There were emotional scenes at Devonport Naval Base as five hundred families and friends welcomed HMS St Albans back to Plymouth after nearly 150 days on operations.
The 200 men and women of the Type 23 frigate spent late spring and summer safeguarding the UK’s nuclear deterrent across some of the harshest environments in the world – from the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea to the Arctic Ocean.
Protecting the UK at sea
HMS St Albans, a specialist submarine-hunting warship, has been on constant patrol since April. Working with NATO allies, the ship carried out anti-submarine operations, shadowed foreign vessels through the English Channel, including the Russian frigate Admiral Golovko and secured vital UK waters.
A key part of the mission was the embarked Merlin Mk2 helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron, RNAS Culdrose, which flew nearly 170 hours on submarine hunts and high-profile tasks, including transporting the Norwegian Defence Minister.
To stay on station, HMS St Albans conducted ten Replenishments at Sea with support ships such as RFA Tideforce, embarking enough fuel to fill more than one and a quarter Olympic-size swimming pools. In total, the frigate covered nearly 30,000 nautical miles which is more than once around the globe.
Families at the heart of the homecoming
The ship’s company were personally thanked in Plymouth Sound by Major General Rich Cantrill RM, UK Commander Maritime Operations, who underlined the importance of their mission in protecting the UK and reinforcing NATO’s Northern Flank.
Commanding Officer Commander Matthew Teare said the homecoming was as much about families as it was about the crew’s achievements:
“The work we have done, often in rough weather conditions and challenging environments, has directly supported regional stability and reinforced NATO’s Northern Flank. None of this would have been possible, of course, without the extraordinary support of our families, friends, and loved ones, and today is as much a celebration of them as it is of the ship’s achievements.
“After nearly 150 days away, it is wonderful to receive such a warm welcome home following a highly successful and demanding deployment. The ship’s company have demonstrated an untiring commitment to the protection of the UK and her NATO allies and I’m immensely proud of all they have achieved. They could rightfully hold their heads high when they were reunited with their families today.”
