"Excited" crew of Royal Navy's oldest active ship HMS Ledbury welcomes new Commanding Officer to the helm
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A new Commanding Officer has been appointed to a Portsmouth-based minehunter.
Lieutenant Commander Lloyd Cardy has taken charge of the Hunt-class vessel HMS Ledbury. He has replaced Lieutenant Commander Craig Clark, with an announcement being made on the ship’s social media channel.
It said: “There's a new Captain on board! A big week for the ship’s company as we welcome our new Commanding Officer - Lt Cdr Lloyd Cardy RN. We’re excited to begin this next chapter together.
“Our heartfelt thanks go to Lt Cdr Clark for his dedication, support, and the countless moments that helped shape the crew's spirit. We wish him fair winds on his next adventure.”
HMS Ledbury is one the ship in the Royal Navy fleet, having been commissioned on June 11, 1981. Her career has seen her deployed with Nato Mine Countermeasure Groups in the Mediterranean Sea and Baltic Sea. her work has also seen her sent to the Middle East as part of Operation Kipion, a longstanding UK mission to maintain peace and stability in the Gulf.
More recently recently, the minehunter has been conducting various operations in the Solent, with her clearance divers conducting various training drills at Horsea Island in November. Earlier in the month, she went through a planned support period, overseen by BAE Systems engineers.
The vessel received a special visit from Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse on November 28, who was introduced to the ship’s company. He said: “No better place to visit for a Friday morning coffee. Great people delivering fantastic output to the Fleet. No better place to visit for a Friday morning coffee. Great people delivering fantastic output to the Fleet.”