One Show presenter Alex Jones and Olympic gold medallist Sally Gunnell paid a visit to Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, in Cornwall yesterday and received a very challenging welcome.

The One Show’s ‘Olympic Flame Special’ will come live from the end of a runway at the Naval Air Station on Friday 18th May. In preparation for this Friday’s programme, Culdrose put Alex and Sally through an Olympic style challenge including the types of training that Naval personnel go through before being deployed to the frontline. The pair learnt about life in the Fleet Air Arm – the Royal Navy’s Flying Force and found the challenges very tough and very wet. Watch the programme on BBC One at 7pm on Friday to find out who won the competition.

Alex and Sally competed against each other in a series of challenges including:

• The Rat Run – used by Royal Navy Sailors for fire incident training. The claustrophobic maze of 75cm square cages represent access into a burning ship, aircraft or building.
• Aircraft Marshalling – Royal Navy Flight Deck Handlers have to move 15 tonne Merlin and Sea King helicopters onto flight-decks by marshalling pilots with hand signals. The real flight deck operators do this in all types of conditions with the ship pitching and rolling too.
• Life Raft Challenge – Should an aircraft encounter trouble and the crew be forced to ditch into the ocean – miles from land, they have the equipment onboard to save their lives. Sally and Alex had to use inflatable life rafts and swim to safety.

Chris Evans and Alex Jones will host the special hour long ‘The One Show’ outside broadcast as the Olympic Flame arrives into the country from Athens on a golden aircraft. The programme will ‘simulcast’ with the BBC News Channel from 7:30 pm for the Torch Arrival Ceremony. The Olympic Flame will be accompanied by Lord Coe plus some very special guests. BBC News Channel’s Sophie Raworth will interview Lord Coe and the special guests before the flame is transferred to a Cauldron.

The One Show have already started building their studio at the end of the main runway at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose for this momentous occasion. Presenters Chris and Alex will be joined by a surprise celebrity guest and Lucy Siegle will be in the Culdrose Air Traffic Control Tower as the flame arrives. Also featuring will be some former Olympians, local torchbearers and members of the local community scattered throughout the audience.

Newly qualified Royal Naval submariners have been presented with their ‘Dolphin’ badges by a World War Two veteran ‘hero’..

The sailors of the Plymouth-based submarine HMS Trenchant were honoured to be presented with the customary badge in the form of two dolphins by fellow submariner Lieutenant Commander Robert Read, 92, (retired).

Rob was a former navigator of a previous HMS Trenchant submarine in 1944 and 1945 and presented the badges to the sailors on board the Trafalgar class submarine at HM Naval Base Devonport. He was a returning as a familiar guest, having attended the launch in 1986 and commissioning into the Royal Navy in 1989 of the current HMS Trenchant.

The current HMS Trenchant Executive Officer (second in command) Lieutenant Commander Jeff Fillmore said: “The award of the Dolphins is the culmination of weeks of hard work and learning in order to qualify as a member of an exclusive group within the Armed Forces. It is an exciting day in the career of all submariners when they are finally awarded their Dolphins, so it was with much excitement that the lucky men of HMS Trenchant were able to receive their Dolphins from a man who was a submariner long before they were even born.”

After the traditional award ceremony Rob addressed the crew. He said: “To say I am overwhelmed is quite an understatement. To you chaps I was proud to present your Dolphins.

“I know you will wear them with pride and honour. Now that you are members of the trade you are members of the finest submarine service in the world. I wish you all good luck in the future and I know that you and you shipmates will uphold the good name of trenchant. God forbid if push comes to shove I know that you will add honour and glory such as we acquired in 1944 and 1945. I wish you all the best of luck in the future, gods speed and smooth sailing. As you have your leave with your loved ones enjoy it and be certain to say “I love you” frequently. On a personal note, I stand here, very humbly in awe and admiration. I am proud to be able to say, I salute you Trenchant. Thank you.”

