CHRISTMAS llllill DECEMBER 1980
WP
Ships patrol Gulf area
A warm-water Christmas lies in prospect for the task force of four Royal Navy warships,
plus attendant R.F.A. vessels, which have been given Arabian Sea duty as the Middle Eastern oil states
war
continues.
Alread the Portsmouth-based guided missile destro er H. .S. Birmingham and Plymouth-based frigate H. .8. Avenger have arrived in the Gulf of Oman area. On December 8, two more frigates from Plymouth. H.M. ships Apollo and Ardent. are due to leave the United
Kingdom.
it is believed that
patrol
two ships precautionary on station wil “rotate" with two standing by to relieve
them as the force watches over shi ping interests articular y British alon t e crucial oil routes. whic include the vital Straits of Honnuz. Sup rting the and venger were R. .A. Fort Austin and Olmcda. while accompanying the Apollo and Ardent will be R.F.A Tidepool. —
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Birmingham
Fire
Oh, rats!
this
on
standby
Steady lads. t gt-immer than we I An Army signal during iircilghllng contingency planning was musing over the plates. mugs and camp beds .
Servicemen In Then. on load.
ships
i need.
that
I
added
alarmingly. “They are only to consume the rats when other feeding arrangements fail." So that's what we torsook Mum's cooki for. Or B the Defence Bu get really so strained? when it Relief arrived was realised that ‘rats" is merely the Army‘: abbreviation lor rations.
CPTR PAY
.
'
Oconunuadlnbackpada
.
only
It will be the first time for many years that task unit have been away from the U. at Christmas. Before their departure from the U.l(., the Gulf of Oman patrol had been carried out b detached ships from the 980 Far East deployment, which was returning to Britain and is due home before Christmas. As Navy News went to press, sailors (like other Servicemen) were facing the possibility of another kind of "warm" duty, with fire.-men's strikes on the cards. Many sailors were on standb for firefighting and had ta en part in trainin on the now famous Green oddesses in a number of estab~ lishments, includin Horsea island H.M.S Ralei h, H.M.S. embrolte and .M.S. Cochrane. Should their services become necessary they could then operate from many
(Portsmouthi.
.
quake."
SPELLS l T OUT
New-style pay statements, using plainer lan uage and giving more rso detail,start co
rion
mH.M.S. Centumonth.
out
Centurion say they have taken note of feedback from the Fleet.
comments on particularlyabbreviations and ‘
”
codesw choftenneedavisittothe pay office for translation.
Apart from minor amendment two #85380 thepaybalaneestatemenths remained basically since introduced in 1971. Now to known
nnchanfid
simplyasthepaystatementandgivena “new look." it will use phiner language
to
describe the credits and debits. There will also be a “reconciliation
they
are
receiving
hm
from the latest computer entry on the statement. The boaislntcnded to replace the need for explanatory chits previously pinned to the statement by Supply
officers
PLAIN LANGUAGE
Spaet.-"will not
allow the
"plain
:filntnanyasu,butli,ioreaam
,
Bfitish Serv
based
shvoswsnnu Personal detail added includes senior'..H"..'°*;.:i':.°..:'.,'"t':'..:'°":.:"s.....'“°“ “Sports Suh."
(
enturidlonrymlsay .
ue
instead of
ve
latter is included to let peole check that their computer reoord I about their enpgcment. and shoul avoid those rare, but embarrassing occasions when someone is expecting to ve within a lew months, but the computer (and Dralting) records show some years yet to serve! Centnrionalsosa .“Weaimtoserve M .
an
“""’°..?i at. ..:='.;..:°“ **°...°:...a"': lmprovetnent its prc§.el:csaor." on
2!‘.
ce m-2". ard i-.-ome-i
Naples with NATO, ..-.c=u:-
ang members of ‘Roy-at Navy iamies. were reported safe aim;
the earthquake wh.-ch caused huge Toss of sic in Soutne-n Itaty at we era of Novemtc-'. The were qu=ck to jcn in retoi‘ '-'-'o.'k y "ado;i:ing" a devastated village near Saterno aric about .10 m-les from Nap‘-2s. Tents. b'ankc'.s. c!o:*‘.r*.g an: c.'ovis.or.s were taken '.he'e, art: they a|so gave tread in their etioris to help iOlIC‘.’O
sufierirg.
.‘.!eani.-.-rvfe. tre norms.‘ work arc nit? Oi l-'19 RN. community in Nai1"0s is pcrtrayec ir‘ a ccicur feature Drepared aetye the in our earthquake cccurres V
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centre pages