| Ship's Diary |
| During her time at sea, HMS Endurance will be sending back regular diaries to keep us all up to date with what is happening on this deployment. Use the links below to read extracts from the diary. |
| End of Work Period 2 |
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So the 2nd of 3 work periods draws to an end, and the half way point of the deployment is almost here. A short work period, just 3 weeks, it barely seems that we have left the Falkland Islands after New Year, and we are back again. Having experienced some stunning scenery down around the Antarctic Peninsula, we are all now looking forward to the third work period and pushing deep into the Weddell Sea.
We have achieved most of what we set out to do for this work period. We lifted the BAS science teams in and out of their research sites, before finally depositing them to set up camp for the next 6 weeks on James Ross Island, from where we will collect them on our return journey from the Weddell. We managed to visit almost all the intended bases, bar 2, simply because the restricted facilities for aircraft landing simply meant that as there was an important visiting dignitary, who’s aircraft was landed, there was no capacity to land our helo at the site. Still much basic information was gathered, and despite a few language problems warm welcomes were offered by most of the personnel. Foreign Commonwealth Officer, Deputy Director Polar regions, Jane Rumble returned to the Falklands by one of the small BAS aircraft. This brought down the both Lt Boardman, our much missed DLSO (Deputy Logistics and Supply Officer) who had been home for compassionate reasons, and Commander Salisbury, the Commanding Officer of 815 Squadron at Yeovilton, home of our embarked 212 flight. Cdr Salisbury was taking the opportunity to see how his personnel were performing the tasks for which they are trained in some of the most isolated and extreme flying conditions that the RN operates in.
The ship was lucky enough to have Lt Cdr Andy Griffiths, The Fleet Education Officer on board for the work period. The RN offers many opportunities for personal learning and development, and sea time is often a fantastic opportunity to start a language, or a GCSE, or even learn some typing skills, when off watch, as we are far removed from the demands on our time that family and home life bring. Lt Cdr Griffiths conducted a number of one to one interviews on board, with personnel keen to extend their skills, or looking to improve job opportunities on going outside. He also commenced a GCSE Spanish class, and installed in the ship a series of 4 laptops, and CD-ROM based learning centre, which will be available to all the ships company throughout the deployment. On arrival back in the Falklands there was one more hurdle before we could get ashore. The FOST Continuation Training Team. Flown down to give us, HMS LEEDS CASTLE, HMS GLASGOW and RFA GOLD ROVER a run through their paces, they embarked on HMS ENDURANCE on Friday the 23rd Jan. A morning of training, followed by a long afternoon of a main machinery space fire exercise was our lot. The exercise was carried to completion with the machinery space reclaimed after the fire was out, and the ‘casualties’ in the lynx ready for evacuation. Lucky MEM Moyce, joined the ship with the FOST staff, and was nobbled instantly as a casualty. He suffered the joys of a ‘head injury’ and then was strapped into a Neil Robertson stretcher, manhandled around the ship, transferred into a lightweight stretcher, and manhandled further around the ship, out onto the upper deck and into the helo. Not the usual first day on board! It was long day for all the Ships Company but some useful lessons were learned. The next day we went to a buoy off Stanley, and made the most of the opportunity to get the ships company ashore even briefly. The ships football team, lost in a spirited game to a Stanley team, which was well supported by both locals and the ships company. The last opportunity for shopping for 6 weeks was upon us, and the local shops took on the appeal of Oxford Street to the retail deprived Ships Company. The last gizzits to send home, postcards, luxury snacks to satisfy those cravings, were brought back on board by the carrier bag, and the break from the ship, even if for a few short hours was appreciated by all. The RM detachment took the opportunity to embark upon a 3 day 100km yomp across the Falklands. Harder than it sounds the going is extremely rough, and the team were likely to have to go through the night to achieve the target time. There are few opportunities whilst deployed with ENDURANCE for the detachment to achieve expedition style training, and every opportunity is taken. Stanley also proved the embarkation point of the Commodore of the Portsmouth Flotilla (COMPORFLOT) Commodore Twitchen, who, had come out to visit us, the GLASGOW, LEEDS CASTLE, and GOLD ROVER. One of his first tasks on board was to resent a Long Service and Good Conduct medal to PO Paul Oliver, the communications specialist on board, upon whom we all rely for sending and receiving emails, amongst other communications to the outside world. After the ceremony on the bridge Cdre Twitchen then attended a lunch party hosted by the CO, and attended by the Governor of the Falkland islands, and a number of other local key personnel. The Governor was presented by the ship with a montage of the ENDURANCE and the Falkland Islands, to mark the special relationship, which the ship has with the Islanders.
The transit time of the ship was an opportunity for Cdre Twitchen to meet most of the ships company and talk to them about key issues affecting them personally and the RN as a whole. We joined HMS GLASGOW and HMS LEEDS CASTLE in Mare Harbour (East Cove, at around 1600), and began the usual transfer of stores and equipment, that extended into a busy 24 hours. Cdre Twitchen disembarked, as did Cdr Salisbury, the FEDO, and we reembarked our sore but successful booties. On the Monday we were pleased to reembark personnel who had been home on Topmast. In particular the return of two stewards was greatly appreciated. The ship normally operates with 7, a CPO Steward, two leading stewards, and 4 stewards. Due to illness and other unforeseen circumstances the last 3 weeks the wardroom has been run by 3: the CPO and two. Not only have they provided an excellent service at below half their normal staffing level, they have risen to every occasion with extra personnel being brought into the wardroom at short notice, and organising and staffing the social events of the few days in the Falklands: the COs lunch Party, the Commodores lunch with junior officers, the Cocktail party, and a dinner party for the COs of GLASGOW and LEEDS CASTLE. A very large thank you needs to go to these three individuals, CPO Steward Dungey, LSTD Clarke, and Std Scott. Well done and Thank You. And so with a short opportunity for some to unwind, but mostly to resupply over, we are set to deploy back to the Antarctic. A short, but busy work period over, we now settle into a long transit down to the Weddell Sea, and back to the ice.
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