Rob joined the former HMS Trenchant when it was still being built in 1944 and had a hand in the building work. He said: “I had the last few months when she was in building. I was on the bridge one day seeing how things were and one of the dockyard workers was busy with a chisel. So I said ‘Just let me cut the side of the bridge’ He let me do that so I had some part in actually building Trenchant.

He said the modern HMS Turbulent was a lot wider though about the same length as his submarine and also had more ladders to negotiate.

Lt Cdr Jeff Fillmore said: “It is often said that you should be wary of meeting your heroes as they don’t always measure up in real life. Anyone who says that has not met Robert Read. The expectation of meeting a man who battled in a war that encompassed the entire globe, a man who helped sink the Japanese battle cruiser Ashigira preventing 1,000 troops, landing and sunk a German U-Boat supporting the Japanese, fills any submariner with a sense of awe. That sense is surpassed instantly on meeting the man who tells these stories of daring and heroism in such a way that they seem to be a normal order of business. Maybe that is what makes him such a hero and that is why Robert Read and his shipmates are such an inspiration to submariners today.”

A rapturous welcome from cheering banner-waving families greeted the sailors of the Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose (Friday 11th) for their home-coming to Plymouth from a 6.5-month deployment to the South Atlantic.

The ship sailed into Plymouth Naval Base to a seven-gun salute with 29 Commando at Plymouth Citadel. HMS Montrose and 29 Commando Royal Artillery have shared a long affiliation and a Scottish lone piper will play on the ship’s bridge wing.

A crowd of over 700 cheering families and friends and Plymouth’s Royal Marine Band hailed the crew from flying the flag as a significant reassuring naval presence to the UK’s Overseas Territories as the Atlantic Patrol Task South ship protecting and promoting UK interests in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Among the happy crowd on the jetty waiting for her father Warrant Officer Glen Harris was Jude White, aged eight weeks, who was born during the ship’s deployment. She was in the arms of her mother Tracey White until scooped into his arms by Glen Harris as he stepped of his ship. Glen, of Torquay, said: “It is lovely to see Jade again, she was only two weeks old when I left her. I was allowed to fly home from South Africa for the birth, but hard to tear myself away again. She has grown in six weeks and looks very well.’’

Leading Steward Jason Bradshaw was overwhelmed by the welcome from his extended family nieces Tiffany, Tamzin, 10, Jade, 12, and Chloe, nephews Daine, 5, and Ronan, 8, and daughters Macy, 12, all from Ipswich, and Caitlin, from Helston, Cornwall. His brother Craig and Regan and sister Heidi were joined by his girlfriend Celia and his mum and dad Christine and Gary. Celia said: “It’s a true family welcome. It’s fantastic to see Jason again. I have been counting every day down since he left.”

Leading seaman Matthew Gibson, of Plymouth, was hugged on the jetty by his wife Jo and their children Emily, 20 months, and William 6 months. Jo said: “It’s been hard work bringing up two young children. Matthew was allowed to stay behind to see William born. It’s great to have him back.”

Leading seaman Sean Starkie was greeted by his wife Kerry and their first child Jessica, 4 months. Sean said: “It was so important for me to see Jessica born before joining the ship on deployment. But I could not wait to see her again. She has grown a lot. The deployment was also very good with highlights being New Orleans and seeing the basketball and the cricket in Bermuda.”

The ship’s commanding officer Commander Jonathan Lett said: “Having navigated over 35,000 nautical miles, patrolled in three oceans, visited five continents and six British Overseas Territories there is a real sense of achievement amongst my ship’s company. From the frozen wastes of the South Sandwich Islands to the tropical paradise of Bermuda we have faced some significant challenges but the team can be justifiably proud of a job well done.”

He added: “My ship’s company are clearly glad to be home and back with their families after six and a half months away. I am fully aware that much of what we achieved would not have been possible without the support of our loved ones. After a long deployment it is vitally important that everyone has the opportunity to take leave, spend time with their families and friends and essentially re-charge their batteries in advance of the next challenge.”

