Welcome to the Royal Naval Association Number 10 Area web site. Number 10 area is the largest of the RNA areas, and stretches from Whitehaven to Crewe, across the sea to the Isle of Man and across the border into North Wales.

This web site will be a place to check out the latest news from around the area and beyond, to link to other sites and to find out information about the committee and branches. There is also a photo gallery where you can share all your pictures. Comrades and shipmates who have crossed the bar will also be remembered. The minutes of the area committee will be available on the site. We also have a comprehensive collection of official papers from the National Archives and other sources released under the Freedom of Information Act.

RN news from around the world.

14.05.08

Museum plan for artifacts from Bolton's warship.

Artefacts from the warship that was paid for by the people of Bolton could go on display in a naval museum in Kent. HMS Dido was commissioned in 1940, then a year later in an incredible wartime fundraising effort Bolton people donated an amazing £1 million in a week to pay for it. The fundraising appeal captured the imagination of everyone in the town who wanted to do their bit for the war effort. And to keep the money coming in, a large "thermometer" was put on display outside Bolton Town Hall showing the daily running total of cash raised.

In a distinguished career, HMS Dido, a cruiser, accepted the surrender of the German navy in May, 1945, at Copenhagen and fired the last shot of the Second World War in Europe.

Now a group of veterans are asking for permission to put several historical artefacts from the ship on display at its home base in Chatham. Members of the HMS Dido Association visited Bolton to see the artefacts, which include the ship's bell, battle honours board and lifebelt which belong to Bolton Council. The items are currently in storage at the council-owned Lincoln Mill in Rumworth.

The council also owns the bell and battle honours board from a later incarnation of HMS Dido. The original ship was decommissioned in 1958 and a new HMS Dido, an anti-submarine frigate, went into service in 1963. It was sold to the New Zealand Navy in 1983 and renamed Southland.

HMS Dido Association secretary and founder, Colin Bates, from Birmingham, served on the frigate. He said: "It's our opinion that things of such an historic nature should be on permanent display, and the ideal place would be where the ship was based. We would, however, be sorry to take them away from Bolton as we've got a very strong connection with the town." Mr Bates did stress however that the artifacts from the original HMS Dido should be on display in Bolton.

The association, which has about 250 members all over the world, is to ask Bolton Council if it would be willing to give or loan the artefacts to the association. Mr Bates added: "It is our history and it is history that we can't allow to be forgotten."

14.05.08

Westminster tasked for Disaster Relief.

HMS Westminster has been deployed towards Burma (Myanmar) at the request of the Department for International Development. The Royal Navy Frigate, with a crew of 198 men and women has been deployed to waters offshore Burma as a contingency measure. She has not yet been formally tasked, but will be in a position to assist aid efforts if required.

Her onboard facilities which could be of use include communications equipment, a medical officer and medical facilities, a Merlin helicopter which could be used for reconnaissance or to transport personnel and equipment, two sea boats and a ship’s company who are all trained in disaster relief. She has recently been on exercises in the Bay of Bengal with the French and Indian Navies.

14.05.08

Spanish Authorities protest over HMS Superb.

Spanish environmental pressure groups have this morning requested the immediate departure of HMS Superb from Gibraltar, according to Spanish media reports. The Ministry of Defence announced the vessel’s arrival earlier today in a brief statement that read “Today, HMS SUPERB is visiting Gibraltar for a short stay as part of her scheduled operational tasking.”

HMS Superb is the second nuclear submarine to berth in Gibraltar waters in less than a week, with USS Florida arriving last Wednesday remaining in Gibraltar until Friday.

Antonio Muñoz spokesperson for Verdemar ‘Ecologistas en Acción’ has reportedly said that although shutdowns are allowed for food supply and change of crew, the group criticises the frequency with which nuclear submarines sail in the Straits and remain in the port of Gibraltar.

