Operation Grapple in the Adriatic 1993–1995
UN OPERATIONS IN BOSNIA AND KOSOVO – OPERATIONS GRAPPLE, HAMDEN AND SHARP GUARD – AUSTRALASIA 95 DEPLOYMENT – TRIDENT DEPLOYMENT
FIRST SEA LORD Admiral Bathurst
SECOND SEA LORD Admiral Layard
MANPOWER 56,000
MERCANTILE MARINE 1,747 merchant ships
At the beginning of January 1993 Bill Clinton became President of the USA, and on 3 January he and President Yeltsin signed the START II Treaty (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) formally ending the Cold War.
The Middle East Tension remained high throughout the Middle East. In the Gulf, Iraq continued to defy the coalition, and Saddam Hussein had moved surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft weapons south, where they could be used against allied aircraft trying to enforce the ‘no fly’ zones. There was an attempted assassination of ex-President George Bush when he visited Kuwait, and in response the USA launched cruise missile attacks against the Iraqi intelligence headquarters in Baghdad. In October 1994 there was a renewed Iraqi threat to Kuwait, as a result of which allied forces were required to reinforce the region.
The Palestinian Question The Palestinian troubles continued, though there was a glimmer of hope when Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel, and Yasser Arafat agreed to recognise each other’s legitimacy and signed a peace agreement in the USA. This was followed by an agreement for limited Palestinian autonomy in September 1995, though sadly an Israeli fanatic murdered Rabin a month later.
Africa In war-ravaged Somalia, the USA attempted to take action against Aidid, a hugely powerful Somali warlord. In June 1993, following the slaughter of UN peace-keepers by Aidid’s militia, the USA launched a combined ground and air assault on Aidid in Mogadishu. Two US Black Hawk helicopter gunships were shot down, and dead US servicemen were dragged through the city in front of the world’s news teams. This distressing, high-profile incident led to the USA withdrawing from the critical and unstable Horn of Africa.
Shortly after the USA pulled out, in early 1994, civil war erupted in Rwanda, with thousands being slaughtered. With only a very small UN force in Somalia, and no US forces on hand, the slaughter in Rwanda reached over half a million by the end of May.
Northern Ireland Meanwhile bombings by the IRA (Irish Republican Army) continued on the mainland of Britain as well as in Northern Ireland, with a spectacular bomb attack on Harrods, firebombs in many stores in central London and a mortar attack on Heathrow Airport. Despite the bombing campaign, progress towards a resolution of the ‘Troubles’ was being made at long last. A Loyalist cease-fire was declared on 13 October 1994, followed eighteen days later by the IRA announcing a cessation of operations. Peace talks continued despite the refusal of the IRA to surrender any weapons.
UK Defence Policy On 14 July 1994 the government announced changes in defence policy with particular emphasis on the international dimension. The NATO summit earlier in the year had established a ‘Partnership for Peace’ initiative with Central and Eastern Europe and endorsed a plan for a Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF).1 At the same time major reductions continued to be imposed on the armed forces. The decision was also taken not to replace the WE-177 free-fall nuclear bomb, but instead to develop the sub-strategic capability of the new Trident missile system.
The Royal Navy was tasked with three new roles:
Defence Role One: the defence, protection and security of the UK base and dependent overseas territories.
Defence Role Two: to help protect the UK and her allies against any major external threat.
Defence Role Three: to contribute to promoting the wider security interests of the UK through the maintenance of international peace and stability.
In pursuance of the Defence Roles, the Royal Navy developed three key force capabilities concentrated on the submarine fleet, the aircraft carriers and the amphibious group.
THE FLEET
In 1993 the Fleet was adjusting to the new world order following the end of the Cold War and the end of the primacy of ASW (anti-submarine warfare) capability. The backbone of the Fleet consisted of the three Invincible class anti-submarine warfare carriers and the two veteran assault ships, Fearless and Intrepid.
Destroyers and Frigates The escort fleet consisted of twelve Type 42 destroyers together with thirty frigates. The frigates included six Type 21, fourteen Type 22 and the first four of the new Type 23, with the next batch of six under construction and also the last six Leander class, which were still in service. Although more of the Type 23 frigates were planned, the Leanders and Type 21s were being withdrawn from service. The planned strength of the escort fleet was forty destroyers and frigates.
Flag of the Flag Officer Surface Flotilla
(RH)
Mine Counter-Measures Vessels The MCMVs (mine counter-measures vessels) consisted of thirteen of the Hunt class, twelve of the River class (eleven of them manned by the Royal Naval Reserve) and three single-role minehunters of the new Sandown class with two more building. In addition there were the last four of the old Ton class MCMVs still in commission. There were eighteen patrol vessels and fifteen small patrol boats.
Submarines The submarine fleet included four Polaris deterrent SSBNs (ballistic nuclear submarines) of the Resolution class, seven nuclear fleet submarines of the Trafalgar class, five fleet submarines of the Swiftsure class and one remaining submarine of the old Valiant class. The new Trident missile submarines of the Vanguard class were building, with the first of class, Vanguard, joining the Fleet in 1994 and departing on her first operational deterrent patrol in December 1994. The remaining submarines of the planned class of four would then join the Fleet at regular intervals as they became operational between 1994 and 1997. The Valiant class and two of the Swiftsure class were being withdrawn from service.
Aircraft The Fleet Air Arm had forty Sea Harriers in three fighter squadrons, and 130 helicopters, mostly Sea Kings and Lynx, with forty-four Merlin ASW helicopters in production. In addition there was an establishment of training and support, fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade consisted of three Royal Marine Commandos (40, 42, and 45 Commandos), supported by logistics, artillery, engineers, signals and a helicopter squadron.
HMS Sandown
Sandown Class Minehunter
Sandown was the first of a new generation of single-role minehunters and entered service in 1989. The ships are built of glass-reinforced plastic and were designed to replace the old Ton class minehunters. They are equipped with powerful high-definition minehunting sonars and mine disposal equipment capable of detecting and destroying mines at depths of 200 metres. They also carry two remotely controlled submersible vehicles which are able to destroy mines at depths of 300 metres.
