Royal UK Navy mine hunter, HMS Ramsey, returned to her home port of HM Naval Base Clyde on August 29 after spending three years in the Gulf.
Sailing the ship as it made its way up Gare Loch were Crew 2 from Faslane’s First Mine Counter Measures Squadron (MCM1) who have served with the advanced vessel for the past eight months.
Lieutenant Commander Ashley Spencer, the Commanding Officer of HMS Ramsey said: “For those of us in the mine hunting community, it is relatively rare to sail a ship back home. The ships usually stay out in the Gulf and the crews rotate on average every six months, flying out to join the vessel and then flying back when their tour is complete and they have handed-over to another crew.
“It makes sense to operate this way, but it means we often miss one of the poignant highlights of a deployment – bringing a ship back into port for a homecoming.”
HMS Ramsey left Faslane in May 2011 for service in the Gulf with Crew 2 joining the ship in January 2014 – an especially long deployment for the crew of a mine hunter.
At any one time the Royal Navy has four mine hunters working in the Gulf, safe guarding the waterways for all shipping in the area.
While there, the vessels conduct routine surveys, sea-bed clearance and mine clearance operations. The ships provide a visible naval presence in the region where stability and good relations with local nations is vital.
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Press Release, September 01, 2014; Image: UK Navy