It was an emotional return to Malta for Commander Adrian Cassar, RN, Commanding Officer of the Portsmouth-based Type 23 frigate HMS Grafton, when the ship entered Grand Harbour on Sunday on her way home after a long deployment in the Arabian Gulf.
Commander Cassar, who is half Maltese, has visited regularly to see his Maltese cousins, but this occasion was exceptional in that the family was on the jetty on the ship's arrival.
"I just hope there's enough space!" he had said. And indeed, the party was quite extensive.
They watched from the Upper Barrakka Gardens as the vessel sailed into Grand Harbour, and later boarded the Grafton to meet him as soon as she was berthed alongside.
Commander Cassar's family comes from Paola and his father, Francis, a former Maltese High Commissioner to London, flew out especially to be with his son. Mr Cassar had left Malta for the UK at the age of 18, but had never lost his Maltese connection.
Commander Cassar was "proud and very fortunate to find myself in command of the Grafton and her excellent ship's company. Malta has always been close to the Royal Navy.
"The visit will give my officers, men and women a chance to see a beautiful and historic place and they can relax after a demanding period of operations in the Gulf," he said.
A number of volunteers from the ship spared some of their rest and recuperation time doing work at Fort St Angelo.
The sailors assisted in cleaning certain areas, carrying equipment, and other manual work (picture on right). HMS Grafton has been operating in support of United Nations security resolutions, providing security within Iraq's territorial waters and conducting patrols in the northern Arabian Gulf with other coalition maritime forces.
Talking about the ship's deployment, Commander Cassar said that following the cessation of combat operations in Iraq, the focus had shifted to the long-term humanitarian, political and economic welfare of the Iraqi people, maintaining security and upholding international law.
HMS Grafton's principal task was to protect the offshore oil terminals that are fundamental to revenue generation for the Iraqi economy while providing a visible presence to deter piracy and other criminal activities, such as the illegal exportation of Iraqi oil.
"We were committed to the coalition aims of returning stability to Iraq and helping to promote the establishment of a democratic government," he added.
Attacks on the oil terminals during Grafton's deployment emphasised the necessity for these operations and coalition forces would continue to conduct security patrols in Iraqi territorial waters until a capable indigenous maritime defence and security force is in place.
HMS Grafton, the 12th Type 23 frigate to enter service in the Royal Navy, was built by Yarrows Shipbuilders, now part of BAE Marine, on the River Clyde in Scotland and was commissioned into the Royal Navy on November 5, 1994. She formally entered service in 1996 as the eighth ship to bear the name.
The ship is staying until tomorrow.