According to Spanish news ageny EFE, the PSOE minister Salvador de la Encina has underlined an act of “covert provocation” on behalf of the British Government over the presence of the submarine’s presence in Gibraltar.

He did however state that the Gibraltarian government had previously informed the Spanish Foreign Ministry of the submarine’s arrival, that it is a “routine visit” and there will be “no repairs”.

“We cannot legally block their entry, but as a minister, I can complain about the risks that this entails,” he told the media.

HMS Superb is a nuclear powered fleet submarine of the Swiftsure class launched on February 17, 1973 at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

04.04.08

Aircraft lifts ordered for new carriers.

A contract for the manufacture of aircraft lifts for the Royal Navy's two new 65,000 tonne carriers was announced yesterday, 3 April 2008, by Defence Minister Baroness Ann Taylor.

The £13M contract, awarded to MacTaggart Scott of Loanhead, Scotland, means MOD orders for equipment, materials and infrastructure for the two ships, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, now total more than £160M.

Baroness Taylor, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, said: "The aircraft lifts order announced today and the other equipment and steel already contracted are a clear demonstration of the steady progress towards commencing building work at the shipyards. Construction of the carriers will provide jobs for thousands of people across the UK, which is only fitting given that these ships will be a key element of our nation's defences."

MOD Defence Equipment and Support carrier project team leader Rear Admiral Bob Love said: "Each of the carriers will have two huge lifts, which can lift 70 tonnes each - or two Joint Strike Fighters - from hangar to flight deck in 60 seconds. They are so powerful that together they could lift the weight of the entire ship's crew (1,450 people). We are working closely with industry participants as we move towards building these ships."

The lifts and their associated motors and hydraulic machinery have been designed using established technologies to provide excellent reliability throughout the expected operating life of the carriers, up to 50 years. The two carriers will provide our front-line forces with the modern, world-class capabilities they will need over the coming decades. They will be the biggest warships ever constructed in the UK.

Installed weight of the two lifts on each ship is around 500 tonnes and each lift platform covers 400 square metres - nearly the size of a tennis court.

Contracts announced to date include those for Identification Friend or Foe electronics, diesel generators, steel, flying control rooms, landing aids, navigation and bridge systems, infrastructure works at Rosyth dockyard to allow for the assembly of the ships, a fibre optic cable plant, a reverse osmosis plant and the aviation fuel system. This aircraft lifts contract has been placed by Thales UK, on behalf of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, with MacTaggart Scott. MacTaggart Scott has been heavily involved in the development of the aircraft carrier. The company employs 245 workers at its Loanhead site in Midlothian.

04.04.08

HMS Torbay returns to the Fleet.

The Royal Navy's nuclear-powered attack submarine, HMS Torbay, is preparing to return to the Fleet following a year-long £8M refit at HM Naval Base Clyde, Faslane.

In addition to routine maintenance work, the Trafalgar class submarine has been upgraded to carry the latest longer-range Block IV version of the Tomahawk cruise missile and an improved version of the world-leading Sonar 2076 system. The latest improvements make Torbay the most powerful boat in the Fleet.

Baroness Taylor, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, said: "This overhaul is part of a vital programme to ensure that our Trafalgar class submarines remain at the forefront of Britain's underwater operational capabilities until the end of the next decade. HMS Torbay will undoubtedly bolster the potency of our submarine fleet with her new missiles and improved sonar systems."

Captain Ian Lofthouse RN, from the MOD Defence Equipment and Support In-Service Submarines Project Team, said: "I believe HMS Torbay's overhaul demonstrates an excellent collaboration between the MOD, Royal Navy and the two Babcock Marine sites. It represents a significant upgrade to support Torbay through her forthcoming operational life, ensuring her key place in submarine flotilla operations into the future."

