'Important': Reflective HMS Prince of Wales sailor looks back on Russia aircraft incident
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The 65,000 tonne warship was greeted with rousing cheers as crowds lined up to see her
Junior members assigned to the Royal Navy flagship have described what it was like to serve on the first phase of a major deployment.
Members of HMS Prince of Wales’ ship’s company spoke about completing the first phase of Operation Firecrest. The 65,000 warship returned to Portsmouth yesterday morning (July 24) and was given a rousing reception by families and spectators.
Various military drills and operations took place in the North Atlantic and High North to safeguard Nato’s northern flank from threats including Russia. One memorable incident involved a Moscow aircraft flying dangerously close to HMS Prince of Wales, dropping sonobuoys and flying in an “unprofessional” and “unsafe” manner.
F-35B fighter jets were deployed to intercept the ‘Bear-F’ plane, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. Warfare specialist AB Allcock, who qualified as an Able Seaman 1st Class while on the deployment, said: “The Bear interaction with Russia was super cool because it really felt like what we've been doing is important.”
Reflecting on his first deployment, he added: “I thought the food was great! Chinese was a personal fave. It's been really nice vibes down in my mess, doing karaoke, chilling and quizzes in our down time. The friendships I've formed in my mess have been a real highlight.”
HMS Prince of Wales has been at the helm of the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG), alongside Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan and naval support vessel RFA Tidespring. Marine engineers, aircraft handlers. meteorologists, information warfare experts, chefs, logisticians, gunners, seamen, and aircraft engineers, were all put through their paces over the past three months.
Royal Marine Leading Photographer Seymour was among them, capturing images of the deployment and confidential pictures for intelligence-gathering purposes. “Having come from another service I really wasn't sure what to expect from the maritime life,” he added.
“I was surprised by the warmth I've received from my peers and from my management. It has been delightful to see many different professional elements integrate together on such a large platform, delivering truly complex activity. As a photographer onboard it has been a privilege to be part of the team who got to tell the story."
The women of 5D Mess – all junior rates - spoke about how they had to handle an unpredictable deployment. They said: “This time being away has to be honest been very tough at times, the constant change has been difficult but it has also really brought us a ship's company together.
“It really is the people around you who get you through the hard times. We're really proud of the perseverance which I think we've shown to deal with setbacks and keep our heads up. It has been a great training opportunity, and we've been good at checking in with each other, we've got each other's backs – and as a ship's company we’ve all really moulded more as a team."