HMS Cumberland is due back in Devonport next month after a six-month deployment to the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf.

Since departing from her home port of Devonport on April 19 as part of Operation Oracle, the Type 22 frigate has sailed some 23,000 nautical miles, calling in at a number of ports on the way.

Taking over from HMS St Albans north of Suez, where the usual handover steam-past was accompanied by several hundred gallons of seawater (and the odd egg), Cumberland – nicknamed the Mighty Sausage – proceeded through the Suez Canal to the first of many operational patrols.

This meant long periods at sea, challenging the endurance of the ship’s company, often working with allies from many nations.

Taking part in multi-national Exercise Iron Siren with units from the US Navy and the United Arab Emirates was, in Capt Russell Best’s words, “a resounding success”.

The exercise was designed to prove the coalition’s ability to work together to counter the threats of the region.

Capt Best, Cumberland’s Commanding Officer, said “We have brought the navies of Britain, the US and the UAE together and proved that we can operate as an effective task group.”

Apart from patrols at sea the ship has seen a number of significant events whilst on deployment.

The first of these occurred in Bahrain, at the beginning of June, when Commodore Tony Rix handed over command of the coalition task group to Rear Admiral Teule of the French Navy.

At the end of July the ship arrived in Dubai for a long-awaited mid-deployment maintenance period, and many of the ship’s company took the opportunity to fly families out to enjoy a well-earned period of leave alongside.

The ship’s company put their spare time to good use, with the petty officer’s mess organising a ship’s version of a popular TV reality show I’m a Sailor, Get Me Out of Here, which involved six contestants subjecting themselves to a series of bush tucker trial-type challenges.

SA Andy Moore was the lucky winner of the contest, winning a day’s leave from ship and the use of the top-notch facilities of the Le Meridien Hotel in Dubai.

Cumberland’s rugby and football teams were kept busy, enjoying the experience of playing in the Middle East.

Summing up the deployment, Capt Best said “I can safely say this has been one of the most memorable deployments the ship has had for some time.”