HMS Montrose deployed on a wet and windy 24 October last year, and was waved off from Devil’s Point by nearly 200 family and friends who braved the late autumn weather. Since then she has travelled 35,336 miles and visited 13 different ports. She has also navigated in and around interesting locations, including rounding Cape Horn, patrolling sub-Antarctic Islands until blocked by ice and then finally transiting the Magellan Straits and the Panama Canal.

Of the United Kingdom’s 14 remaining overseas territories, HMS Montrose stopped at six, Ascension, St Helena, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Tristan da Cuhna and most recently Bermuda ,a record matched by few ships in recent years.

On Ascension Island 30 sailors completed the Dew Pond Run. One of Runners World Magazine’s “twenty runs to do before you die,” this arduous 7 mile course takes runners from sea level to the summit of Green Mountain and is certainly not for the fainthearted. HMS Montrose was the first Royal Navy warship in six years to visit St Helena which can only be reached by sea.

This theme was upheld during the ship’s visit to New Orleans to mark 100 days to the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games by conducting a 100 metre dash along the jetty and to take part in the commemoration of the 1812 war. Alongside ships from the USA, France, and Canada as well as tall ships from Ecuador, Indonesia and the US Coast Guard, Montrose opened herself up to some 2,300 visitors over a course of a week and her sailors were welcomed both ashore and by the other participating navies.

In the Falkland Islands the crew visited residents, learned about the wildlife and voluntarily renovated war memorials prior to conducting Services of Remembrance. The journey down to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands was one of the most memorable parts of the whole deployment.

Commander Lett said: “South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are some of the most unique and beautiful places on earth. The variety of wildlife and harshness of the environment combine to ensure that no-one who has visited will ever forget the experience. It is also important for those who are resident on the Islands to know that we can and do reassure them of our presence and that they are not forgotten in such a remote location”.

HMS Montrose has been away during Christmas and Easter but did not prevent the crew from doing their best to mark the occasions in traditional style. Four babies have been born to members of the crew and two people have become engaged. The ship burnt about 2,703 tonnes of fuel – enough to fill 53,000 family cars, consumed 56,452 Kgs of food in the form of 111,120 meals and received 670 sacks of mail – over three sacks for every sailor on board.

Major Jon Cresswell from 29 Commando said: It is with great pleasure that once again we are able to welcome our affiliated frigate and colleagues from HMS Montrose back after their challenging deployment to the South Atlantic. Firing a salute to HMS Montrose across the waters of Plymouth Sound is always a brilliant spectacle for the City of Plymouth. We very much look forward to welcoming HMS Montrose home as part of our larger Regimental Family in this very special year where we celebrate our fiftieth anniversary as Commando Gunners and look forward to the ship’s company joining the party. “

The crew will have a much needed period of leave and the ship will undergo an intensive maintenance package before returning to operational duties later in the year.

The crew of the Plymouth-based warship HMS Monmouth welcomed its new commanding officer during a traditional ceremony.

Commander Gordon Ruddock addressed his new ship’s company at the event on board the Type 23 frigate berthed at HM Naval Base Devonport having received a command hand-over from out-going commanding officer Commander Gordon Ruddock.

Cdr Ruddock said how proud he was to be commanding a ship with a distinguished line of former ships of the same name and to be leading a crew of proven ability.

He emphasised the importance of operational capability for the ship and its equipment and for the ship’s company and personally and collectively. This was especially vital in an ever-changing and unpredictable world where the ship could be called on at any time and any place to operate at high levels of readiness.

Cdr Ruddock said previous ships named HMS Monmouth had shown the way forward by the top battle honours they had won. Their example showed how the battles could be lost and lives lost if the ship and her crew were not at operational peak form.

Each one of his crew should daily ask themselves what they had done to improve operational capability, he said while addressing them for the first time in the flight hangar on board.

In terms of individuals, in order to operate at the expected high level on patrol, on exercise and in combat and other times of high readiness personnel should be well trained, educated, fit, healthy and concentrated on missions. To accomplish the latter their family and work lives should be balanced and families aware of the expectations on both sides.

