Two of the ships taking part in the Aurora 04 deployment turned their transatlantic mission into charity gold, putting their hearts and muscles into collecting cash.

In Type 22 frigate HMS Cornwall, sailors on board set themselves the target of racing the ship across the Atlantic and back – with the sailors covering the distance on a rowing machine.

Midway through the challenge, organiser CPO Dave Chisholm said: “The rowers are right on line and will almost certainly finish successfully to raise around £2,000 for the Cornish Heart Foundation Unit.”

The team of 30 keen rowers from the frigate will have covered 12,000km in their ambitious plans to take on their own ship’s gas turbine engines.

Meanwhile on new amphibious landing ship HMS Albion, a team of ten whiled away part of their long-distance crossing by hefting more than one million kilogrammes in just 24 hours using 20kg bars.

The net result of their efforts has been more than £3,000 in sponsorship, all going to the Dame Hannah Rogers School in Ivybridge and the Claire House Hospice in the warship’s affiliated city of Chester.

Despite drained energy levels, CPO Dave Cavill, one of the key people behind the event, said: “All members of the team worked extremely hard during the 24-hour ‘liftathon’.

“Physically and mentally it was draining, but we had a good team who encouraged each other through the difficult periods.

“We all knew it was going to be hard work, but when your efforts are in aid of good causes then the end result is well worth it.

“I know we wouldn’t have achieved our target of one million kilogrammes without the full support of the ship’s company.”

But the amphibious ship’s company are not planning on resting on their laurels after all this back-breaking work, and have plans in hand for further cash-raising efforts to top up the money.

Both Albion and Cornwall have been part of the large maritime task group involved in the amphibious Exercise Rapid Alliance off the east coast of the United States.

Almost 6,000 British Servicemen and women took part in the exercise, along with forces from the US, Canada, the Netherlands, France and Germany.