Earl of Wessex in Royal Fleet Auxiliary tribute
14 Jun 07
His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex has been paying tribute to the work of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) during a visit to the Falkland Islands twenty five years after the end of the 1982 conflict.
Capt Tony McNally and His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex onboard RFA Gold Rover
[Picture: Harland Quarrington]
Prince Edward is in the Falkland Islands to represent Her Majesty the Queen during a series of events to mark the 25th anniversary of the conflict.
On a gloriously bright but icily cold morning, Prince Edward, in his recently created role as Commodore in Chief, Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), paid a visit to RFA Gold Rover to sail from Port William Sound, Stanley to Fitzroy.
With the Prince safely on board, Gold Rover set off to rendezvous with HMS Edinburgh to demonstrate a Replenishment at Sea (RAS) exercise. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian manned fleet of ships, which exist to supply the Royal Navy's ships at sea with fuel and provisions, and this was HRH's first opportunity to pay a sea visit to an RFA vessel and see it in action.
A Royal Navy Lynx helicopter performs a flypast for Prince Edward
[Picture: Harland Quarrington]
HMS Edinburgh, crewed for this occasion with HMS Exeter's ship's company, came alongside with a flourish, firing off a few rounds from her 50mm cannon in salute, the shells skipping along the surface of the water, and out to sea.
When the exercise had been successfully completed, Edinburgh's Lynx helicopter performed a flypast and, after an impressive display of machine gun fire, took a salute from the prince. The aircraft replied with a trademark high angle aerial bow:
"This is the first time I have been on this end of a 'RAS' and the operation was very impressive," explained Prince Edward. "It has been a very good day, a bit of a shock flying straight from midsummer in the UK to midwinter here, but HMS Edinburgh kindly put on a few extra diversions for us."
"The Royal Navy simply wouldn't be able to operate without the RFA, who are becoming an increasingly vital asset. Destroyers like Edinburgh would not be able to operate down here if it were not for Gold Rover."
His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex
Twenty-two RFA vessels provided support to the Task Force in 1982 and played an integral part in liberating the Falkland Islands. Prince Edward was keen to acknowledge the Fleet's important role to today's Armed Forces:
"The Royal Navy simply wouldn't be able to operate without the RFA, who are becoming an increasingly vital asset. Destroyers like Edinburgh would not be able to operate down here if it were not for Gold Rover."
RFA Gold Rover's commanding officer, Captain Tony McNally had been navigator on board RFA Sir Bedevere in 1982:
"Luck had been on our side. Although we were hit a few times, the shells passed straight through the ship. Nothing can prepare you for an air attack. When it happened all you could do was shut your eyes, cross your fingers, and when it's over you stand up and carry on."
His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex at the wreath laying ceremony for those who died at Fitzroy
[Picture: Corporal Matt Reid]
Following the RAS demonstration on board RFA Gold Rover Prince Edward boarded a Sea King helicopter for the short journey to Fitzroy for a wreath laying ceremony in memory of RFA Sir Galahad and the Welsh Guards who had died aboard her.
He was joined by Minister for the Armed Forces, Adam Ingram, Falkland Islands Governor His Excellency Alan Huckle and Commander in Chief Air Command, Air Chief Marshal Sir Clive Loader as well as Falkland Islanders, veterans of the 1982 conflict and relatives of some of those killed in what was described as the 'blackest day' for British forces during that period.