Retiring naval ship pays final visit to its birthplace

One of the Royal Navy ships to be decommissioned following cuts to the defence budget paid her final visit to the river on which she was built, on Thursday.

HMS Chatham sailed into North Shields on the River Tyne for a four-day visit to Tyneside.

It was the frigate’s final visit to a UK port before she returns to her base port of Devonport in Plymouth for the final time at the end of this month.

This will be followed by her official de-commissioning ceremony next month. The ship’s commanding officer, Commander Simon Huntingdon, was raised in Cumbria and spent several years in Newcastle studying at Newcastle University before returning with the Royal Navy to command HMS Example and the Northumbrian Universities Royal Naval Unit.

He said: “This short visit – to an area that I know very well – will be tinged with sadness as this will be HMS Chatham’s final visit to the Tyne, the place where she was built by Swan Hunters, and the last major event in the ship’s life before she is de-commissioned.

“A decision has been taken to reduce the number of frigates and destroyers and it follows that we should decommission our older assets.

She was present at the handover of sovereignty for Hong Kong in 1997 and, more recently, received worldwide recognition for her efforts in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami. Last year HMS Chatham returned from a seven-month deployment off the coast of Somalia where she was the lead vessel for Operation Ocean Shield, the Nato contribution to counter piracy in the area.

The Royal Navy will march through the streets of Chatham to mark HMS Chatham’s end of service, the Ministry of Defence has announced. The ship’s company will be joined by the Band of the Royal Marines for a parade through the town on February 12. The Strategic Defence and Security Review in October revealed the ship would be withdrawn from service.

Factbox

• The HMS Chatham class is the longest serving frigate in the Royal Navy and are extremely versatile platforms.

• Her sister ships Cornwall, Cumberland and Campbeltown will continue to support operations in the Middle East and in UK waters until later in the year.

• Nineteen escorts will remain in service, including the highly capable Type 45 destroyers and Type 23 frigates.”

• HMS Chatham has provided 20 years of service to the Royal Navy and to the successful defence of the UK.

• The ship has seen active service globally in conflict, anti-piracy, anti-narcotics and humanitarian operations.