The refit comprised routine maintenance activity as well as the opportunity to incorporate upgrades. Around 400 military and civilian personnel were employed on the project at Faslane. The advanced Sonar 2076 is a fully integrated system comprising bow, flank, fin and towed arrays that can track an object the size of a bus at a distance of more than 50 miles (80km). New communications equipment will allow internet access even when the submarine is deep underwater, and a new charting system is due to be trialled on board. Following sea trials and sea training over the next few months, HMS Torbay is expected to be fully operational by the summer. Torbay is one of seven 5,200 tonne Trafalgar class nuclear-powered submarines, entering service in 1987. All of the class are based at HM Naval Base Devonport, in Plymouth.

Under the Swiftsure and Trafalgar class Final Phase Update programme, the newest four Trafalgar boats are being upgraded to bring their equipment up to the standard of the successor Astute class. The overhaul for HMS Torbay is part of a programme to upgrade all the Royal Navy's Trafalgar Class submarines, and ensure they remain at the forefront of Britain's underwater warfare capabilities until the end of the next decade.

05.03.08

Wreck of HMS Hunter found.

The wreck of a Royal Navy destroyer sunk by the German navy in 1940 has been discovered 305 metres under the icy waters of a Norwegian fjord.

HMS Hunter went down on 10 April 1940 with the loss of more than 100 lives. The ship had remained unlocated and undisturbed until the Norwegian Minehunter HNOMS TYR located her earlier this week. HNOMS TYR was participating in a large multinational exercise, Exercise Armatura Borealis, involving the Royal Navy, Royal Norwegian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy along with ships from Spain, Belgium and Germany when she discovered the sunken vessel by using her echo sounder.

On dispatching her remote operated submersible to investigate, it became clear that this was the long lost HMS Hunter, lying as she was when she had finally succumbed to the unforgiving waters, after bravely fighting during the Battle of Narvik; an action that would result in the first Victoria Cross of WWII being awarded. The presence of the Commander of the United Kingdom's Amphibious Force, Major General Garry Robison, and other Royal Navy ships participating in the exercise will enable the appropriate marks of respect to be paid in a ceremony which is due to take place later this week.

The ships of the RN, the Netherlands Maritime Force and the Norwegian Navy, who are participating in Exercise Armatura Borealis, will lay wreaths over her grave in a commemorative service complete with the ships sailing past the site of the sunken destroyer in a formed line. Major General Robison said: "Finding HMS Hunter was a poignant moment and being able to pay our respects along with our Norwegian and Dutch allies is particularly fitting to those who lost their lives."

The Norwegian National Joint Headquarters was pleased to inform the British Authorities that they had finally found HMS Hunter, which will now be marked as a wargrave, after several attempts over the years had proved unsuccessful.

Senior Spokesperson, Colonel John Øgælnd, said: "Being able to host this large multinational exercise is great for us but to find HMS Hunter whilst doing so makes it very special indeed. We remain close allies and are eternally grateful to those who helped preserve our freedom."

HMS Hunter was an H-Class Destroyer of 1,880 Tonnes, armed with 4.7inch (119mm) guns and 2 x 4 Torpedo Tubes. She had a crew of approximately 145 at the time of sinking. She was sunk at approx 0530 hrs GMT with 110 killed on board. The Germans lost four destroyers during the first Battle of Narvik, whilst the Allies lost HMS Hunter and HMS Hardy.

Read the full story of S/m John Hague and HMS Hunter.

05.03.08

Ex-RN SSK back in service after emergency repairs.

Canada's lone operating submarine is back in the water after getting some repairs in Florida. HMCS Corner Brook (ex HMS Ursula) had a problem with its battery ventilation fans, navy spokeswoman Lt.-Cmdr. Marie-Claude Gagne said on Monday.

She said the repairs were done during a scheduled stop in Mayport, Florida. The submarine docked on February 22 and was there for 10 days, she said. Lt.-Cmdr. Gagne said officials normally say very little about submarine operations. In fact, a submariner told The Chronicle Herald that Corner Brook's crew signed a declaration of secrecy prior to leaving in early February for three months at sea.