Launched: |
16 April 1988 |
Commissioned: |
9 June 1989 |
Displacement: |
450 tonnes |
Length: |
52.7m |
Propulsion: |
2 Paxman Valentia 6RPA 200-EM 1500 diesels |
Armament: |
1 30mm gun (650 rounds/min 10km range) |
Complement: |
34 |
No. in class: |
12 (8 still in service) |
The Type 23 Duke class frigate Norfolk
(RNM)
Support Vessels A well-balanced fleet of naval auxiliaries supported the Royal Navy. The RFA (Royal Fleet Auxiliary) included thirteen tankers, three fleet replenishment ships with more building, a helicopter training ship and a number of other specialised support ships. In addition there was a host of minor support vessels operated by the RMAS (the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service) and deployed in an around ports and naval bases. In 1994 it was announced that the Royal Yacht, Britannia, would be taken out of service after forty-four years with the Royal Navy.
Command The Commander in Chief Fleet, Admiral Sir Hugo White, commanded the Fleet until he was relieved in 1995 by Admiral Sir Peter Abbott. Rear Admiral Boyce was FOSF (Flag Officer Surface Flotilla), and he was relieved in 1995 by Rear Admiral Brigstocke.
Rear Admiral Lane-Nott was Flag Officer Submarines (FOSM), and Rear Admiral Garnett was Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA), relieved in 1995 by Rear Admiral Loughran. Lieutenant General Ross was Commandant General Royal Marines.
FIRST SEA LORD
Admiral Sir Benjamin Bathurst Ben Bathurst was born in May 1936 and educated at Eton before joining the Royal Navy in 1953. He qualified as a naval pilot in 1960 and served as the ship’s flight commander in the guided missile destroyer Devonshire. Following an exchange appointment with the Australian Navy he became senior pilot of 820 NAS (Naval Air Squadron) in the carrier Eagle as a Lieutenant Commander.
In 1971 he was appointed to Norfolk as Commander and then went to MoD to join the Directorate of Naval Air Warfare, before commanding the frigate Ariadne in the rank of Captain. He then served as the Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord before taking command of the 5th Frigate Squadron in 1978. After attending the Royal College of Defence Studies he was appointed Director of Naval Air Warfare in 1982.
Admiral Sir Benjamin Bathurst
(JAR)
The following year he was appointed Flag Officer 2nd Flotilla (FOF2) as a rear admiral. He became Director General Naval Manpower and Training in 1985 and subsequently Chief of Fleet Support as a vice admiral. In 1989 he was promoted full Admiral and appointed Commander in Chief Fleet, and then in 1991 he became Vice Chief of the Defence Staff.
He was appointed First Sea Lord in March 1993 and was relieved by Admiral Slater in July 1995. On being relieved, he became the last Admiral of the Fleet, as the tradition of such promotions was then discontinued in all three armed services.
OPERATIONS AND DEPLOYMENTS, 1993–1995
The Royal Navy continued to be fully engaged around the world with regular routine patrol and guardship commitments. On an average day there were some twenty to thirty warships, submarines and RFA vessels routinely deployed away from United Kingdom waters.2
Nuclear Deterrent Throughout the period the SSBNs of the Polaris Submarine Squadron maintained their vital deterrent patrols in fulfilment of Defence Role One. In 1994 they were joined by the first of the new Vanguard class of Trident missile SSBNs, the name ship of the class, Vanguard. On a dark day in December 1994 Vanguard sailed from the waters of the Clyde and silently deployed into the depths of the oceans on her first operational patrol.
Hong Kong In the Far East the Hong Kong Squadron, made up of the three patrol craft, Peacock, Plover and Starling, formed part of the Hong Kong garrison. The ships were heavily committed, being constantly at sea in the waters around Hong Kong and the islands, mostly in deterrent patrols to stop illegal immigration, but also against smuggling and other illegal activities. The operations were conducted in close conjunction with the Hong Kong police and resulted in many arrests, often opposed, with the patrol craft regularly coming under fire.
Admiral Sir Peter Abbott, CINCFLEET, visits the Hong Kong garrison, with Officer of the Guard, Lieutenant Howell, on the left
(MH)
FIRST PATROL: Vanguard – The First Trident Missile Submarine
The 10th ship to bear the name Vanguard may not be the largest (16,000 tons displacement v 48,500 tons for the 1940s battleship) but with the ability to remain submerged almost indefinitely thanks to its nuclear reactor and to launch up to 16 Trident D5 missiles armed with nuclear warheads, it is certainly many times more powerful.
Commissioned in 1993 as the first of class, Vanguard underwent a full programme of trials and training that culminated in May 1994 with the test firing of a missile off the Florida coast. And so, on a clear crisp winter’s evening in December of that year Vanguard slipped quietly out of the Clyde on her first operational patrol, precisely in accordance with a timetable declared by the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, ten years earlier.
Quickly the crew settle into their routine for the patrol. As in any submarine higher speed equals more noise, so moving around the ocean slowly is vital if the SSBN is to remain undetected by friend and foe alike. Similarly, crew noise can also give away the submarine’s position so ‘noisy evolutions’ are strictly controlled. Days pass in a schedule of watchkeeping, sleeping and mealtimes. For those that wish to remain fit there are a variety of rowing machines, exercise bikes and step machines, inevitably used more at the beginning of patrol than at its end! To keep the ship’s company alert, a variety of exercises are also held; damage control and engineering drills and the all-important missile launch exercises initiated from London, during which the submarine demonstrates its remarkable ability to ‘hover’ at the depth necessary to launch its missiles if it should ever be required to do so.
Submariners on patrol read – anything! They study for GCSEs and A Levels, for Naval exams and for Open University degrees. They are keen film buffs and with the huge increase in films on DVD the variety available is almost endless. Christmas Day arrives with the traditional meal and all the trimmings; the turkey carved by the Commanding Officer and served to the sailors by the officers in accordance with tradition. Father Christmas moves through the boat giving out small presents and the Carol Service is well attended, led by the Galley Choir with their rather interesting rendition of ‘Away in a Manger’.
There is some contact with home but it’s all one way! – Daily extracts from the newspapers are received, as are crosswords, sports results and the weekly Lottery numbers … and there are ‘family grams’ – weekly messages of 40 words that allow family and loved ones to pass a few thoughts from home and personal news of families – but which never receive a reply due to the submarine’s strict ‘no transmission’ rules.
And then in a rush, the end of the patrol is in sight; the records and the patrol report are completed, the coveted ‘Dolphins’ awarded to those who have qualified as fully-fledged submariners during the trip. The submarine is scrubbed (all four decks of it) in preparation for the arrival of the VIP (often a high ranking officer or politician, sometimes a member of the Royal family) as it moves up the River Clyde for an immediate de-brief of the patrol. And of course, by the time the submarine berths alongside in Faslane, its relief is already on patrol, maintaining the nation’s strategic deterrence as the RN has done continuously since 1968.
Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson CVO,
First Commanding Officer of Vanguard
The MCMV Hurworth leads the STANAVFORCHAN
(NN)
Gibraltar In Gibraltar it was necessary to maintain a constant naval presence, in order to reassure the people of Gibraltar of British support as well as to conduct regular antismuggling and anti-drug patrols. Two patrol craft, Ranger and Trumpeter, were based in Gibraltar and a frigate was kept at notice to deploy to the area as Gibraltar Guardship. In addition there were constant visits by British warships transiting the Mediterranean, en route to and from the Adriatic and the Gulf.
South Atlantic Further south the Royal Navy continued to deploy a powerful force in the Falkland Islands, under the command of SNOFI (Senior Naval Officer Falkland Islands) as part of the British garrison protecting British interests in the area. A destroyer or frigate and an offshore patrol vessel were maintained on station, together with the ice patrol ship Endurance, supported by an RFA tanker. The forward repair ship RFA Diligence returned to the Falkland Islands in June 1993 for eleven months. She returned again in November the following year before being finally withdrawn on 28 April 1995. From time to time a submarine visited Port Stanley, and for much of the time a submarine was on standby to deploy to the area as required.
Caribbean The Royal Navy continued to maintain a frigate or destroyer as West Indies Guardship (WIGS), supported by an RFA tanker, in the Caribbean. The frigate Cumberland was on station as WIGS in 1993. The WIGS conducted regular anti-drug trafficking operations as well as supporting the Belize garrison until the garrison was withdrawn on 20 September 1994.
Fishery Protection Squadron The Fishery Protection Squadron conducted the tasks of fishery protection as well as patrolling Britain’s offshore gas and oilfield installations. The squadron was divided into two divisions. The Coastal Division of the four Ton class MCMVs and one fleet minesweeper carried out fishery protection duties off the coast within the twelve-mile coastal limit. The Offshore Division of the seven Island class patrol vessels conducted fishery protection outside the coastal limit and carried out the surveillance patrols of the offshore gas and oilfield installations.
In March 1993 Brocklesby, Jersey, Orkney, Brinton and Blazer were involved in a fishing dispute with French fishermen over fishing rights on the Schole Bank off Guernsey. After several incidents and the arrest of a French fishing boat, tensions eased, and by July the dispute was over. There was a brief recurrence of the dispute at the beginning of the fishing season the following year, and Shetland and Cattistock were deployed to the Schole Bank to resolve the situation.
RFA Fort Victoria
Fort Victoria Class Fleet Replenishment Ship
RFA Fort Victoria, is the first of a new class of ‘one stop’ replenishment ships manned by the RFA. The ships are designed to provide fuel, stores and armaments and are able to transfer supplies of all at the same time. They also provide helicopter maintenance facilities. The ships are well equipped with defensive armament, including the facility to carry the Sea Wolf missile system, and can operate up to five ASW helicopters. They are thus very versatile ships, able to operate with the Fleet or on their own.
Launched: |
4 May 1990 |
Commissioned: |
24 June 1994 |
Displacement: |
36,500 tonnes |
Length: |
204m |
Propulsion: |
2 Crossley-Pielstick V16 medium-speed diesels driving 2 fixed propellers |
Armament: |
2 30mm guns, 2 Phalanx close-in weapon systems, |
Complement: |
Ship’s crew 134 (95 RFA plus 15 RN plus 24 civilian stores staff) Embarked air group up to 154 personnel (includes 28 officer air crew) |
No. in class: |
2: Fort Victoria and Fort George |
In August 1994 Anglesey, Alderney, Orkney, Shetland and Lindisfarne were deployed to the Bay of Biscay to protect British fishing vessels from attacks by Spanish vessels during a dispute in the Tuna fishing season. The dispute continued into September but was resolved by the end of the month.
Standing Naval Forces Despite the end of the Cold War the squadrons of NATO Standing Naval Forces remained heavily committed to busy programmes of training and peace keeping operations. The Royal Navy continued to assign ships to all squadrons as a matter of priority. The STANAVFORLANT (the NATO Standing Naval Force Atlantic) and STANAVFORMED (the NATO Standing Naval Force Mediterranean) were regularly deployed to the Adriatic (see below). The STANAVFORCHAN (Standing Naval Force Channel) conducted many exercises and goodwill port visits in European waters. In May 1993 the MCMV Hurworth completed a year’s attachment to the squadron during which time she had visited twenty-five European ports.
Security Operations in the Adriatic
NATO and the WEU (Western European Union) maintained their naval operations in the Adriatic to enforce the embargo on shipping during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. The operations had previously been codenamed Sharp Vigilance and Maritime Monitor when they had entailed monitoring the movement of merchant shipping in the Adriatic. When the scope of the operations was expanded to include interdiction of shipping, towards the end of 1992, the codenames were changed to Sharp Fence and Maritime Guard.
The codenames for the ongoing Royal Navy operations in support of UK forces deployed in the region were Operation Hamden and Operation Grapple.
Operation Sharp Guard, June 1993 – June 1996 The NATO operations were conducted by STANAVFORMED and the operations of the WEU by its Maritime Contingency Force, WEUCONMARFOR. The NATO and WEU forces were combined in June 1993, and the interdiction operation was renamed Operation Sharp Guard. The Royal Navy contributed either a frigate or a destroyer to STANAVFORMED at any one time (in rotation the destroyers Gloucester, York, Cardiff and Edinburgh, then in 1994 the frigate Chatham), and in addition the frigate or destroyer attached to STANAVFORLANT in the Atlantic (initially the destroyer Birmingham, then the frigate Beaver, and in 1994 the destroyer Southampton) was deployed to the Adriatic from time to time to provide additional support. Royal Marine specialist boarding parties were normally embarked.
Operation Grapple The Royal Navy also provided support forces, which were forward-deployed in Split, consisting of four Sea King Mk 4 helicopters (‘B’ Flight from 845 NAS), the fleet replenishment ship RFA Resource and the landing ship (logistic) Sir Bedeivere, later relieved by Sir Percivale. RFA Resource was alongside in Split for several years providing considerable ammunition and logistic support for all Services, as well as the UK bases ashore, as part of the ongoing Operation Grapple.
