Fighting G glee as destroyer returns home

ON A glorious spring day the ship’s company line the upper decks of HMS Gloucester for the final time at the end of a deployment.

The ship sailed into Portsmouth Harbour this morning, bringing the curtain down on a magnificent 25-year career.

The veteran destroyer was greeted by hundreds of families and friends in Portsmouth – plus the lady who has followed the ship from the laying of the keel to this last act: the Duchess of Gloucester.

She’s shown avid interest in the Type 42’s progress through one war (first Gulf), two rededications and 15 captains.

The last of those, Cdr David George, describes himself as a “very lucky man” to be in charge of the Fighting G – a name the ship inherited from her legendary WW2 forebear.

He guided Gloucester throughout her seven-month final tour of duty in the South Atlantic, safeguarding the Falklands and Britain’s interests in the Southern Ocean.

“HMS Gloucester returns in fine fettle after a hugely successful deployment down south. Working hard has kept us occupied – and there have been lots of highlights,” he said.

Among those highlights Gloucester helped snare £4m cocaine when she intercepted a drug-smuggling yacht off the Cape Verde Islands.

That action and the ship’s continued work with the Army and RAF Typhoons in the Falklands during the tour-of-duty helped to earn Gloucester the coveted ‘top destroyer’ tag – the official title is the Fleet Efficiency Award, courtesy of the Flag Officer Sea Training, whose taskmasters are not easily pleased.

The destroyer rounded off her deployment with a weekend in New York where the ship’s company stood to attention as they passed Ground Zero before docking at Pier 88, alongside the American aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, now a museum piece.

During the three-day stay on the Hudson, the Big Apple’s movers and shakers were invited aboard for a reception hosted by the ship and the British Consul.

“To come to New York as a tourist is fabulous enough, but to come here in a Royal Navy destroyer, representing the UK and its Armed Forces, to a country and to a city with whom we stand firm together as allies – that is incredibly special, and a terrific privilege,” said Cdr George.

LStd Martyn ‘Mac’ McEvely added:  “It was probably the best stop I have ever had.  The New Yorkers were really friendly.  They absolutely loved my beard, as they’d never seen a sailor with a beard before.  It started a lot of conversations – in fact it was a focal point for foreign relations.

“Unfortunately for the government though, my daughter has now decided that it has to come off before I get home.”

The ship will be putting to sea again at least once for families – hence there was no decommissioning pennant flown on her return today. The formal act of decommissioning comes later this year.