Cdr Bassett, who leaves to join the Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood, praised a gathering of his ship’s company for the last time for their operational excellence before joining a farewell sail-past as his former crew lined the ship’s side.

The commands of frontline warships change regularly to maintain skilled captains fresh for the challenge and to keep the promotion process evolving. HMS Monmouth is now due to undergo tough operational training under the staff of Plymouth-based Flag Officer Sea Training.

Cdr Ruddock was educated at Methodist College Belfast, Gordon Ruddock embarked on his career in the Royal Navy in 1991. Following training in HM Ships Bristol, Peacock, Avenger and on Active, and on completion of professional courses, he joined the trained strength as an Officer of the Watch in HMS Brilliant in 1993.

Subsequent navigation assignments to HMS Guernsey, and HMS Exeter were interrupted by an appointment as Flag Lieutenant to Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland from 1996 to 1998. Whilst serving as Navigation Officer of HMS Exeter he was selected for sea command and was appointed as commanding officer of HMS Puncher and University of London Royal Naval Unit in 2000, where he spent the next two years exposing university students to the business of the Royal Navy.

On completion of principal warfare officer’s course, co-incident with promotion to lieutenant commander, he completed an assignment as gunnery and operations officer of HMS St Albans and on qualification as an air warfare officer in 2005 he returned to sea as operations officer of HMS Gloucester and subsequently as senior warfare officer of HMS Ark Royal, whilst she was re-roled as an helicopter carrier.

Further sea command beckoned and he assumed command of mine countermeasure groups in 2009, conducting two deployments in HMS Atherstone. This appointment also included a short period in command of HMS Ledbury between East of Suez tours. In 2011, short appointments to the staff of Flag Officer Sea Training in Faslane, as deputy commander sea training, and the Joint Services Command and Staff College, as directing staff in the Royal Navy Division, gave him a taste of the broad spectrum of training and education in the Armed Forces. He was promoted to commander last January.

Gordon is a keen long distance runner over all types of terrain and a very amateur guitar player. However, his greatest passion is cricket and he is a keen supporter of Hampshire CCC. No longer a player, he is an ECB Level 1 umpire and he stands in matches for Portsmouth and Southsea CC and the RNCC.

Plymouth-based Royal Navy warships HMS Bulwark and HMS Ocean have played a pivotal role in rehearsing the Olympic security operation in the South West.

HMS Bulwark, the RN flagship and amphibious command and control vessel took part in Exercise Olympic Guardian earlier in the week, operating as the civil authority maritime command and control HQ at sea near the Jurassic coastline of Dorset, close to the 2012 Olympic sailing venues of Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour. Today HMS Ocean exercised on the Thames.

The first phase of the exercise involving HMS Bulwark saw key staff from the Dorset Police Authority and 26 other police authorities working alongside teams from the Maritime Coastguard Agency, RNLI, regional civil authorities, representatives from the London Organisation Committee for the Olympic Games and military forces.

The first of the three-phase exercise serials covering security to Olympic venues in London and the South began on Tuesday and featured numerous Naval military assets including HMS Bulwark, Royal Marines from the embarked Assault Force, 43 Commando Royal Marines (Fleet Protection Group), Merlin helicopters from 814 Naval Air Squadron, P2000 craft from 1 Patrol Boat Squadron, boats from 10 Training Squadron Royal Marines and the Southern Diving Unit Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams along with operational analysts and military trainer observers to assess and evaluate the success of the exercise.

The exercise marks the culmination of over a year’s planning and preparation to provide competitors and the general public with a safe, secure environment in which the Olympic sailing events can take place in July and August. Approximately 600 military personnel and 80 civilians trained over the week at sea. The civilian organisations provided many experienced operational controllers to support the Olympics operations team embarked in the large command and control facilities available on HMS Bulwark.