Ark Royal Task Group (TG 612.02) At the very beginning of 1993 the world was shocked by reports of rape and slaughter by Bosnian Serbs as part of their campaign of ‘ethnic cleansing’. UN plans to partition Bosnia were rejected, and further UN peace-keepers were sent to the region. The UK agreed to send reinforcements to support the peace-keeping forces and humanitarian aid workers in Bosnia. A naval task group (TG 612.02) was assembled under Rear Admiral John Brigstocke (Commander UK Task Group), consisting of the flagship, the carrier Ark Royal, escorted by the frigates Coventry and Brilliant and supported by the fleet tanker RFA Olwen and the aviation support ship RFA Argus. Ark Royal embarked her Air Group, comprising eight Commando helicopters (Mk 4 Sea Kings), eight Sea Harriers and three early warning Sea King helicopters.
The Task Group sailed from the UK on 14 January 1993 and, after a short period of shake-down exercises, headed south for the Mediterranean. By the end of the month the group sailed up into the Adriatic and joined two other allied task groups, the US CBG (Carrier Battle Group) formed around the strike carrier USS John F Kennedy and the French group based on the French carrier fs Clemenceau.
The three task groups operated closely together, coordinating patrol areas and flying missions. The US group operated in the northern Adriatic, whilst the UK Task Group was further south, off southern Bosnia. The US CBGs were there for only limited periods, but the Royal Navy operated in the Adriatic for almost the whole time. The US carriers were frequently needed elsewhere, for example off Lebanon or even further afield, sometimes as far as the Gulf. Similarly the French carriers, fs Clemenceau and fs Foch, spent relatively short periods in theatre.
Operations in the Adriatic
(NN)
Operation Deny Flight The air operations were conducted as part of Operation Deny Flight over Bosnian territory as well as including search missions off the Yugoslav coast and over the waters of the Adriatic. During breaks in the operation programme, ships of TG 612.02 exercised with the Italian Navy and enjoyed short breaks in Trieste, Piraeus and Naples. A Dutch frigate, the HNLMS Jan van Brakel, joined TG 612.02 in March.
In April the UN tightened sanctions against Serbia, and the task forces in the Adriatic were used to support the warships deployed on Operation Sharp Fence. The Italian aircraft carrier is Giuseppe Garibaldi joined the allied naval forces in the Adriatic in the late spring. In response to a deteriorating position in Bosnia, the UK agreed to make the Sea Harriers available to NATO for bombing missions, and Ark Royal made use of the Italian weapon training ranges to prepare for precision air strikes by the Sea Harriers of 801 NAS. In June RFA Argus returned to the UK without relief.
Invincible Relieves Ark Royal In the UK the carrier Invincible, with the Sea Harriers of 800 NAS embarked, was preparing to relieve Ark Royal. After taking part in exercise JMC (Joint Maritime Course) 932, and taking early summer leave, Invincible sailed from Portsmouth on 22 July 1993 and headed south for the Mediterranean. A short while later she relieved Ark Royal and the Task Group Commander, now Rear Admiral Gretton, transferred his flag to Invincible.
Ark Royal then departed for Portsmouth, arriving on 3 August for a period of maintenance. With Invincible in the Adriatic, the Task Group consisted of the destroyer Edinburgh and the frigates, Boxer and Beaver, supported by the fleet tanker RFA Olwen and the replenishment ship RFA Fort George. The Dutch frigate HNLMS Jan van Brakel remained with the group until she completed seven months and was relieved by another frigate at the beginning of October.
Failed Peace Talks The group had a fairly intensive period of flying operations but fortunately was able to combine tasking with the French aircraft carrier FS Clemenceau to ease the load. Towards the end of September, the frigate London joined the Task Group, and a short while later that month a secret peace conference, organised by Lord Owen, was held on board Invincible. Invincible was able to stand down for short periods and enjoyed breaks in Corfu and Malta. Towards the end of the year, however, hostilities intensified, and Serb separatists were shelling Sarajevo. In December the peace talks, sponsored by the EU, collapsed, and it became apparent that a task group would be needed in the Adriatic for a continuous period. It was clear that Ark Royal, which had been carrying out trials of the new FRS2 Sea Harrier and exercising with the French Navy, would be required in the Adriatic.
Ark Royal Returns In January 1994 General Sir Michael Rose was appointed to command UN forces in Bosnia, and a few days later Bosnian and Croatian leaders agreed a cease-fire. On 28 January a naval task force (TG 612.02), led by Ark Royal, sailed from Portsmouth, and after embarking 801 NAS of Sea Harriers in the South-West Approaches, she headed for Gibraltar. Transiting through the Straits of Gibraltar at the beginning of February, Ark Royal flew off her Sea Harriers, which then flew on to the NATO air training range at Decimomannu in Sardinia to practise their aerial combat skills. After she rendezvoused with Invincible, Ark Royal took over responsibility for the British contribution to Operation Hamden in the Adriatic on 2 February. Invincible then commenced the passage home, arriving back in Portsmouth six days later.
On 5 February a mortar attack on Sarajevo had killed sixty-eight people and wounded over 200 more, putting immense pressure on NATO to retaliate with air strikes. Ark Royal sailed east at speed, recovering her Sea Harriers as she rounded Sicily, and headed up into the Adriatic. She arrived in the area on 13 February, and immediately her Sea Harriers joined the allied air patrols over the Bosnian theatre of operations. Five days later, under the threat of NATO air strikes, the Serbs besieging Sarajevo started pulling back their heavy armament. NATO maintained its concentrated programme of air missions over Bosnia, all controlled by CAOC (Combined Air Operations Centre) at Vicenza in northern Italy.
Invincible (in the foreground) relieves Ark Royal
(NP)
Sea Harriers on board Invincible
(JAR)
On 22 February a UN convoy came under heavy attack and called for help. Two Sea Harriers from 801 NAS buzzed the attackers at high speed; coming in low and fast, they roared over the top, which was sufficient to deter further attacks and save the convoy. The Captain of Ark Royal (Captain Loughran) said later of the mission, ‘Whilst air strikes were not required, the noise of the jets alone reminded those on the ground of the resolve of NATO and the UN to bring about a ceasefire.’3 On 28 February four Serb fighter-bomber aircraft, which were launching attacks against Mostar, were shot down. At that time the Sea Harriers of Ark Royal were flying up to fourteen sorties a day.
