GALATEAYS GAL!
MANDY
Voted Miss Galateo when the frigate visited Hull was 20-year-old Mandy Simpson, seen here with three of the judges, AB David Grady, 13 Bryan Wright and OS Pewee. The panel of judges Stephen included the commanding officer, Capt. W. S. Gueterbock. The Golatea was granted the Freedom of Hull about a year earlier, and on this latest liaison visit various forms of entertainment were provided for children from the local orphanages to which the ship is affiliated. During the visit the ~tea was accompanied by H.M.S. Salisbury, Sob.'t, I'mO tWiEM (Pho*) )o
FORCE IV LI
Cu'
DENIAL
A possible attack on Service travel warrants as part of defence pruning was highlighted in national newspaper speculation before Mr. Healey's mini-budget statement. According to information given to Navy News, "no changes are contemplated in the Service man's entitlement to leave or separation warrants, or in their value to him." However, the Armed Forces have to cut back to the extent of ÂŁlOOm. for 1977-78. and ÂŁ230m. for 1978-79, and duty travel is one area likely to attract keen attention. No change is expected in the redundancy situation arising from previous economies, but already the Navy's senior ratings are finding that opportunities to serve a "fifth five" are becoming fewer - and this situation is hardly likely to improve in the light of the latest cuts. It has to be borne in mind that the Chancellor's mini-budget measures represent the fifth chop on defence spending in the past 21 months, and the eighth during the last decade.
The more recent economies have been accompanied by assurances that Service "teeth" would not be drawn, but this has not presented a great deal of criticism about going beyond the "danger level."
*'Nothing unusual'
Just before the budget announcement in the Commons, the defence Chiefs of Staff accompanied by Mr. Fred Mulley (Secretary of State for Defence), went to 10. Downing Street, talked of "almost Newspapers unprecedented action." suggesting that the chiefs impressed upon the Prime Minister the peril of further cuts, but in
a statement to the Commons, Mr. Mulley saw the call in a different light. There had been nothing extremely unusual, he said, about the visit of the Chiefs of Staff. The timetable of the International Monetary Fund loan had interfered with the usual consultation with them on defence estimates. Men in the Armed Forces will now be wondering where, in fact, the latest cuts will fall, but the official reaction is that nobody knows. The Service departments will now be doing their sums to see how the economies can be achieved with the least effect on Britain's contribution to the Western Alliance.
Falklands honour for Royals
The Royal Marines received the Freedom of Stanley, Falkland islands, on December 8, the first time the Corps had been granted such an honour overseas.
of of
The Governor the Falkland Islands, Mr. P4. A. I. French, and the Executive Council the Colony chose an priate date for the ceremony2nd anniversary of the Bottle Falklands in 1914. But Royal Navy and Royal Marines links with the islands go hock still further.
M6
The Freedom Scroll was accepted at Government House on behalf the Carps by Colonel Sir Steuart Pn'ngle, representing the Commandant General Royal Marines, and the Corps presented the people of the with an inscribed sword (as pictured).
of
Falklands
On parade were members of the R.M, Folklands detachment and of the ship's company of H.M.S. Endurance.
of
Several former members the Corps now living in the islands attended the ceremony.
Seasonal duty... While most of the
Royal
Navy ware able to enjoy Christmas and New Year with their families, a few had to be on patrol, or in places over~. The duty Polaris submarine crew did their best to maintain the family links by recording interviews for broadcasting on Radio Clyde and on B.B.C.
Family Favourites. They
also
had
a
"splash," with picture, In
the Sunday People.
H.M.S. Endurance was
among the icebergs of the Antarctic, and the frigate Tartar managed to be in harbour In the United States. For H.M.S. Amazon, the duty was guardshlp at Gibraltar, and H.M.S.
Bildeston was~ available for patrol.
Some have to be the "victims," and much missed by their families. But - better luck in 1977.
Mail delay probe
Mail delays were a topic of conversation when families were reunited after the latest RoyalNavy group deployment, from which ships returned just before Christmas.
The units in the deployment were H.M. ships Antrim, Bacchante, Charybdis, Naiad and Yarmouth. The submarine Osiris joined the others for exercise.
On both the trip to the Indian Ocean, and return, hundreds of bags of mail were dealt with, but a few went temporarily astray. Time taken to reach destination, in one case, was as long as 18 days. The Forces Postal Depot staff, always watchful in cases of mail difficulty, made a close investigation of the difficulties experienced.
FULL INQUIRY Although much has to depend on overseas local staff, and on the availability of flights, it has been possible to make a useful arrangement at London Airport in cases where mail has been mixed with freight. The Fleet and families can be assured that there has been a full inquiry, and that everything possible is being done to "smooth out the potholes." The CENTO Exercise Midlink 76 took place in the Indian Ocean, with 26 ships, 46 aircraft and three submarines from America, Pakistan and Iran, as well as Britain, participating. From Karachi, the R.N. group steamed north-west to the Persian Gulf. with some ships paying a brief visit to Bandar Abbas and others to Kuwait, Muscat, Bahrain and Dubai. Then it was westwards through the Gulf of Aden to the Mediterranean viathe Suez Canal on the homeward leg.
A HAPPY NEW YEAR To ALL