Page 105 - MERCIAN Eagle 2015

HMS ALBION
The Senior Naval Officer of HMS Albion (L14), the allied ship of The Mercian Regiment visited RHQ Mercian in June, as a first step in the process of starting reciprocal exchanges between the Royal Navy ship and British Army regiment.
Commander Steve Ward, HMS Albion’s Senior Naval Officer had time to visit recruiters from the Regimental Support Team, the Regimental Mascot and key staff within the headquarters.
HMS Albion has been in extended readiness since 2011 in her home base of Devonport, while her sister HMS Bulwark – currently leading the Navy’s annual amphibious Cougar deployment in the Mediterranean – has served as flagship. Come April 2017, the two ships’ roles will be reversed as Bulwark is laid up, and Albion takes her place on the right of the line.
Commander Ward was presented with a Mercian Regiment plaque for his ward room by Lt Col (Retd) Bridges MBE TD JP on behalf of The Mercian Regiment Charity. Following this, the soldiers and officers of RHQ Mercian travelled to Plymouth during
July in the reciprocal visit.
During the return visit, Major Shergold presented the Senior Naval Officer,
Commander Ward with a framed print “The storming of Objective FAN”. The print depicts 2 MERCIAN in Afghanistan in 2007, and was the first operational action of the then newly formed regiment.
Captain Shergold and the Regimental Support Team were then given a guided tour of the ship, including a visit down into the dock. Here they witnessed the impressive size of the ship and hull, where there is the capacity for an entire battalion’s strength of Warrior AFV.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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