Corner Brook is one of four Victoria-class submarines Canada bought from Britain in the late 1990s. Canada has had trouble with them ever since, including a fatal fire aboard HMCS Chicoutimi in October 2004. The fire damage is not slated to be repaired until 2010, and Chicoutimi is being used for spare parts. HMCS Victoria is undergoing a major refit in Esquimalt, B.C., while HMCS Windsor is undergoing repairs and upgrades in Halifax.

04.03.08

Browne thanks UK's busiest search and rescue team.

Defence Secretary Des Browne delivered his personal thanks to the men and women of the UK's busiest search and rescue station, HMS Gannet, on Friday 29 February 2008.

In 2007, the Royal Navy's Search and Rescue team at HMS Gannet, based at Prestwick, Scotland, responded to a total of 359 call outs - almost one a day - rescuing 349 people, of which 286 were casualties. The previous annual record was held by RAF Chivenor for 2006 with 293 call outs transporting 213 casualties. Gannet's 2007 figures are a 30 per cent increase on their own 2006 figures of 269 call outs and 303 rescues.

And in the first eight weeks of 2008, it appears that this trend is set to continue, as the team has undertaken 49 call outs, rescuing 50 people. In one week alone recently, Gannet completed 12 sorties, 10 of which were to stranded or injured walkers and climbers; four of those 10 were to Ben Nevis, two of them on the same day. Gannet had already broken Scottish records, but with the release of the official UK-wide statistics, it has become clear that Scotland's unique terrain of the rugged west coast, mountains, islands, rivers, forests, lochs and glens have fuelled an unprecedented number of call outs.

Defence Secretary Des Browne said: "The staff of our search and rescue stations around Britain, whether Royal Navy, RAF or HM Coastguard, put their lives at risk on a regular basis to save others. For the men and women at HMS Gannet in 2007 this equated to a call out for almost every day of the year - an astonishing statistic. They are to be commended for the excellent work which they do above the land and sea of Scotland's west coast and the north of England, and I am delighted to have been able to talk to these highly skilled rescuers in person and to personally thank them for their efforts."

04.03.08

Aircraft Carriers progress with £70 million contracts.

MoD contracts worth over £70million for the supply of steel and other important equipment for the two new Royal Navy aircraft carriers were announced today by Defence Minister Baroness Taylor.

Contracts have been placed for:

The supply of over 80,000 tonnes of steel for the manufacture of the two ships with an estimated value of £65 million; the same amount required for Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 and three times that for Wembley Stadium;
The supply of Blown Fibre Optic Cable Plant (BFOCP) technology for the installation of optical cables for data transfer within the ships at a cost in excess of £3 million;
Reverse osmosis equipment which will produce over 500 tonnes of fresh water daily for up to 1,450 personnel onboard the ships, valued at over £1 million;
Aviation fuel systems equipment to allow the fuelling and de-fuelling of embarked aircraft at a contract value of approximately £4 million.

Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Baroness Taylor, said: "Today's announcement is a further signal of our commitment to the new aircraft carriers, which will be the nation's flagships. The construction of the carriers is good for British industry overall, bringing work not only to our principal shipyards but, as these contracts for £70M show, to other industries across the UK."

Project Team Leader, Rear Admiral Bob Love said "We are delighted with the reaction we have had from industry in terms of their keenness to support this significant project. These orders take us further along the path to commencing build work within the yards."

24.02.08

Falklands veteran goes for breaking after 44 years.

She was built at the Fairfield shipyard in Glasgow (Now BAE Systems Govan) in 1964 and served with British forces until 1989. Now as GLENN BRAVEHEART the ship formerly known as SIR LANCELOT, which saw service in the Falklands campaing in 1982, is finally going to her last resting place, the breakers in Bangladesh. Lauched at the Govan yard on 25th June 1963 she was completed in January the following year and went into service with the British Arny initially. In 1970 she transferred completely to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and remained with them until 1989 when she was sold to commercial interests in South Africa and renamed LOWLAND LANCER.