HMS Bulwark commanding officer Captain Alex Burton and the man responsible for all the military assets operating in the Dorset maritime area, offered an insight into the range of support capabilities available and added his own message of support and reassurance:

“We’re extremely honoured and lucky as a nation to be hosting these International Olympic events. HMS Bulwark’s task is to support the policing operation in a discreet manner with the provision of capabilities and resources not available to British policing. Working in a multi-agency environment is not new to the Naval Service; we regularly exercise with other nations’ forces and can provide military aid to civil authorities in one of our resilience support roles. Our military planning teams have established a strong and effective working relationship with Dorset Police over the last year. It’s always rewarding to train and exercise together to fully understand the environment we’ll be working in this summer. Together we’ll deliver a safe and secure Games in the region, it’s going to be a spectacular show.”

Together, the Olympic Guardian teams exercised a comprehensive integration of multi-agency communications systems and worked on a common understanding of operational procedures in the maritime environment, while also coordinating the surface and airborne assets, military forces and liaising with the land-based logistics support facility.

VIP guests and media joined HMS Bulwark to witness elements of the exercise serials aimed at protecting the Olympian competitors, spectators and infrastructure from any disruption. Assistant Chief Constable ACC Adrian Whiting is the Strategic Commander for the Olympic Operation in Dorset and will be based ashore at the county’s emergency HQ. On his third visit to the ship to witness the progress of the exercise, he provided a full brief to the assembled media on the intent of the exercise

ACC Whiting said: “This summer sees a once in a lifetime event for us here in Dorset. The Olympics 2012 sailing venue is also a public safety policing and security operation that we’ve been planning since 2005, when we assisted with the preparation of the successful national bid to host the Olympics. Dorset will see a huge increase in visitors coming by land or by leisure craft at sea this summer. With the additional resource provided by the military and civilian agencies, we are able to offer the right level of security at our Olympic venue. I really would encourage the public to make every effort to come to Dorset and see the Olympic sailing that will be hotly contested and very enjoyable. You should have a great time and we look forward to seeing you in Weymouth the summer.”

VIP visitors to the ship included Standing Joint Commander (SJC) General Sir Nick Parker, the military officer responsible for providing military support to civil authorities for the Olympic Games, The Chief Constable of Dorset Police, Martin Baker, Rear Admiral Ian Corder, Commander Maritime Operations and Brigadier Piers Hankinson, Joint Military Commander for Dorset. Observed the security exercise.

Captain Andrew Betton, Commanding Officer of HMS Ocean, said: “As a former Commanding Officer of HMS Westminster, a ship with such great links to London, I am particularly pleased to be bringing HMS Ocean to Greenwich to be part of the Olympics, a truly once in a generation event.

“HMS Ocean is the largest ship in the Royal Navy and is ideally suited to the task of supporting the Police in providing security for the world’s largest, most famous sporting event.

“Everyone onboard is proud to be involved in the Olympic Games and thrilled to bring our ship into the centre of London for all to see at such an important and exciting time for the city.”

At 18000 tonnes, Bulwark is one of the Royal Navy’s largest ships. Designed as a troop carrier, she has a regular ship’s complement of some 320 crew which can swell to over 1000 with the embarked forces. Capable of transporting, deploying, sustaining and recovering troops with their equipment and vehicles, she is fitted with the most modern combat support system.

The crew of the Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose have been immersing themselves in the sporting, and community life of New Orleans as part of the New Orleans 1812 Bicentennial Fleet Week.

Plymouth-based HMS Montrose played rugby against Loyola University as the culmination of the week’s sporting activity. The game at the Pan American Stadium took part under 30 degree heat. Loyola has been running a rugby team for only three years and is managing to convert many American footballers to the sport.

From the outset HMS Montrose had the upper hand as their cohesiveness and slick handling skills forced the ‘Wolves’ onto the back foot It was soon evident that defence and tackling was not a strength for the Americans as their technique was exposed by the Montrose forwards and centres. The visitors quickly began to rack up points and went into half time with a 31-0 lead thanks to five tries, three of which were converted. Devonport shifted gear and ran in another five tries without reply to conclude the game as 62-7 winners.