The ships of Operation Sharp Guard were busy enforcing the UN embargo and over the period of a year challenged over 22,000 ships and vessels, with 1,800 being boarded and 400 diverted for inspection. In March the frigate Chatham intercepted a ship carrying large quantities of ammunition and escorted it into Taranto, where it was impounded.
Air Strikes In April the Serbs attacked Gorazde, and NATO authorised air strikes, which were carried out by US F-18s. On 16 April the helicopters of 845 NAS flew in to evacuate the wounded from the area, with air cover being provided by 801 NAS Sea Harriers. At one stage, two of the Harriers, piloted by Lieutenants Richardson and Philips, were tasked to take out Serbian tanks engaging UN forces. Whilst pressing home their attacks, the Harrier flown by Lieutenant Richardson was hit by a surface-to-air missile and shot down. Fortunately Lieutenant Richardson managed to eject safely and was later rescued by sympathetic locals and an SAS (Special Air Service) patrol. A few days later he was in the air again flying a Sea Harrier over Mostar.4 On 22 April the UN agreed to send more troops to Bosnia.
Invincible in the Adriatic
(NN)
On 1 May the frigates Chatham and HNLMS Van Kinsbergen tackled the Lido II, a large Maltese tanker attempting to break the blockade. In arresting the tanker, which was heading for the Montenegran coast, the frigates had to fend off attacks from small Yugoslavian warships and then escort it into Brindisi to be arrested.
Later in May Ark Royal was able to participate in exercise Dynamic Impact, a major NATO amphibious exercise in the western Mediterranean which was in fact the largest NATO maritime exercise since the end of the Cold War. Finally, on 10 June, a cease-fire in Bosnia was brokered in Geneva between all three sides.
FA2 Sea Harriers in Operation In the early summer Invincible carried out trials of the new improved FA2 Sea Harriers of 899 NAS. The new updated Sea Harrier Fighter/Attack Mk 2 (FA2) was just entering full operational service; with her new multi-mode pulse doppler radar and the new advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) giving a ‘look down/shoot down’ capability, a considerable improvement on the previous Sea Harriers. On 24 August she sailed from Portsmouth, bound for the Adriatic again, but this time, in addition to the Sea Harriers of 800 NAS, she carried the new FA2 Sea Harriers of 899 NAS. She also carried Sea King helicopters of 814 NAS and ‘A’ Flight of 849 NAS. A week later she relieved Ark Royal in the Mediterranean, leaving Ark Royal to return home to Portsmouth, where she arrived on 2 September.
After arriving on station in the Adriatic, Invincible’s aircraft were soon flying regular missions over Bosnia as part of Operation Deny Flight. Within a few days, two of the new FA2 Sea Harriers were engaged by surface-to-air missiles over Bihac, but managed to avoid being shot down. During this deployment the Task Force included the frigates Brave, Brilliant, Campbeltown, Coventry and Cumberland, supported by the RFAS Fort Grange and Fort Austin and the fleet tanker RFA Olna. Invincible also operated with the Spanish Navy aircraft carrier SNS Principe de Asturias, flying US built Harrier-IIs, known as ‘Matadors’.
Sea Harrier in the Adriatic
(NP)
Further NATO air strikes against Serb positions were carried out in November, and towards the end of the month two Sea Harriers managed to evade surface-to-air guided missile attacks over Banja Luka. In December a Sea Harrier was lost in the Adriatic, north-east of Bari, but was recovered in a salvage operation and returned to the UK by road on a low loader. The Harrier was back in the UK within three days, having travelled via the Channel Tunnel.5
Illustrious Relieves Invincible At the end of February 1995 the carrier Illustrious sailed from Portsmouth and headed for the Mediterranean, relieving Invincible at the end of the month. Invincible returned to Portsmouth for a period of assisted maintenance. After only a comparatively short spell of maintenance, followed by a ‘work-up’ in May, she was once again heading back out to the Mediterranean for a third deployment to the Adriatic. The war in Bosnia dragged on, with the Croatian capital of Zagreb being attacked by the Serbs. The Serbs also took UN troops as hostages and captured Srebrenica.
On 30 August NATO started retaliating with air strikes against the Bosnian Serbs. The Serbs were again besieging Sarajevo, and Sea Harriers of 800 NAS carried out bombing missions against their attacking positions. During a two-week bombing campaign conducted by NATO aircraft, which included US strike aircraft from the carriers USS America and USS Theodore Roosevelt, the Sea Harriers carried out twenty-four bombing missions and forty-two CAPs (combat air patrols). The campaign was a success, and the Serbs pulled back their heavy guns and mortars. On 21 November a Bosnian peace settlement was accepted with all armed groups in Bosnia agreeing to disband.
Invincible was able to take part with the US Navy strike carrier USS America in the NATO exercise Infinite Courage. Then, at the end of November, she was relieved again, by Illustrious, and returned home, arriving in Portsmouth on 9 December in time for Christmas. It had been a very successful deployment, proving the superior operational capability of the new FA2 Sea Harrier and leading to the award to both Invincible and Illustrious of the Wilkinson Sword of Peace for their role in peace enforcement operations in Bosnia.
Far East Group Deployment: Task Group Australasia 95, May–November 1995 The Naval Staff planned an out-ofarea group deployment to the Far East for 1995, codenamed Australasia 95. Sadly the ongoing demand for maritime forces to be deployed to the Adriatic precluded sufficient ships being available for a powerful task group to sail for the Far East. With severe cost constraints any deployment had to be financed within existing budget allocations, and hence only a ‘mini-deployment’ could be tasked.
The Task Group The Australasia 95 Task Group consisted of two frigates, the Type 22 Sheffield and the new Type 23 Monmouth, supported by the tanker RFA Brambleleaf. It was formed from two components, with Monmouth (WIGS) and RFA Brambleleaf transiting through the Panama Canal on 15 May on the first leg of the deployment.
On 3 June Sheffield was released from Armilla Patrol and headed east to rendezvous with the other component of Australasia 95 via India (Madras), Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.
COMUKTG Joins the Task Group Meanwhile Monmouth and RFA Brambleleafwere sailing south-west across the Pacific for Pitcairn Island before sailing on to New Zealand. With Rear Admiral Peter Franklin as COMUKTG (Commander UK Task Group) flying his flag in Monmouth, the ships visited Wellington before sailing for exercises with HMNZS Wellington and Endeavour. The ships also visited Fiji, Tonga, Western Samoa, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Whilst the group headed across the South Pacific, Sheffield continued her visits and exercises with the Royal Thai Navy.
