The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessel
is expected on Montserrat, Thursday, November 10, 2016 for a four-days visit following her curtailed visit in August owing to Tropical Storm Gaston. The ship and her company will play a full role in the Remembrance Sunday service and parade in Little Bay.
Lt. Colonel Patrick Brown, will also be making a returning visit with the vessel.
RFA Wave Knight. (Photo courtesy Royal Navy website)
There will be the usual calls and meetings with government officials and in addition, the ship’s company will be host a reception on board, weather permitting. The will also conduct tours on board the ship for members of the public.
On Friday, November 11, 2016, the ship will therefore sound its horn at 1100 to mark the start of two minutes’ of silence on what is known as Armistice Day. The Disaster Management Co-ordination Agency will be conducting its daily test of their siren system at 1100 that day instead of at 1200. The ship and DMCA will sound their horn again at 1102 to end the mark of silence. In due respect the hope is that as many people as possible in Montserrat will join in observing the silence.
For Sunday November 13, 2016, the contingents of the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Royal Marines will part take in the Remembrance Day Parade and service. Commanding Officer of the RFA Wave Knight, Captain Nigel Budd, along with the British Defence Advisor to the Caribbean, Lt Col. Patrick Brown, will lay wreaths. Towards the end of the Wave Knight’s helicopter will perform a fly-past over the parade.
The Royal Navy Lynx Mk8 helicopter will also be on board for the deployment of conducting counter narcotics operations at sea and to provide an airborne asset for surveillance, search and delivery storage and rescue tasking if required. While in Montserrat the Navy Lynx Mk8 helicopter will be taking part in several aerial exercises across the island.
In a release, speaking of the visit the Commanding Officer of the ship, Captain Nigel Budd said “he is delighted that his ship’s company and his-self are able to return to the island of Montserrat to complete some of the unfinished activities that was unable to be done in August. He continued, they are also looking forward in to part take in Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday activities in this years 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.”