This was a fitting end for the Montrose team which now sees a significant portion players head to new assignments and individual performances worthy of praise include the front row of Luke Gaffney, Lieutenant Commander (Lt Cdr) Andrew Ainsley and John Brindley dominated their opponents and found themselves supporting attacks from wing to wing; back row performers AB ‘Taff’ Hadley (son of Welsh international Adrian Hadley) and Man of the Match Able Seaman (AB) ‘Zelda’ Bowyer dominated the tackle zone and were first to the breakdown; new half back pairing of captain Petty Officer (PO) ‘Doc’ Finlay and Lt Chris Fox controlled the game; whilst outside backs Engineering Technician (ET) ‘Taff’ Thomas, ET Tulakepa, ET ‘G’ Jeffrey and LPT Lee Jones scythed through the students defence time and time again with effortless ease.

The day finished with some typical New Orleans’ hosting and the Americans being taught the standard post-match ceremony of songs and awards and reciprocating by allowing the sailors to tour the fabled Bourbon Street where many new friends were made.

The countdown to the London Olympics 2012 has begun, so four sailors from HMS Montrose were joined by HM Deputy Consul General Andrew Pryce, as well as fellow sailors from the Canadian ship HMCS St Johns to mark the 100 days remaining to the opening ceremony with a special race. Mr Pryce threw down the gauntlet to see who could cover one hundred metres fastest in order to cross the finish line which took the form of an Olympic flag.

In front of an audience of British and Canadian sailors, as well as passing members of the public, the race had a very close finish, but the Royal Navy’s AB John Maher was victorious, setting a precedent which it is hoped will be repeated many times during the London2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer.

Andrew Pryce gave a valiant performance as he faced the energetic sailors from both the Royal and Canadian Navies. He said: “It was great to see our sailors and their Canadian allies’ Corinthian spirit and camaraderie looking forward to the Olympics as they demonstrated to me their enthusiasm and fitness.“

Basketball players and fans on board HMS Montrose, led by Leading Writer Judson Cupid (a member of the Royal Navy basketball team) attended a professional National Basketball Association game by invitation. Half the crew attended with the promise of a free t-shirt, the opportunity to be courtside whilst the players warmed up and to be included in a post-match team photograph after the game.

Judson said: “The staff at the New Orleans Hornets expressed their delight with the response and guaranteed we would be met at the arena and that someone would be on hand to make sure our experience was one to remember. On the day they fulfilled their promise. It was a wonderful evening of basketball backed with an exciting atmosphere created by the passion of the fans and non stop entertainment. During the game, I took a moment to scan my shipmates’ faces. Some had no idea at all what was happening on the court but were caught up in the atmosphere and having a truly great experience. I knew I had to do something in return for the club in order to say a big thank you.”

In response he arranged for ten players and staff of the Hornets to visit HMS Montrose hosted by the Petty Officer’s Mess after receiving a tour of the ship.

The ship is continuing its deployment and due back to Plymouth later this month.

Today the city of Plymouth officially accepted the honour of hosting the national Armed Forces Day celebrations for 2012 as the official flag was delivered to the city.

Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Peter Brookshaw, accepted the flag on behalf of the city and promised a first class programme of events to honour our forces past and present.

Plymouth will host the national celebrations on Saturday 30 June 2012 in a spectacular event on Plymouth Hoe which will provide a unique opportunity to see the armed forces up-close and will feature displays on land, sea and air from current personnel, veterans, cadet forces, the Merchant Navy, support agencies and charities.

The event programme, revealed today by organisers Plymouth City Council, will include the opportunity to visit HMS Argyll at anchor in the Sound, a moving Drumhead Service on the Hoe, a parade of armed forces past and present, an air show including a Typhoon and historical flights, an impressive steam past of British Naval vessels in Plymouth Sound and will culminate with a display from the spectacular Red Arrows.

There will also be a packed programme of music and entertainment including performances from the Military Wives Choir, a cadet band competition and highlights from the ever popular Music of the Night event.

Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Peter Brookshaw said: “Plymouth is incredibly honoured to have been chosen to host the 2012 national celebrations. The city has an incredibly proud naval heritage and as home to the Army and Royal Marines as well, the Armed Forces really are at the heart of the city. The event schedule is shaping up to be something really special and will be a tribute to all of those who serve, as well as all the people, agencies and charities who support them.”

Speaking on behalf of the Armed Forces, Commodore Jamie Miller of the Royal Navy said: “We are delighted that Plymouth has been chosen to host the Armed Forces Day national event this year. It has been the culmination of a lot of hard work by local people to get together a fantastic programme of events to celebrate the dedication of the nation’s armed forces and their families, as well as the many agencies that support them. The warmth and hospitality Plymouth has shown the armed forces, veterans, cadets and families over the years has been outstanding, so it is most fitting that Plymouth takes a lead role in the Armed Forces Day national celebrations for 2012.“

The Armed Forces Day national event will be the grand finale of Plymouth’s Armed Forces Week (25 to 30 May), and will see visitors from home and abroad join together in the city to honour and celebrate the dedication of our armed forces and their families.

This national event has become a regular feature in the British summer calendar, having been held in Edinburgh and Cardiff in the two previous years.

For more information on Armed Forces Day national event 2012 please visit www.armedforcesday.org.uk or www.plymouth.gov.uk/armedforcesweek

Medics preparing to support 45 Commando Royal Marines as the lead unit to react to unexpected events have sharpened their skills in a major field exercise.

Lessons learnt by Royal Navy clinicians and ground medics while deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan were brought to Royal Marine Base Chivenor in North Devon, for Exercise Green Serpent as they put their medical skills to the test running and supporting a mobile field hospital.

Called the Commando Forward Surgical Group, the state-of-the-art field hospital patches up casualties brought in from medics on the field before sending them to a standard hospital for more extensive treatment.

Royal Navy clinicians deployed at NHS hospitals around the UK could be called forward at short notice to support the CFSG which boasts an accident and emergency department, a surgical room with two operating tables and an intensive care unit. There is also a laboratory for testing blood and an ability to provide a limited number of transfusions.

“The idea of having a highly mobile hospital facility is that we can get it put up and taken down within an hour – allowing us to get our surgical teams as close to the fighting troops as possible,” said Surgeon Captain Steve Bree, RM Surgical Team’s Operational Clinical Director and consultant paediatric anaesthetist at Derriford hospital, Plymouth. He added: “45 Commando will be the lead Commando group for the next 18 months and will be poised to react to operations at very short notice. As one of the support arms, it will be our job to deploy alongside them.

“When the troops go out the CFSG provides life and limb saving surgery within two hours from the point of wounding before we then transport them on for further treatment. This facility massively improved the ability to sustain life in Afghanistan and by exercising this as part of Green Serpent we are giving our clinicians the chance to constantly develop it to suit our amphibious operations.”

The NHS cites the critical time period for medical help for a wounded patient as the ‘golden hour’ – the first 60 minutes from the moment of injury the most crucial if they are to survive their injuries.

Yet in Afghanistan that time period has lessened to the ‘platinum’ ten minutes – usually the time it takes to apply a tourniquet or blood clotting agent in the field to prolong the time a person has to reach a doctor. From there a patient must see a professional medic within 50 minutes before being moved to the CFSG for life and limb saving surgery. In severe cases patients would be transported directly to a hospital such as Bastion rather than stop off at the CFSG on route.

Surgeon Commander Andy Brown explained: “The CFSG is an interim field hospital where clinicians will do things like pack a wound to stop it bleeding or stabilise a shattered pelvis before a patient is moved to a hospital such as Bastion or the casualty receiving ship RFA Argus.”

He said: the exercise is quick damage-control work to improve the chance of that person surviving their injuries in the time it takes to get them to surgery. Patients will be moved in fast and the clinical team will stabilise injuries before being evacuated in a smooth fast-moving process.

