British Navy On Standby In Bermuda Waters

September 17, 2010

[Written by Larry Burchall] Standing by, probably to our west and south is the UK Royal Navy’s HMS Manchester, a Type-42 Destroyer. HMS Manchester has a helicopter and a crew of about 280 with a wide range of technical skillsets as befits a ‘little town’ floating about the ocean.

Of particular and timely interest to Bermudians is that a modern warship carries people with medical skills as well as with engineering skills and knowledge about powerplants and electricity generation. In fact, a warship like HMS Manchester could probably power-up much of the City of Hamilton.
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The rest of the crew can supply shore parties who, like the Bermuda Regiment, can tackle any given task with a disciplined approach that is likely to see that task – whatever it is – successfully completed.
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The ship carries a Lynx helicopter. This means that post-hurricane, HMS Manchester can get a camera up in the air, get aerial views of Bermuda, and download them to the EMO so that the EMO can see the ‘big picture’.
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HMS Manchester's Lynx helicopter comes in to land

HMS Manchester's Lynx helicopter comes in to land

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HMS Manchester is an old friend. The ship was last here in 2009 when it participated in Bermuda’s Four Hundred Year celebrations.
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HMS Manchester will probably come alongside in Hamilton on Tuesday and will, almost certainly, be the first vessel to enter Bermuda waters.
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[Editors note: Photos courtesy of the Royal Navy. We will be bringing you continous coverage of Hurricane Igor, and for our previous posts of the impending storm click here.]
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Comments (11)

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  1. bdaGIRL says:

    Good old Royal Navy, always willing to lend a helping hand xx

  2. D says:

    Being that they are willing to do everything that the Bermuda Regiment would do, why do we have a Regiment?

  3. Fred Smith says:

    nah – lets go independent….we dont need this!

    but seriously, stay safe everyone…

  4. Trevor Hollingsbee says:

    The photograph is not HMS Manchester, it is an ex-Dutch frigate of the Chilean Navy

  5. Oh Please says:

    Yeah Fred Smith, because once we go independent the whole world will turn their backs on us in times of crisis. We have absolutely zero close neighbors who’d bat an eye at the thought of a hurricane devastating our island. If they actually did send a ship and helicopter it would only be for some beach and sun R&R for the crew and helicopter sightseeing tours of the carnage. Get a life! On Earth preferably!

    • andrea t says:

      hope youre safe and well,

      its probably a good job you havent gone independent as the good old british navy would’t be there to help out of which all 280 men and women would do…. my brother is on that ship and yes – its his job but i’m sure he would rather be at home with his wife and child than having a ‘helicopter sightseeing tour of the carnage..!!!!!!!!’

  6. Anna says:

    I agree with Fred Smith’s tongue-in-cheek comment. Here’s my own: we should go independent-we don’t need anybody to have our back and come to our aid when necessary. We get NO benefits from being a British colony, do we???

    Thank God most of us apprciate that the mother country is there for us to help us when needed! I hope this vessel doesn’t have to do too much but it’s good to know that it’s there just in case.

    STAY SAFE EVERYONE!!!

  7. JALD says:

    Further proof we should NOT go independent. Who will help us if we cut ties with the UK? I mean seriously, do the supposed disadvantages of having being a British territory really outweigh the benefits??

    As far as I know, they’ve always been there to help us when we’ve needed it and we haven’t had anything to complain about (unless, of course, you’re one of those members of the PLP who somehow think government transparency is a BAD thing). C’mon!

  8. JALD says:

    of being*

  9. Bda for independence says:

    I hope the island does go independent. In future if Bermuda does need relief aid, we have enough money on the island to pay the million dollar bill when it comes. As spoiled as we are already, if we cut ties with Britain we cut ties with Europe, and you know Bermudians love to travel, you would be applying for a visa every time you want to go on your cruises, or shopping or whatever else you need to get of this rock for. When we go independent, i hope we do have a full-time regiment, cause that would be one of the most secure jobs on the island. All you do is follow orders. i get proper housing, good pension, good pay, free trips. Bermuda is not yet mature enough to be a independent nation. We need to think more before we talk.