MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklanders' farewell message to HMS Leeds Castle

A message of “greeting and gratitude” from all Falkland Islanders was sent by the Islands' Governor Howard Pearce to the commanding officer of HMS Leeds Castle which was officially decommissioned Monday August 8 in Portsmouth.

"Falkland Islanders are deeply grateful for the key role which HMS Leeds Castle has played in protecting the Falkland Islands and in maintaining United Kingdom sovereignty in the South Atlantic, wrote Governor Pearce.

HMS Leeds Castle had been since the end of the South Atlantic conflict the standing Falklands Patrol vessel alternating with HMS Dumbarton.

"The Castle class vessels have become familiar features of our seascape ever since the distinguished role which they fulfilled during the Falklands conflict of 1982. During the intervening period HMS Leeds Castle and the many members of the Royal Navy who have served in her have become firm friends of the Falkland Islands", underlined the Governor's message. "The sight of HMS Leeds Castle steaming into harbour, whether it be in Stanley or at remote settlements throughout the Falkland Islands, has been a great source of comfort and reassurance".

Governor Pearce also underlines the role of HMS Leeds Castle which extended beyond the Falkland Islands to South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.

"I myself had the privilege of spending three days on the vessel en route to South Georgia in March 2003?and I am pleased to acknowledge the role which HMS Leeds Castle has also played in maintaining the UK's sovereignty over those distant islands", says the letter addressed to Commanding Officer Lt. Cdr. C D Goodsell RN.

HMS Leeds Castle 24 year career has been spent mostly as the Falklands Patrol vessel and South Atlantic fisheries protection duties, spending three years at a time policing in the southern most waters and islands.

Since returning from her final Falklands deployment in November, Leeds Castle has been busy on a variety of tasks. For four weeks from mid-May she acted as the command ship for four UK mine-hunters on live mine clearance work off Lithuania.

She paid her farewells to her affiliated town of Chatham in Kent earlier in July and then sailed to Newcastle to escort more than 100 tall ships during their ?parade of sail' to Fredreikstadt in Norway. From there she made her final return to Portsmouth.

Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Chris Goodsell, said: "It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as the last Commanding Officer of HMS Leeds Castle through the final few months of her long and distinguished history. She has served the Royal Navy with distinction and now heads towards a well-deserved retirement."

Leeds Castle and her sister ship Dumbarton Castle are being replaced in the Falkland Island patrol role by HMS Clyde - currently being built by shipbuilders VT in Portsmouth - which is expected to enter service in 2007.

Clyde's greater reliability and more modern design will allow her to remain in the South Atlantic until 2012 and be more readily available for tasking.