In 1992 she was purchased by the Republic of Singapor Navy and commissioned in 1994 as RSS PERSEVERANCE following a refit. Glenn Defense Marine (Asia) Pte Ltd of Singapore took over the vessel in 2003 and renamed her GLENN BRAVEHEART, a fitting name given her Scottish roots. Glenn provides support to navies in the Asian region and has been operating for over 60 years.

20.02.08

HMS Bulwark remembers Operation Alphabet.

The Devonport based amphibious assault ship HMS Bulwark has conducted a service of remembrance to commemorate the sailors, marines and airmen who were killed during one of World War 2’s most costly naval battles.

On the afternoon of 8 June 1940 units forming part of Operation Alphabet, the evacuation of Allied forces from Norway, were intercepted in the Norwegian Sea by the German battle-cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. “I am honoured that HMS Bulwark has been able to meet the wishes of the families of those killed and pay tribute to the men who died in these waters over 65 years ago.” The aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and her escorting destroyers, HM Ships Acasta and Ardent had been tasked to return to Scapa Flow with a cargo of evacuated personnel and equipment. Intercepted late in the afternoon by the battle-cruisers, the ensuing battle lasted for a little over 2 hours with all three British ships subsequently being sunk by gunfire. The cost in terms of life was huge; over 1500 personnel of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force were lost. There were only 39 survivors.

Bulwark, in company with HMS Cornwall and RFA Mounts Bay, is currently taking part in a large multinational amphibious exercise in and around the seas off Norway. The ship had been asked by the families of some of those who died to mark the occasion as the Task Group transited through the very same waters in which Glorious, Acasta and Ardent were sunk. Members of the ship’s company gathered on the Flight Deck in freezing conditions to watch Bulwark’s Executive Warrant Officer, Russ Williams, drop a wreath over the side in memory of all those who died; Bulwark’s Chaplain, Tim Wilkinson, officiated at the service.

29.01.07

Blackpool chosen to hold National Veterans Day

Minister for Veterans, Derek Twigg announced today that Blackpool has been chosen to hold this year's National Veterans Day event. During a ceremony at the Imperial War Museum in London, Mr Twigg also announced that eligibility to apply for the HM Armed Forces Veterans Badge and UK Merchant Seafarers Veterans Badge has been extended to include all those who have served in UK Armed Forces. This means that veterans of the ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are now eligible.

With the establishment of an annual Veterans Day, June 27 is our chance to recognise the achievements of those veterans who live amongst us.

The third annual Veterans Day on 27 June 2008 is a chance for the nation to recognise the contribution made by veterans of all ages in conflicts both past and present. A large number of Veterans Day events, ranging in size, will be taking place across the UK during the summer.

Derek Twigg, Under Secretary of State for Defence and Veterans Minister, said: "We have had a number of excellent bids to host this year's celebrations, but after careful consideration Blackpool Council's efforts stood out. I congratulate them on the excellence of their bid. Veterans are of all ages with a variety of different backgrounds, and they all deserve our recognition. Not only have they honoured their commitment to defend our country's interests in Service, they have also used their skills and experiences to enrich their local communities. With the establishment of an annual Veterans Day, June 27 is our chance to recognise the achievements of those veterans who live amongst us."

Blackpool Council has planned nine days of veterans' events to pay tribute to the contributions veterans make to their community. Exciting attractions include an Aero GP where veteran pilots will compete in performing demonstrations of dog fighting and target bombing, and a Veterans Badge Challenge in which veterans will attempt to climb Blackpool Tower, and dive to the bottom of a shark tank to retrieve their badges. The Ministry of Defence has pledged to fund £25K towards the cost of Blackpool's celebrations. Funding is also available to support numerous other events taking place throughout the UK. The deadline for applying for funding to support Veteran's Day events is 31 May 2008.