Two Welsh-affiliated Royal Naval units have met up far from the Valleys in the warm waters of the Middle East. Trafalgar class submarine HMS Trenchant, affiliated with the town of Llanelli, and Type 23 frigate HMS Monmouth, affiliated with her namesake town, each made time within their busy programmes to spend a few hours training together.
The rendezvous also allowed some members from each of the ships’ companies a rare opportunity to swap roles and experience life above or beneath the waves respectively.
Lieutenant Ian Shropshall Royal Navy, Operations Officer onboard HMS Trenchant, showed his appreciation for some time “up top”. He said:
“Monmouth’s Ship’s Company were excellent hosts and made us feel very welcome. It is always good to see how another part of the RN does its business.
“It makes quite a change in the middle of our deployment to have so much space, fresh air and sunshine!”
Leading Engineering Technician (LET) Steve “Lucy” Pinder from HMS Monmouth – who has hopes of joining the Submarine Service, said:
“This was a fantastic opportunity to experience life underwater first-hand.
“The crew of Trenchant was very hospitable and I look forward to joining their branch in the future. I was particularly interested in the differences in weapons systems.”
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, December 13, 2012; Image: Royal Navy