He said: “Exercise Green Serpent is about the Medical Squadron getting on track and back to our core business which is supporting the Royal Marines in a maritime environment.”

From April 45 Commando will be providing the contingent capability – a key part of UK defence in which forces are versatile and able to respond quickly to any given scenario.

As a supporting arm the Medical Squadron pull in clinicians from hospitals across the country and send them into the field alongside 45 Commando.

One clinician on standby is consultant anaesthetist at Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth Surgeon Commander Barrie Dekker who deployed on Operation Herrick 14 last August with 3 Commando Brigade. He said: “Here in the field the hospital is completely different to what we had at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. Camp Bastion has developed into one of the first class trauma centres in the world and as a consultant we have all the equipment we would need there to perform a major resuscitation.

“The CFSG is not designed to be that type of permanent static building – in the field we have more limited resources so we do what we can to help that patient survive to reach further treatment.”

Among the 2000 service personnel at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, there are around 70 RAF personnel working in Air Traffic Control, the Fire Section, Sea King Force, and Merlin Force, (mostly in the Merlin Depth Maintenance Facility) and the UK Military Flying Training System at 750 NAS.

On Tuesday 20 March 2012 16 members of the Royal Air Forces Association from Falmouth, Penzance and Camborne/Redruth branches visited RNAS Culdrose to witness the work and some of the roles of the air station. They visited 771 Naval Air Squadron and were briefed on the Search and Rescue aspects of the squadron’s tasks and in the afternoon visited the Merlin Depth Maintenance Facility, seeing Merlin helicopters in various states of deep maintenance.

The visit concluded with a visit to 750 Naval Air Squadron where Royal Naval Observers are trained on the King Air Avenger aircraft to use the latest radar and electronic equipment to prepare them for operational deployment in military aircraft around the world.

The Royal Air Forces Association (or RAF Association), is a membership organisation and registered charity that provides welfare support to the RAF Family. The RAF Family includes all serving and ex-serving personnel and their dependants.

THE King of Norway, His Majesty King Harald V, witnessed the landing of K-Company 42 Commando Royal Marines from the Nation’s Flagship HMS Bulwark, during Exercise Cold Response this afternoon.

Exercise Cold Response is a Norwegian run multi-national exercise for NATO and Allied Nations conducted deep inside the Arctic Circle. For the men of Plymouth based K Company it is the capstone to their winter deployment. They have had the opportunity to develop core mountain and cold weather warfare skills. For the ships, they’ve refreshed their complex amphibious skills in a harsh environment.

The King, himself an Honorary Colonel in the Royal Marines, spent 90 minutes visiting the Company at their beach landing site in the Malangen Fjord. During his time he witnessed a demonstration of an amphibious attack on a beach head and took time to chat to the men, the great majority of whom have seen recent service in Afghanistan. At the end of the demonstration HMS Bulwark marked the occasion with a 21– gun salute that reverberated around the fjord.

In addition to the Royal Marines, he was able to view equipment from the Royal Netherlands Marines Corps who are training alongside K Company

Commodore Paddy McAlpine OBE, Royal Navy, who commands the United Kingdom Task Group in Norway from HMS Bulwark said “It’s a great honour to have the opportunity to demonstrate the UK’s amphibious capability to His Majesty, especially given his special ties to the Royal Marines. The visit of the King demonstrates the close bond between the UK and Norway, which goes back many years.”

Bulwark’s Commanding Officer, Captain Alex Burton said “ My ship is phenomenally versatile and in this exercise we act as the hub to bring together all the Royal Navy’s units from Royal Marines, to aircraft and ships that make up the modern-day complex battlefield.”

He added: “Today was perfect. Unusually, we had calm sunny weather to show off the complexity of amphibious operations delivered by those that do it best: The Royal Navy and Royal Marines. It is what we do and it doesn’t get much better than this”

Captain Martin Triggol, Royal Marines, who explained to King Harald how the Amphibious Beach Unit works said “He was very interested in the level of expertise required to make all this happen.”