Tag Archives: HMS Triumph

UK CHESTERFIELD: Tributes paid to tragic Submariner aged 22

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The heartbroken family of a young sailor who died in a motorbike smash while on leave have honoured “a wonderful young man who served his country.”

Royal Navy submariner, Christopher Payne, 22, was killed instantly in the crash on the B6179 Derby Road near Coxbench on September 5, after failing to negotiate a bend near the A38 bridge.

Christopher, a marine engineering technician, had just returned home from his post on the HMS Triumph in Plymouth that day.

Fighting back tears, his dad Dean Payne, said: “I am so proud of my son and what he achieved in life. I am proud of the job that his mother Debbie and I did in raising him to turn out to be such a wonderful young man.

“He served his country and would have gone on to serve his country many times more.”

Hundreds of mourners descended on Brimington Crematorium last Thursday to pay tributes to Christopher – known as Max to his fellow sailors – as he was honoured with a full military funeral.

Amongst them were more than 60 members of the Royal Navy who were able to attend en masse because of a fault with the submarine that delayed their launch.

His uncle, Keith Lee, said: “He was very well thought of. They are a close knit family on the HMS Triumph. They have lost one of their own just as much as us.”

He described his nephew – a lifelong Spireite – as a typical teenager with a cheeky grin, who always looked out for his younger sister, Danielle, 19.

“He was very protective of her” said Keith. “She is absolutely devastated. She has lost her right arm.”

Dean added: “From the moment she was born he looked after her and he was still looking after her until he died.”

Christopher, who was born in Spital and divided his time between Brimington and Holbrook while on leave, will be remembered by a signed Chesterfield FC shirt donated by the club, to hang in the HMS Triumph.

Chesterfield FC Community Trust director John Croot: “It was an honour to hand over a signed shirt to Christopher Payne’s colleagues from HMS Triumph. It is nice to think that the shirt, once it is framed and hung up on a wall aboard the submarine, will provide them with a permanent reminder of Christopher.”

Chris Brownley, fellow submariner, said: “A lot of the lads are finding it quite hard without him, and we are all finding it hard to concentrate.

“He always had a smile on his face, always a cheeky grin. He was one of the nicest people I have ever met. He would always help out.”

Source – Derbyshire Times

Syria action ‘would involve submarine cruise missiles’

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The HMS Triumph was among the submarines that fired sea to land Tomahawk cruise missiles in Libya.

Any UK military action in Syria would involve submarine-launched cruise missiles rather than air strikes, a military expert has predicted.

Nick de Larrinaga of IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly told ITV News: “I’d be very surprised if any military action by the UK didn’t consist of cruise missile strikes.

“Equally, I’d be very surprised if it did involve air strikes. It would be very risky given the strength of Syrian air defences.”

David Cameron has recalled Parliament to discuss Syria. Credit: Toby Melville/PA Wire

Reports emerged today that warplanes had arrived in the UK’s Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus, but De Larrinaga does not believe these would be used against Syria.

“The Akrotiti base could play a supporting role to any military action, but it’s highly unlikely that manned aircraft would be involved at this point – although it’s possible the UK could support the US by monitoring airspace.”

De Larrinaga, the magazine’s Europe Editor, said the chances of western military action are increasing and strikes could occur “quickly” after a decision was made.

“The likelihood of small scale, precision strikes using Tomahawk cruise missiles has significantly increased since Britain, France and the US essentially accused Assad of using chemical weapons,” he said.

UN inspectors entered Syria after the alleged chemical attack by the regime. Credit: REUTERS/Abo Alnour Alhaji

Submarines would likely be deployed in eastern Mediterranean waters or in the Gulf.

De Larrinaga added that airstrikes could be possible “to a limited degree” within Syria using stand-off weapons, without entering Syrian airspace, but cruise missiles remained “the far most likely option”.

Parliament is being recalled on Thursday for MPs to discuss the issue, although De Larrinaga says military action would not get UN backing.

“UN Security Council-endorsed military action is a no-go because Russia and China would veto it. It could be a US-led coalition, or possibly a NATO-endorsed mission,” he said.

