MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

HMS Iron Duke arrives in Stanley for Remembrance Service

HMS Iron Duke

Royal Navy warship HMS Iron Duke on deployment in the South Atlantic is scheduled to arrive Friday in the Falkland Islands capital, Port Stanley to participate in the Islands Remembrance Service to be held on Sunday.

HMS Iron Duke's recently completed a visit to Ajax Bay, San Carlos Water, part of a 10 day patrol round the Falklands Islands which will take in Pebble Island, Port Stanley and Fox Bay. Alongside the Settlement visits the patrol provides an excellent opportunity maintain the high level of operational readiness amongst the Ship's Company. This week already, the ship has completed Weapon Loading drills with the Lynx M3 Helicopter. During these drills Sea Skua Anti Ship missiles were loaded and unloaded. As flight Commander Lt Alex Sims says practice is important. "The routine for loading weapons onto the aircraft is complicated but through repeated training, we can prepare missiles and torpedoes and load them onto the aircraft in very short periods, a critical skill were we to use the weapons in operational circumstances." Whilst in San Carlos Water members of the Ship's Company took the opportunity to get ashore to visit the settlement. A service of Remembrance was led by the Ships Executive Officer Lt Cdr Dean Basset at which 20 members of the Ship's Company were able to pay their respect to those who lost their lives during the Falklands conflict. For one of the younger members of the Ship's Company, the Service in San Carlos cemetery was particularly poignant, his father having served in HMS Intrepid during the Falklands Conflict of 1982. David Godfrey (23) one of the Ship's logistics staff said "During the service, the Captain talked about us taking inspiration from those who fought for the Falklands 26 years ago, I had a real sense of realisation. My Father was here in San Carlos in Jun 82, he was lucky to return home. My being here today is directly linked to him surviving to return home." Iron Duke's week continued with a 4.5" Gunnery Shoot on Thursday this week. This allowed the Ship's Gunbay Crew to integrate a new member into the team and the firings will simulate providing gunfire in support of ground troops. HMS Iron Duke's captain Cdr Mark Newland summed up this blend of training and Settlement visits around the Falklands "It is very much routine business for Royal Navy ships to continue training and practicing as we are this week. We have very high standards for the operation of our equipment and through practice we maintain these levels. I am also delighted of course to be able to land members of the Ship's Company to places such as San Carlos and Pebble Island. Each one has its own unique history and it is important to me that I expose my young Ship's Company to this key role the Royal Navy had during the Falklands Conflict of 1982." The ship has also this week patrolled 150 miles to the South of the Falklands Islands where it was on standby for a Compassionate evacuation from South Shetland Islands, and has completed and Air Defence Exercise against 2 of the 4, F3 Tornadoes based at MPA.