mighty O’ as we’ve just learned –
on seaborne trade.
ends at noon – 4.30pm local time
where insurgents were known to
third tour of duty with Harriers also wait on the needed a thorough overhaul after
The report – Overcoming their bomber variants of standings ready to take
– as the afternoon shift take over...
be operating.
her first decade of service which
the Defence Crisis – says the Harrier. off in a flash if the scramble
and the exhausted fliers and
That meant air power as well
saw her involved in pretty much
money must be pumped into The turbine move was the bell sounds).
ground crew head for Timmy’s or
as ground power was needed
every major operation Britain’s
modernising the RFA, provision most high-profi le British action in Seven hours is a long time to
for ‘home’.
Forces have been committed to in
of replacement Type 22/23
to shepherd the slow-moving
Helmand in months – and among wait before clambering into the Accommodation is, says Archie, the past ten years, notably Sierra
frigates, a stronger Fleet
convoy to its destination – Apache
the fi nal acts under the tutelage of cockpit, so grabbing some grub is “better than that of ‘Cell Block’ Leone and Iraq.
submarine force, as well as
gunships, Chinooks and Harrier
16 Air Assault Brigade. a good idea. Freeby back at Cottesmore.” All that left her pretty worn
recruitment and retention.
GR7s and GR9s of the Naval
The soldiers are now on their We would not, of course, be so The air-conditioned cabins also out, hence the lengthy spell with
“Our very existence depends
Strike Wing.
way home and the diverse task bold as to say the Naval Strike have a lovely vista: the airfield engineers from Babcock who gave
on being able to defend our
Six Harriers were ready at any
force that is 3 Commando Brigade Wing want for nothing (alcohol, blast wall. her machinery a comprehensive
home waters and our sea lines
one time to support the turbine
is knuckling down at the start of for a start, is banned), but Still, life for the ‘Kandaharees’ makeover and improved the
of communication around the
move. The jets reconnoitred the
its six months in theatre. facilities are pretty comprehensive is rather better than it is for those accommodation areas both for
world, yet our Navy has been
route before the convoy set off,
For the initial stretch of that tour at Kandahar. just passing through the air base. the ship’s company and her
grievously weakened,” the
provided an ‘umbrella’ over the
of duty, the Naval Strike Wing will There’s a Subway, Pizza Hut, Accommodation for those on embarked forces of aviators and
association warns.
heads of the vehicles, and acted
provide key aerial support to the Burger King and, most beloved of RSOI (deep breath – Reception, Royal Marines.
Whitehall contends many of
as a reassuring presence for the
green berets (Fleet Air Arm and all by the fliers, Tim Hortons. Staging, Onward-movement The ship’s company began
the claims and demands made
troops escorting the turbine.
RAF Harrier crews take it in four- “When morale is low, or you and Integration) is, shall we say, trotting back on board in July,
by the report.
It took several days for the
monthly turns in Afghanistan). are having a bad day, get yourself rudimentary: a big tent crammed firing up generators and air
“The defence budget is
column to reach Kajaki – with air-
Whether it’s Army or Royal down to Timmy’s,” says AET with beds which warms up nicely conditioning plants (for the first
experiencing its longest period
to-air refuelling helping to sustain
Marines running operations, the ‘Archie’ Gemmell. in the Afghan sun. time in 12 months).
of sustained real growth for
the Harriers.
pace of life in Kandahar for air and The Navy News team were And talking of the Ocean has a hectic autumn
over 30 years,” said an MOD
The turbine move did attract
ground crew alike is punishing. a little sceptical: what sort of environment... ahead: sea trials followed by
spokesman.
the attention of the insurgents, but The working day begins, establishment could Timmy’s be? “It’s not too bad out here once
operational sea training.
“Additional Treasury funding
a shield of Allied troops fanned out obviously, at 11pm (that’s GMT, Well, it’s a coffee and doughnut you get past the six inches of dust
She’ll be at the hub of a major
allows us to deliver urgent and
at the side of the column to protect it’s actually 3.30am the following shop-cum-cafe (Phew – Ed) whose on everything, poisonous snakes
amphibious deployment heading
cutting-edge equipment to the vital piece of machinery. day in Afghanistan...) with the “ice caps and doughnuts can’t be and football-sized spiders – and east of Suez in the new year.
theatre. “For some maintainers, this was watch handover. beaten,” says Archie. who could forget the constant ■ More observant readers of
“Our Armed Forces are the first experience of witnessing Each ‘shift’ begins with a round- Thankfully, there are three chance of a rocket attack,” explains last month’s Ship of the Month
currently working very hard, jets returning somewhat lighter up of issues – weather, engineering gyms (to work off the doughnuts AET Peart. quite rightly pointed out that
continuously displaying the than they had taken off,” said Cdr status of the Harriers, enemy evidently), a NAAFI and its US ■ You can follow the day-to-day the previous Ocean, the aircraft
professionalism, bravery and Kev Seymour, Naval Strike Wing activity, ground forces activity. equivalent, PX, for those little (or lives of the Naval Strike Wing carrier, was broken up in 1962,
excellence that make them the Commanding Officer. This is just the opening gambit big) treats. via their blog at www.royal-navy. not 1952. Apologies, we hit the
best in the world.” “The adrenalin rush of of the planning for every mission. But you don’t need money to mod.uk/server/show/nav.7075 wrong key...
0004_NN_Oct.indd 104_NN_Oct.indd 1 119/9/08 14:27:129/9/08 14:27:12
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