MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Iron Duke returns to Portsmouth.

Portsmouth-based Type 23 Frigate HMS Iron Duke returns home on 23 February 2001 after a 6-month deployment. In that time the ship's company enjoyed the New Year celebrations on the beach in Brazil, and the ship has had a school named after her in Sierra Leone.

As the Royal Navy's Atlantic Patrol Tasking (South), HMS Iron Duke has maintained a tangible maritime presence in support of UK and UN interests in West Africa and the South Atlantic. HMS Iron Duke patrolled the waters off Sierra Leone in support of the UK and UN peace-keeping mission in the country. During that time members of the ship's company helped to build a community school for about 300 children. She was temporarily relieved from her duties around Sierra Leone by HMS Liverpool in November and early December, allowing her to go to the Falkland Islands and attend a diplomatic visit in Valparaiso, Chile. Iron Duke then spent Christmas and New Year in Recife, Brazil, before returning to patrol off Sierra Leone in January. Overall, she has steamed in excess of 30,000 nautical miles.

Iron Duke's Commanding Officer, Commander Ben Key, said "We have seen a considerable change in the situation in Sierra Leone during our time in the area. Although much of the country is still dominated by rebels, their lack of popular support and the increased capability of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces means that the rebels are now very much on the back foot. At the same time, the day-to-day conditions in the capital Freetown have improved considerably. Iron Duke has played an important role in the overall process as a very obvious and clear statement of UK commitment to supporting the democratically elected government; serving both to reassure the people of Freetown and to deter the rebel forces. We are all very proud of our achievements."

He continued "The programme over the last six months has been extremely varied. We left Sierra Leone through November and December to visit the Falklands - a drop in the average daily temperature of over 30 degrees Celsius, and then paid a high profile diplomatic visit to Chile."

"Christmas and New Year were spent in Recife in Brazil, and I doubt many of us will forget the memory of spending New Year's Eve on the beach under a sky filled with fireworks in the company of almost 1 million Brazilian partygoers. We have, however, all been looking forward for some time to returning to our families and friends and we all look forward to spending a few quiet days at home catching up on what h