Ministry of Defence
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The White Ensign Association - Golden Jubilee celebrated on board HMS Illustrious
The White Ensign Association (WEA) held their Golden Jubilee 50th Anniversary reception onboard HMS ILLUSTRIOUS at Greenwich on 6 Nov 2008.
The WEA President, Commodore Sir Donald Gosling KCVO RNR, along with 300 other guests, including Admiral the Lord Boyce GCB OBE DL, Chairman of the WEA, were in attendance. The principal guest was Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope (C-in-C Fleet) and the event included ceremonial sunset, music from the Royal Marines Association Concert Band and concluded with a spectacular firework display.
The WEA is a Naval Charity whose mission is to inform and provide unbiased, confidential and free guidance to all Service and ex-Service personnel of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, and their dependants, on personal administration, finance, resettlement and employment.
Captain Steve Chick, the Commanding Officer of HMS Illustrious, stated "It is an honour to host such an event on board HMS Illustrious, the Nations Strike Carrier. The White Ensign Association gives tremendous support to our people, and we are delighted to be able to support them in celebrating the 50 years of charitable service that they have given to the Royal Navy"
HMS Illustrious is moored off Greenwich Peer until Tuesday the 12 November 08.
Recent Activities:
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS has had a busy year which started in January with a four month deployment to the Indian Ocean. The deployment demonstrated the UK's ability to globally deploy a Carrier Strike Group for an extended period. Whilst deployed, the Task Group contributed to coalition operations and took part in several challenging exercises with local Navies, as part of the UK's commitment to the region. During the deployment the ship's crew were shadowed by a TV crew making a documentary for Channel 5 - which was aired as the highly successful series "WARSHIP" during the summer.
In July this year, whilst alongside in Portsmouth, HMS Illustrious took part in the three day Meet Your Navy event, which saw 25,000 members of the public visit the ship.
In September the ship undertook Operational Sea Training. HMS ILLUSTRIOUS successfully passed her intense four week training package, which included exercises in war-fighting, damage control and peace-time emergency drills.
During October, the Ship conducted more specialised training on exercise Joint Warrior in the North Sea - which included the embarkation of No1(F) Squadron Harriers from the Joint Force Harrier, and the Sea King Airborne Early Warning Helicopters of 857 Naval Air Squadron.
The Commanding Officer of HMS Illustrious, Captain Steve Chick stated "HMS ILLUSTRIOUS has had a busy but good year. The deployment demonstrated the UK's ability to deploy a Carrier Group over great distances for extended periods - and we have successfully passed Operational Sea Training and more advanced training with embarked Harrier aircraft and Sea King helicopters. Keeping something as complex as an aircraft carrier worked up, and able to operate in any environment with fast jets and helicopters, takes a great deal of practice and skill. That's our daily business... to ensure we are ready to deploy anywhere in the world, whenever the country needs us to."
Ship History:
HMS Illustrious, the fifth ship of the name, was built by Swann Hunter in the Tyne. She was commissioned in 1982 whilst at sea, on passage to the Falkland Islands - having been rushed out of build because of the conflict. She relieved her sister ship HMS Invincible, who had spent more than 160 days continuously at sea - providing air cover to the UK Task Force sent to liberate the islands. The combined effort of the 2 ships - along with the now decommissioned aircraft carrier HMS Hermes - was the perfect example of how the UK can deliver maritime power at distance, for long periods, without host nation support. This mimicked the feats of her famous predecessor, the fourth HMS Illustrious, also an aircraft carrier. She led allied ships in the famous battle of Tarranto - sinking the Italian Fleet in harbour during World War 2. So successful was the raid that it became the model for Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, and is still celebrated by the Royal Navy each year, on 11th November.
Twenty six years old, Illustrious has been upgraded over the last 3 decades - and now carries Ground Attack Harriers, operating in the Strike role - rather than the old Sea Harriers used for air defence - and has swapped the ageing Sea King Anti-Submarine Warfare helicopters for the exceptionally effective and modern Merlin helicopter. During those 26 years, the modern Illustrious has been involved in many conflicts and disaster relief operations around the world since her first operation in 1982. Just as air power from the sea has played a key role in the UK's defence over the last hundred years, it will undoubtedly do so during the next century.
HMS Illustrious will continue to serve the nation until the new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth II, is commissioned in the middle of the next decade. This will see the dawn of a new era of highly mobile, immediately deployable air power, ready to serve the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, at a time and place of our choosing on behalf of the United Kingdom for many years to come.
ILLUSTRIOUS Statistics:
Displacement: 22,500 tonnes
Length: 210m / 686ft
Beam: 36m / 118ft
Speed: 28 knots
Complement: Currently over 750, but can grow to over 1000 with Air Group Personnel embarked
Armament: 3 x Goalkeeper Close-In Weapon Systems
Aircraft: A mix of Harrier GR7/GR9s from Joint Force Harrier, Sea King Airborne Surveillance and Control Aircraft, Merlin Anti-Submarine Warfare and Royal Air Force Chinook Heavy Lift aircraft depending on the ship's role.
Note to Editors:
* Journalists can visit Illustrious, by appointment, throughout her stay in London. Facilities available include passage up river to capture her arrival in Greenwich; interviews with the ship's crew, including the Captain and sailors from the London area; interviews by telephone; anchoring programmes from the ship, or running OB features including weather forecasts.
* The Ship will moor to buoys at Greenwich at 1600Z on 4th November. Boats will transport personnel from the ship to Greenwich pier every 20 minutes from 0700-0200.
For enquiries contact Susan Coulthard, Defence Press Officer London and the South East on 0207 218 3259
