The Black Duke has sailed from Devonport on a seven-month tour of duty in the Middle East.
The frigate left the West Country today to relieve HMS Diamond in the Gulf and environs – a mission which will keep her 215-strong sailors and Royal Marines away from home till the spring.
Pictures: LA(Phot) Rob Gillies, FRPU West
THE Sailor King stands watch as the Black Duke leaves the safe waters of the Hamoaze bound for the troubled waters of the Middle East.
HMS Monmouth has sailed from Devonport for a seven-month stint east of Suez, taking over from destroyer HMS Diamond.
Her principal mission is to patrol the Gulf and work with the UK’s allies and friendly navies in the region.
The frigate’s also due to conduct counter-piracy/smuggling/drug and people-trafficking patrols once through the man-made waterway between the Levant and the world beyond.
She goes there with 215 souls aboard – including a Royal Marines detachment to carry out board and search operations, plus a Lynx Flight from 815 Naval Air Squadron.
Following an intense period of pre-deployment training, the ship’s company have spent their last week in Plymouth stocking up on stores to see them through their time away.
As well as additional ammunition and machinery spares, they have loaded large quantities of Christmas decorations and games to boost morale whilst away – it’ll be spring before they’re back in Devon.
“Every one of us is very proud to do the job we chose, even if that means being half way around the world protecting our country over Christmas.” said AB(CIS) Nick ‘Errol’ Flynn.
“It will be very hard being away from loved ones, friends and families, particularly as this is my first major deployment, but the command do their best to help us keep our spirits up with welfare support, time off and time ashore when they can.”
His Commanding Officer Cdr Gordon Ruddock added: “HMS Monmouth departs the UK fully prepared to carry out our important tasking and any additional tasking given to us by the British government.
“After a demanding period of training and work-up, my Ship’s company are eager to make a contribution to enhancing the security and stability in the region.”
As for the Sailor King, well the statue of King William IV (who also ‘enjoyed’ the other, rather unfair, nickname of Silly Billy) stands next to the famous covered slip in Devonport’s South Yard.
It’s actually a fibre-glass replica of the original statue, a figurehead removed from the ‘ship of the line’ HMS Royal William when she was converted to steam power around 1860.