Fiftieth Anniversary Celebrations Monmouth represented the UK at the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II commemoration celebrations, whilst Sheffield, with COMUKTG embarked, represented the UK at the celebrations held for the fiftieth anniversary of Indonesian Independence in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Task Group also participated in exercise Kangaroo with the Royal Australian Navy and exercise Starfish, the major Five-Power Defence Arrangement maritime exercise off the east coast of Malaysia in September.
End of the Deployment On completion of the exercise the Task Group sailed west across the Indian Ocean. RFA Brambleleaf remained in the Gulf region as the Armilla tanker whilst the remaining ships headed for home, arriving back in the UK in early November.
The next out-of-area group deployment to the Far East planned by the Naval Staff was to be Task Group 327.01, codenamed Ocean Wave 97, to deploy two years later.
The Gulf: Armilla Patrol, 7 October 1980 Onwards At the beginning of 1993, the Royal Navy was still maintaining Operation Armilla in the Persian Gulf, the Straits of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman with two warships, either destroyers or frigates, supported by an RFA tanker. The purpose was to provide a British presence in the region, to protect British interests and shipping and also to contribute to the UN embargo enforcement operations against Iraq following the Gulf War. The area of operations was widened to include the Red Sea.
In 1993 the destroyer Nottingham and the frigate London were carrying out the patrol. The US Navy maintained a powerful task force in the Gulf which carried out similar duties.
In January Saddam Hussein defied the United Nations by deploying SAMs in the ‘no fly’ zone of southern Iraq as a direct threat to coalition enforcement aircraft patrols. He then failed to acknowledge an ultimatum from the coalition to remove the missiles, and on 16 January ships of the Task Force launched air raids and missile attacks against Iraqi military targets in southern Iraq. Seven B-52 bombers, flying all the way from the United States, also took part in the strikes. The main targets were Iraqi surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft sites, but nuclear weapon construction sites were also attacked. The frigate London was deployed forward in the northern Gulf and assisted in the raids.
An attempt was made by Iraqi agents to assassinate ex-President Bush when he visited Kuwait in April. The attack failed, but after evidence revealed that the Iraqi intelligence service was behind the attempt, US warships destroyed the Iraqi intelligence headquarters with cruise missiles.
The frigate Coventry and the destroyer Southampton relieved London and Nottingham and then, in turn, Cornwall and Liverpool relieved them. The nuclear fleet submarine Triumph also conducted patrols in the Gulf. By the end of the year commercial shipping had begun to use the port of Umm Qasr for the delivery of food and humanitarian aid. In 1994 the submarines Splendid and Unicorn also carried out patrols in the area as part of deployments to the Indian Ocean and Far East.
Operation Lecturer In 1993 a group of naval personnel and Royal Marines, Naval Party (NP) 1042, continued to be deployed to Cambodia on Operation Lecturer as part of the international stabilisation force covering the transition to peace and democracy in the war-torn region. The UK also provided army and RAF regiment units to assist in the security operations. Operation Lecturer was finally completed in November, and all British forces were withdrawn from Cambodia.
Operation Snowdon, 23 September – 9 December 1993 Haiti had remained a very unstable country since the coup at the end of 1991 which had deposed President Aristide. A desperately poor country, it was struck in 1993 with one of the worst maritime disasters of the century, when a ferry sank off the coast on 18 February with the death of over 1,000 people. During the continuing security problems, the United Nations set up Operation Snowdon, conducting maritime interdiction operations in the waters around Haiti. The United Nations also established a maritime force to conduct Operation Restore Democracy. The frigate Active and the tanker RFA Oakleaf were assigned to the international force in September and arrived off the coast on 23 September. Active and RFA Oakleaf remained in the area for several months, conducting interdiction patrols before being withdrawn on 9 December.
Operation Driver, 9 October – 15 November 1994 In October 1994 Saddam Hussein began a build-up of Iraqi forces on the border with Kuwait in an attempt to coerce the UN into lifting the sanctions, which were crippling Iraq. On 9 October Britain initiated Operation Driver to reinforce British forces in the Gulf region. The frigate Cornwall and the destroyer Liverpool, supported by the tanker RFA Bayleaf, were deployed forward in the northern Gulf. The destroyer Cardiff and the nuclear submarine Splendid later joined them. RAF aircraft were sent to Kuwait, and Royal Marines of 45 Commando with artillery support were also deployed there, joining US marines as part of the allied build-up in the region. The pressure from the build-up worked, and on 13 October Saddam Hussein withdrew his forces from the border with Kuwait. British forces were relaxed on 22 October, and the Armilla ships resumed their normal patrol duties on 15 November. Finally the Royal Marines returned to UK at the beginning of December.
Operation Triad/United Shield, 1 February – 3 March 1995 In January 1995 the interdiction operations in the Red Sea were suspended, but the Armilla Patrol was maintained, being conducted at the time by the destroyers Exeter and Liverpool, supported by the tanker RFA Bayleaf. Early in the month ships of the patrol intercepted a tanker loaded with illegal oil and escorted her to Kuwait. Then at the end of January, Operation Triad was initiated. Exeter was detached from the patrol and sent south to join Operation United Shield, the US-led multi-national operation off the coast of Somalia.
The multi-national Task Force consisted of twenty-three ships from six nations. On 20 February US forces landed ashore to protect the remaining United Nations peacekeeping forces, which were being withdrawn. Exeter was given the task of monitoring all shipping approaching and departing from Mogadishu. The operation was completed successfully on 3 March leaving Somalia, tragically, as a failed country abandoned by all UN forces. Exeter then departed from the coast of Somalia and resumed her Armilla Patrol duties. The Armilla ships were relieved later by the destroyer Gloucester and the frigate Sheffield, the patrol still being supported by the tanker RFA Bayleaf.
Operation Chantress: Angola, 6 April – 21 August 1995 In early 1995, after the civil war in Angola, the UN decided to deploy nine battalions of troops to help restore peace and stability in the country. In advance of the battalions, however, the UK deployed the LSL (landing ship, logistic) RFA Sir Galahad at the beginning of April to Angola on Operation Chantress. Sir Galahad was loaded with vehicles, members of the Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) and Royal Engineers. Their task was to improve infrastructure and to clear roads from mines.
Sir Galahad was an ideal base as she was able to sail up and down the coast unimpeded and land vehicles and equipment as required, without the need to clear roads and landmines ashore first. Her RFA crew and the troops who were embarked worked hard with local orphanages, schools and hospitals, and provided a great deal of relief work.
