Birmingham's own HMS Daring to dock in Portsmouth
Jan 28 2009 by Paul Bradley, Birmingham Post
Birmingham’s newest navy vessel will today dock at Portsmouth to herald the dawn of a new era for Navy warships. Paul Bradley reports from the ship.
Birmingham’s £1 billion Royal Navy ship will today arrive at Portsmouth to complete its maiden voyage in the hands of the Royal Navy.
HMS Daring, a Type 45 Destroyer, leads a fleet of six warships designed to protect UK forces from enemy aircraft and anti-ship missiles.
Its Sea Viper missile system can detect a missile fired from beyond Land’s End while the ship is parked in the Thames. It can then destroy the missile before it reaches Portsmouth.
Her captain, Paul Bennett, who had previously served on HMS Birmingham before she was decommissioned, said it was a ship the whole city should be proud of.
Captain Bennett said: “We sailed for the first time from Scotland on January 16. Today, the ship will formally enter its new home at Portsmouth for the first time. The affiliation of a ship to a city is decided by the Navy. Daring is extremely privileged to be affiliated to such a great city.
“And Birmingham should be proud that it is affiliated to the most capable air defence destroyer in the world. The equipment we have is just extraordinary and is exactly what defence needs. We will probably take her to America in the future, and I am sure they will be very jealous, as they have nothing like this.”
What is most remarkable about HMS Daring is the sheer size and space on board. Instead of cramped living quarters, the 191 sailors on board live in relative luxury.
Turn back the clock a few years and the story would have been very different.
Father-of-two Dean Bracknell, 33, from Yardley, said: “A few years ago, I was on a ship that saw 31 sailors sharing a dorm. Sailing on Daring is like moving from a one-star B&B to a five-star hotel. But it wasn’t easy getting this job.
“The appointer picked the cream to work on board Daring, as the eyes of the world would be watching. It’s an extremely proud moment for us.”
For every one of the 191 on board Daring, 10 people applied.
Leading physical trainer Mikey Graham, 26, from Hodge Hill, added: “It has been an unbelievably busy couple of months for us. Ever since the ship was handed over to us from the builders, we have been doing lots of drills and training. Now it’s all come down to one day, and we can’t wait to arrive in Portsmouth. A lot of our families will be there to watch us sail in, so it will be one of our career highlights.”
HMS Daring will now be formally commissioned in July, before being deployed in mid-2010. Sailors will stay with the ship for up to four years before moving on.
The ship boasts Sky TV, a bar and a fully-kitted gym, but there are only three portholes. It can house up to 60 extra troops, and allows Lynx and Merlin helicopters to land on its main deck.
Following Daring will be five other Type 45 Daring Class Destroyers. They are called Dauntless, Diamond, Dragon, Defender and Duncan.
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Tasty job for chef Andrew
Life on the ocean wave can be hungry work for sailors. So who else would be in charge of cooking their dinner than a chef from the West Midlands?
Andrew Smith, 32, from Redditch, said: “It’s completely different cooking in a ship’s kitchen than anywhere else. There is not as much space and you can be limited to what you cook. And there’s the fact that you are catering for around 200 people. I mainly do desserts. My speciality is hot chocolate fondant pudding. That always seems to go down well. But you always get your whingers. Soldiers are well known for it.”
Leading Hand Teisha Freckleton, 28, from Kingstanding, makes sure the bar is fully stocked for officers on board Daring. She said: “I don’t get too much banter from the officers.
“They know I have the power to say something that they want is out of stock when really it isn’t.
“In all seriousness, though, Birmingham people should be very proud that the city is affiliated with Daring.
“Other sailors always comment on how lucky we are to be its crew.”
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Lerner paints deck in style
HMS Daring crew have been building links with Birmingham since boat-builders started work on her.
And the ship’s company have a famous number one fan – Aston Villa chairman Randy Lerner has thrown his full weight behind the ship; he had a specially-commissioned painting handed over to the ship’s captain as a sign of his support.
The painting, which will be hung on board but has not yet been officially unveiled, shows a maritime battle played out within the walls of Villa Park.
Millionaire Mr Lerner invited the crew to form a guard of honour on the pitch before the match against Middlesbrough on Remembrance Sunday last year.
Captain Bennett said: “My leading fitness instructor is a passionate Aston Villa fan, and he was among the crew who stepped on to the pitch at Villa Park for the parade. We are absolutely delighted to have this link with the club.”
