A Taste of the Navy

On a fine spring day, a mixed group of Feltmakers, including The Master, Wardens, their spouses and friends, all met up by the Unicorn Gate at Her Majesty’s Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth, to accept the invitation to go aboard HMS Lancaster while she was alongside for a general maintenance period.

We were warmly welcomed by the XO, Lt Commander Stephen McGlory, who has in the past been a guest of the Company, and with the help of his team of officers we were treated to a very interesting and thought provoking day.  

HMS Lancaster was launched by Her Majesty The Queen at the Yarrow shipyard in 1990, and the ship is very proud of the fact that in her role as the Duke of Lancaster, The Queen takes a very special interest in the vessel. The royal connection was further highlighted by the production of a rather splendid felt hat with a nautical motif, which had been presented by the Feltmakers Company to The Queen, with the intention that it be worn when reviewing the fleet as part of the Armada Anniversary celebrations in 1988. Sadly, as Past Master Pip Wright informed us, the production of the hat was unfortunately delayed, and the hat didn’t get to be worn on the day after all. However, it was eventually given to the Queen’s favourite ship for safe keeping, and its airing to mark our visit was a nice link between our Company and HMS Lancaster.  

We were given a full briefing in the Operations room, the nerve centre in the bowels of this Type 23 Frigate, and I was struck by how modern warfare is conducted against an enemy who is merely a blip on a screen.  The ship can be called upon to perform many different duties, from anti submarine warfare, to flying the flag on behalf of the Government in far flung corners of the world. It is a little known fact that currently, in Afghanistan, there are over 5,000 Royal Navy personnel serving, mainly from the Royal Marines and Medical staff, but it goes to show that even in mountainous, landlocked countries, the Senior Service can be called upon!

After a hearty lunch, where we were joined by the Captain, Commander Richard Moss, a full tour of the ship commenced, and it was to the credit of the guests who had partaken of some wine with their meal, that they made the ascents and descents on the very steep ladders between decks, seem effortless. On the Bridge, it was comforting to learn that despite all of the electronic wizardry on display, there were still old fashioned charts for the Navigation Officer to call upon as a last resort. A trip to the Galley produced the telling statistic that each man and woman on board has to be fed three square meals for £2.50 per day, less than a guest at Her Majesty’s pleasure. I can report that if the fare that we were so generously entertained with is an example of their normal vittles, then the chefs are indeed miracle workers. And we learned that the ship’s 4.5 inch gun is powerful enough for it to hit Gatwick Airport if the vessel was moored in the Thames – lets hope that this particular boast never gets to be tested.

My favourite story from the day, whether fact or fiction, concerned the curtains and soft furnishings in the ward room and officers quarters, which all were made from the same, slightly tired,  floral material, which to my somewhat untrained eye, seemed to date from the 1970s. Apparently when the order was placed for 10,000 yards of this cloth to provide for the Navy’s needs for some years to come, an over excited clerk added another zero to the quantity required by mistake. The order placed, the Navy were forced to construct a new warehouse just to keep the surplus fabric, which is only now close to being used up!

The next duty for HMS Lancaster is a tour of the Arabian Gulf, protecting the sea lanes and off shore oil installations of the region, and we wish all the officers and crew a safe trip, while carrying out this very important task.

We also wish Commander Richard Moss well, as he moves on in the near future to take up a shore based Staff position. If his successor is only half as supportive of the link that we have with HMS Lancaster, then I am sure that the association will continue to go from strength to strength.

The overriding impression that I got from the day, was how genuinely pleased the officers and crew of HMS Lancaster were to have us aboard, and both the warmth of the welcome and the rare opportunity to spend some time aboard an active warship, meant that all the Feltmakers and their guests present, were very privileged indeed to have enjoyed such a wonderful day.

Simon Millar