RFA Sir Galahad was duly awarded her second Wilkinson Sword of Peace; this time, however, it was a joint one shared with the engineers and members of the RCT.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland the patrol craft of the Northern Ireland Squadron, Nurton, Cygnet, Redpole and Kingfisher, maintained their ceaseless coastal patrols and counterterrorist operations under Operation Grenada, whilst Royal Marine units patrolled inshore, covering inland waterways and Carlingford Lough under Operation Interknit. Other units and helicopters were deployed to the area in support as necessary. In December 1995 tasking was reviewed, and Operation Interknit was absorbed into Operation Grenada.
Operation Banner 40 Commando Royal Marines deployed to southern Armagh under Operation Banner on 5 November 1993 and remained in the area until 8 May 1994. Then, on 28 September, it was the turn of 42 Commando to deploy to Northern Ireland, where it carried out security operations until 31 March 1995. Two months later 45 Commando arrived in the area and remained until 28 November. 40 Commando returned to the area again on 12 December and remained until the spring of the following year.
Other Activities
The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic In the summer of 1993 forty warships from seventeen different nations gathered together off Liverpool to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. The ships formed up off Anglesey and were reviewed by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. The review was followed by various events, including a parade and a thanksgiving service in Liverpool Cathedral attended by HM the Queen and HRH the Prince of Wales.
Operation Harlech, 9–31 August 1995 Early in August 1995 a volcanic eruption caused much damage in Montserrat, and Operation Harlech was initiated. The frigate Westminster arrived off the island on 9 August and provided emergency relief aid. The destroyer Southampton joined her on 19 August, and both ships provided emergency relief assistance until the end of the month. At the same time the Commando Logistics Regiment was deployed to Antigua to establish reception facilities for refugees.
The following month Southampton and RFA Oakleaf carried out emergency relief work in Anguilla in the wake of Hurricane ‘Luis’.
The destroyer Southampton in the Caribbean
(NN)
SHIPS, AIRCRAFT AND WEAPONS
The Trident Nuclear Missile System The first of the new generation of nuclear deterrent submarines joined the Fleet in 1994 and deployed with her outfit of the new Trident II D5 ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile). The Trident missiles were purchased from the USA and, with their extended range (6,500 nautical miles) and improved warheads, provided a greatly enhanced deterrent capability.
The Vanguard Class Submarines The Vanguard class SSBNs were the most complex submarines the Royal Navy had ever built, and with a displacement of 16,000 tonnes they were twice the size of the previous generation of SSBNs. They were designed with the very latest stealth techniques. Despite a warhead update for Polaris it became clear that to keep up with the advances made in anti-ballistic missiles (ABM) by the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom would have to update its deterrent missile system. It chose the improved Trident II D5 ballistic missile, which because of its large size required a hull of correspondingly greater diameter to house the bigger missile compartment. The result was a submarine with twice the displacement of the previous Resolution class and twenty metres longer. The four submarines were built inside the Devonshire dock hall at Barrow in Furness between 1986 and 1999 and were given the names Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant and Vengeance.
The submarines had many advantages over their predecessors, including a more powerful reactor and improved sonar, self-defence and command systems. More importantly, the latest generation of silent stealth technology was incorporated in the design. Not surprisingly, their emergence at sea provoked considerable interest from the Soviets, leading to highly charged spying and intelligence-gathering incidents below the surface. Chillingly, the range of the D5 missile was nominally declared as 4,000 nautical miles (6,400km), which meant there was nowhere on the planet that was out of range of this new-generation deterrent system. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, when Secretary of State for Defence, stated, ‘The Cold War has ended but we still live in an uncertain and unstable world. Now more than ever, it is vital to retain Trident.’6
Sea Harrier FA2 The new FA2 Sea Harrier had been developed from the FRS1 and represented a considerable improvement in performance. It had been fitted with the Blue Vixen radar, which, combined with the new air-to-air missile, AMRAAM, gave the Harrier a ‘look down/shoot down’ capability beyond the previous visual range. It had an updated electronics fit and a greatly improved ground attack capability. 899 NAS was equipped with the new FA2, with 801 receiving it shortly afterwards, and by 1995 all Sea Harrier NASs had the FA2.
Project Horizon In 1995 progress was being made with a major collaborative project to procure a common new-generation frigate (CNGF). The aim was to design a general-purpose frigate with a bias towards AAW (anti-aircraft warfare), with a local area air defence capability for the UK, France and Italy. Project Horizon was to replace the failed NATO frigate replacement programme (NFR 90), which had involved eight nations before it collapsed.
PERSONNEL MATTERS
Closure of RNEC Manadon Following extensive study and detailed consideration, the Royal Naval Engineering College (RNEC) at Manadon, Plymouth, was closed in 1995. In the future engineer officers were to be trained at civilian universities as well as at the Navy’s specialist establishments in the Portsmouth area. The closure of the college ended 125 years of in-house training of young men, and latterly young women, under naval discipline, in order to develop character and engineering skills to enable them to face the ‘dangers of the sea and the violence of the enemy’7 confident in their individual and collective abilities.
Move of Sea Training to Devonport As part of the restructuring it was decided to close the long-established sea training facilities at Portland in Dorset and move the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) and his staff to Devonport. Accordingly, on 21 July 1995, FOST, Rear Admiral John Tolhurst, flying his flag in the frigate Argyll, sailed out of the Portland naval base and steamed west to Devonport. The Devonport Sea Training Centre was established ashore in the naval base at HMS Drake.
End of Area Flag Officers Following the recommendations of the ‘Front Line First’ study, it was decided to phase out the posts of Flag Officer Portsmouth and Flag Officer Plymouth and also to merge the post of Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland with Commodore Clyde. New responsibilities would be allocated to the one-star naval base commanders. The plans being made were to be implemented by 1 April 1996.
Royal Marine Uniform Clothing
In 1958, Royal Marines were still wearing basic World War II kit. There were 84 pieces of brightwork on training webbing, and boot polish was used to waterproof webbing. Then denims were introduced, jacket/smock, jersey and shirt angora. There were two best blues, one with gold badge, and red stripe on the trouser, the second set red badged, no stripe. Commandos at Eastney were required to remove their commando flashes and were not allowed to wear their green berets!
In 1959 green combat suits with green webbing were introduced which did not require boot polish.
