Exeter honour 40 years on
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A new battle honour has been awarded to H.M.S. Exeter nearly 40 years after the action In which it was won by the famous wartime cruiser of the name. The honour "Sunda Strait 1942" has been granted by the Admiralty Board to mark the "exceptional case" ot this battle. in which the River Plate veteran went to the bottom. 0 Full story In Page 28. —
SEPTEMBER 1981
10
JUST FABULUUS! Fabulous! That was how the Princess of Wales described the Royal honeymoon cruise on board H.M.Y. Britannia. Our picture shows the Royal Yacht leaving Gibraltar at the start of the cruise. As she passed close to the breakwaters she was escorted by more than 100 small craft. But the Britannia soon shook off her pursuers and disappeared into the Mediterranean sunset to give the Royal couple many
uninterrupted days
of
sailaway privacy.
Matnbrace spliced The
Royal Navy had celebrated
the
mar-
riagerightroyally—tromtakingpartinthe wedding pageantry
the mainbrace."
to the traditional
“Splice
Alter a brtet stay at Broadlanda, Hampshire borne ot the late Lord Mountbatten. the Prince and Princus ot Wales flew to Gibraltar and drove through packed streets to loin the Britannia in the naval base, where Service lalniliee were among the big crowds.
Australia bound passing through the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal. and lollowing the departure oi the Prince and Princess. the Britannia was heading for Australia and New Zealand lor the visits ol the Queen. As tar as “Splicing the mainbrace" was concerned. the Navy had been guessing a little in advance and most were prepared for its celebration lor the first time Alter
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since the Silver Jubilee Fleet Review 0! I977.
Culdrose tot But it apparently provided pnzzlement lor some I-‘CPO Ted Goodwill (below) 37 years-plus in the Navy knew something was amiss as he sipped from his glass while JNAM Guy Smith (who joined in May this year) inhaled the aroma at Ted's rum. So they decided (or Ted did anyway) they would swop back. It was all part ol the Tot celebration at R.N. air station Culdrose. For other “Splice the rnainhrace" and Royal pictures see pages 8 and 9. .
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