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Students attached to Royal Navy university
units have helped mark the centenary of Entente Cordiale
by making
the first visit by British warships to Paris in 14 years.
Led by HMS Blazer, of Southampton University RN Unit (URNU),
a three-strong group of Archer-class vessels from the 1st
Patrol Boat Squadron made their way up the River Seine to
the French capital to represent the Navy at the celebrations
marking the signing of the treaty between the two countries
in 1904.
The other two ships to make the journey were HMS Express
(Wales URNU) and HMS Example (Northumbria URNU).
Despite the modest dimensions of the Archer-class boats,
the flotilla still had to have their radar equipment and
masts removed to allow them under all the bridges along the
Seine – and even then there was only around 50cm clearance
under the lowest bridge in central Paris.
The passage upriver lasted four days, with visits to Vernon
and Conflans St Honorine along the way before the boats berthed
within a kilometre of the Eiffel Tower.
As all the URNUs have links with Britannia Royal Naval College
Dartmouth, each of the three Archers had a French cadet on
board from the Gallic equivalent, the Ecole Navale at Brest
on the west coast.
During the visit a combined platoon of 50 personnel from
the there vessels formed part of the parade at the Arc de
Triomphe, where the Queen and President Chirac laid a wreath
at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. OM Russell Jones, of
HMS Express, acted as wreath-bearer.
The following day the Duke of Edinburgh, who had accompanied
the Queen, spent half an hour on board HMS Blazer, meeting
some of the URNU midshipmen from al three boats.
The Naval Attache in Paris had arranged a number of visits
for them, including the Normandy beaches and the American
Omaha Beach cemeteries, Monet’s garden at Giverny,
and some of the tourist attractions of the capital.
The Commanding Officer of HMS Blazer, Lt Paul Butterworth,
said: “The deployment was a great success, further
strengthening the already-close links between our two navies
in the true Entente Cordiale spirit.
“It has built on the well-established exchange programme
between BRNC and the Ecole Navale.” |