In 1964 Lovats replaced battledress, and the second non-red striped blues. White webbing became plastic, and the white Wolsey pattern pith helmet (named after General Wolsey, the original Modern Major General) was now painted with matt Dulux white paint. At the Coronation, in the rain, the Royals on parade had had long white streaks down their backs, washed off their helmets.
After 1958 green kit came DPM — Disruptive Pattern Material, ‘camouflage’, and green Woolly Pullies – and stay bright buttons. DPM also includes an anti-infrared disruptive pattern. Travel in the back of 4 ton trucks was stopped except operationally, because of the lack of seat belts and possibility of rolling.
Finally there have been females in the Band Service for at least 15 years. Pregnant ones have their own General Purpose skirt (maternity).
CSgt SBS John ‘Boots’ Allistone RM
The White Ensign Association In 1994 Sir Donald Gosling relieved Lord Alexander of Weedon as President of the White Ensign Association. Admiral Sir Andrew Lewis, who had served as a member of the Council for over eighteen years and been Chairman for four years from 1974 to 1978, retired and sadly died shortly afterwards. In 1993 the Association was heavily committed, assisting all those being made redundant from the Service under the ‘Options for Change’ defence review. With recession, unstable house prices, high unemployment and uncertainty it was not an easy time to be leaving the Service. During the year the staff gave lectures and personal interviews to 2,286 officers and ratings. The Executive Committee held a meeting at the Royal Naval College at Greenwich to review and extend the services being provided by the Association. Over the year the Association arranged visits by senior people in the City to London, Argyll, Lindisfarne, Ambuscade, York, Amazon, Cornwall and Lancaster. It also hosted a reception by the Royal Navy Presentation Team at St James’s Palace in the presence of HRH the Princess Royal.
The Executive Committee of the White Ensign Association at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich
(WEA)
A Review of Naval Uniform Clothing, 1958–2008
In 1958, naval uniform was more formal than in 2008. Officers and senior ratings wore double-breasted jackets all the time and shirts were worn with stiff starched collars. In the evenings Mess Undress was worn far more frequently than now, and stiff starched shirts, with detached starched wing collars, were worn for balls and the more formal mess dinners. Informal officers’ evening dress at sea was and is Red Sea rig: a tropical short sleeved shirt, black trousers and a black cummerbund (many ships had their own pattern of cummerbund). In 1958, No 5 uniform was worn for receptions, now Red Sea rig is worn. Senior rates’ evening rig, a tropical shirt with black trousers has not changed.
The risk of damaging the jacket irretrievably was high onboard, as a brush with wet grey paint was only too easy. Woollen navy blue pullovers were introduced for all personnel, with rank epaulettes where appropriate. The snag with the new pullovers was that there was no place for a pen. However, many other navies quickly copied the jumpers, as they were very practical. They were worn by officers and senior rates with collar attached white shirts, at first with black tie, but later with the collar open. Ratings wore the pullovers over Action Working Dress (No 8s).
Shoes were leather or composition soled. They were slippery on wet decks and Boots DMS – with a moulded non-slip sole, and steel toecaps under a leather skin, were introduced, being much safer.
Officers wearing Red Sea rig at sea in the wardroom of the frigate Falmouth
(JAR)
Foul weather gear has seen several changes. Bright orange foul weather jackets and trousers were introduced first, but later a dark blue equivalent replaced the orange. These suits were very waterproof, with a particularly effective peaked hood, and a covering for the mouth in very cold weather.
At sea, when appropriate sailors and officers wore Action Working Dress, dark blue trousers and a lighter blue shirt, usually with rolled up sleeves. These were later replaced by a fireproof equivalent. They were worn in action with a fireproof hood, leaving only the eyes free, and fireproof long sleeved gloves. These had to be specially laundered to retain their fireproofing. Later, fireproof overalls were introduced, worn over the Action Working Dress.
Tropical uniforms also changed: the formal high collared long sleeved tunic and long trousers are worn only by senior officers on rare occasions, and has been replaced by a short sleeved, open necked bush jacket. Regular tropical wear is still white shorts and open-necked shirt. The material is now much more easy care.
Shoes for sailors were white canvas, and for officers, white doeskin, worn with cotton stockings, which were replaced by much more easy care artificial material stockings. At sea, no stockings were worn, simply leather sandals; these have been replaced by lace up non-slip yachting style shoes.
Female sailors’ uniforms changed too, with practical trousers replacing skirts. In 1958, sailors wore ‘Square Rig’ (a woollen square necked jumper in winter, and a white front, square necked, in summer), with bell-bottom trousers. These were turned inside out to be ironed, with the crease at the side, and seven horizontal folds – originally to allow them to be rolled up easily. The blue detached collar was then tied in place, and the jumper worn over the top. Then a black silk was tied under the collar, and finally a white lanyard tied at the front with a black bow tied tape – (white for weddings!)
Uniform was issued on joining, and then replaced as necessary: ratings had a uniform replacement element with their pay, which was actually sufficient to replace all blue kit in two years. (Officers had tax free pay to cover uniform). Relatively few officers nowadays have their own swords; there are pool swords available for ceremonial purposes. The familiar sailor’s hat has stayed the same.
Specialist loan clothing of all sorts is required, and is issued onboard, including action coveralls, divers’ kit, flight deck multicoloured tabards, foul weather gear, disruptive pattern (camouflage) kit for guards, sea survival suits and Arctic (and Antarctic) kit.
Finally, probably the most senior Scottish sailor, Admiral Sir Jock Slater, formally allowed kilts to be worn by officers with Mess Undress jackets and waistcoats. Kilts could be Scots, Irish, Isle of Man, Welsh or Cornish. With local permission, kilts can also be worn with Tropical shirts for evening events when Mess Undress is not being worn.
Lieutenant Commander Ken Napier MBE, RN – a Scot
The following year the third tranche of redundancies was announced and the staff of the Association, now increased to four officers, was heavily engaged with assisting all those leaving the Service at a time when many companies were restricting recruitment and taking all measures to limit expenditure. The Association was able to arrange visits of directors and senior managers to Ark Royal, Birmingham, Exeter, Ursula, Liverpool, Marlborough, Avenger, Campbeltown and RFA Argus.
In 1995 the last of those being made redundant sought help from the Association. The total reduction in strength of the Navy over the three years had been 15,000 and 1995 had proved the busiest year for the Association on the employment side. During the year Admiral Sir Michael Layard retired as Second Sea Lord and was elected to the Council of the Association.