In 2011, the UK carried out strikes on Libya two days before Parliamentary approval was sought, although there had been a UN resolution endorsing a no fly-zone.

Source – ITV News

Plymouth Submariner surfaces to collect MBE

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A MARINE Engineering Officer who had the “relentless” task of keeping a nuclear submarine at sea for 11 months has been awarded an MBE.

Lieutenant Commander Andy Sharp was deployed aboard HMS Triumph in 2011 and 2012 when the boat was sent to the Gulf and Libya.

Lieutenant Commander Andy Sharp was deployed aboard HMS Triumph in 2011 and 2012 when the boat was sent to the Gulf and Libya.

 

Servicemean Andy Sharp receives his MBE, accompanied by his fiancee Kay Talbot

The 45-year-old regularly faced repairing the ageing Trafalgar-Class boat but each and every time ensured HMS Triumph and her crew remained tightly on schedule.

The citation explained how the boat remained on station for Operations Ellamy and Unified Protector for more than 100 days providing vital intelligence to NATO and as the UK’s strategic strike capability.​

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It continued: “Throughout that time Andy led his department with selfless dedication, tenacity and resourcefulness as they kept the submarine in a first class state of repair through what was, at the time, the longest ever operational SSN deployment.

“By the time she returned to the UK, HMS Triumph had spent over 14 of the previous months away from home and that achievement was due in no small part to Andy.”

Commander Rob Dunn, the Commanding Officer of HMS Triumph at the time, said: “Too often in the past what submariners have done has been out of sight and therefore out of mind. But the challenges faced by my engineers in keeping Triumph ready for operations was immense and I was delighted to see Andy, along with several other members of my crew, recognised in the Operational Awards.”

Also to be recognised in the Operational Honours with a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service was Warrant Officer 2 Alasdair McCall who supported Andy throughout the deployment.

Andy said: “It was a brilliant day, it was presented by the Queen. She said congratulations and asked me if I was busy last year because of the award.”

He said the MBE represented the hard work of an “excellent team”.

The Lt Cdr was presented his MBE by the Queen at Buckingham Palace with his fiancee Kay Talbot and children Danny and Kirsty.

His son Danny, a Royal Navy Air Engineering Technician, was flown off HMS Illustrious especially for the occasion.

Source – ThisisPlymouth

HMS Triumph – Medals for crew who helped to topple Gaddafi

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SUBMARINERS who played a pivotal role in the NATO mission to topple the Gaddafi regime in Libya last year are to be rewarded for their service.

The crew of nuclear submarine HMS Triumph will be presented with medals at a ceremony in HMNB Devonport next week.

During the conflict they conducted many operations which in turn were key in preventing planned attacks including the mining of Misrata Harbour.

Much of the information was kept under wraps until July this year when The Herald spent a week onboard the submarine and the crew revealed the extent of their role.

Triumph’s crew foiled another assault when an unmanned inflatable boat was found with two mannequins at the controls and a box containing a ton of explosives on board.

Code named Operation Ellamy, the mission saw the first strike from the hunter-killer submarine, and the first from any British unit, on March 18, 2011 – just seven days after they were re-tasked to Libya.

Although the exact number of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles fired by HMS Triumph could not be revealed, the submarine conducted six precision strikes each firing more than one of the deadly missiles on key targets including one of Colonel Gaddafi’s compounds.

After the operation some of the crew members said they felt “disheartened” by the lack of recognition for their service. Another described the feeling as a sense they had been “written out of history”.

But now the boat and 87 members of her crew, who have also been nominated for a Millie award, will receive the Unified Protector medal.

Commander Rob Dunn, 48, the former commanding officer of HMS Triumph, said: “We were operating in a hostile environment with gunfire echoing through the hull for nearly seven weeks.

“Our role in Libya was not widely publicised but there was a lot of individual recognition for certain members of the crew.”

As a result of the war, three members of HMS Triumph’s crew were presented Chief of Joint Operations Commendations in the operational awards list.

Cdr Dunn said the crew worked under continuous “risk and rigour” during their mammoth 10-month deployment.

Source – This is Plymouth