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Sir Percy always in great demand
Landing ship Sir Percivale has been in great demand during
her life - and not just with the Royal Navy.
The 5,674-tonne Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessel - officially
a Landing Ship Logistic or LSL - has seen service across the
world, serving with NATO and UN forces as well as British.
She entered service with the RFA in 1970, and was stationed
in the Pacific Ocean for a number of years.
She was designed to support amphibious operations by landing
troops, tanks, vehicles and other heavy equipment in port
or directly on to a suitable shore.
To achieve this, Sir Percivale has a number of special features,
including doors in the bows and stern for rapid loading and
unloading, and a shallow draught which enables her to be beached
- she is thus part roll-on, roll-off ferry and part landing
craft.
Routine work for Sir Percivale and her four sister ships would
be freighting Army equipment overseas, normally Germany-bound
vehicles through her home base of Marchwood military port
and Antwerp.
But she has also played an important role in the major flashpoints
involving British maritime forces in recent years, including
the Falklands War.
In 1982 Sir Percivale was one of the first ships to sail for
the South Atlantic, and was in the forefront of the amphibious
assault on San Carlos.
She was also the first ship to enter Stanley harbour after
the Argentinian surrender.
During the Gulf War the ship was deployed on various duties,
remaining in theatre for the duration of the conflict.
She has also deployed on a number of occasions to the Adriatic
in support of British forces operating in the former Yugoslavia.
The last two years have yielded a typical programme of exercises
and tasks for the ship>
In August 1996 she sailed to Cyprus, where she embarked troops
and equipment which were transported through the Suez Canal
to Aqaba in Jordan for a joint UK/Jordanian field exercise.
She returned from the Red Sea via Cyprus and Gibraltar to
join Exercise Green Wader, the first amphibious exercise carried
out by the newly-formed Amphibious Squadron of the Joint Rapid
Deployment Force.
November 1996 brought a chance for the ship to make her first
visit to her adopted town of Fowey, an affiliation having
been set up in 1994.
Last year was a particularly busy year for the ship and her
crew of 52 civilian officers and ratings.
Early in the year she sailed with the Ocean Wave task group,
and Sir Percivale was in Hong Kong for the official handover
of the colony to China on June 30.
Indeed, when the Royal Yacht and HMS Chatham sailed, Sir Percivale
took up station at the rear of the line, and was therefore
the last grey ship to leave Hong Kong.
She had been berthed at Stonecutters Island, on the Kowloon
side, for almost a month, acting as a logistics base for the
last British forces in the territory, accommodating the Royal
Navy ceremonial guard, the Royal Marine Band and acting as
base for the flight of Sea King helicopters from 846 Naval
Air Squadron.
Her visit coincided with 15th anniversary of the loss of the
RFA Sir Galahad and the bombing of RFA Sir Tristram during
the Falklands War.
Both ships had Chinese crew members at the time, and at a
special ceremony Sir Percivale's commanding officer, Capt
P. Roberts - who commanded Sir Galahad when she was attacked
- laid a wreath in memory of those who died in the war.
Other tasks on Ocean Wave included carrying elements of 40
Commando to Brunei for amphibious exercises, and then transporting
part of 42 Commando to Singapore and Thailand.
On leaving Hong Kong she ferried final items of military equipment,
and escorted the ships of the Hong Kong Squadron to the Philippines.
When she returned from the Far East, Sir Percivale underwent
a short period of maintenance, but the last two months have
seen her back on exercise with three sister LSLs.
The ships were part of the Royal Marines winter deployment
in Norway, which was followed by Exercise Green Wader, including
amphibious landings in the Norwegian fjords.
This slotted into Exercise Strong Resolve, when the LSLs joined
an amphibious task group which practised landings in France
and Spain.
(Ship of the Month April 1988)
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