Armed Forces - page 5

The military on display

in Armed Forces
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Could be anywhere, but the former Casemates military barracks was the perfect venue for the Gibraltar Model Soldier Society to exhibit their hard work… and once again, what a show and demonstration of talent it was!

About ten exhibitions have been set up so far, going back to the first ones at the John Mackintosh Hall, but the first floor vaults at Casemates – now named the Gustavo Bacarisas Gallery – suited the theme perfectly. Hundreds and hundreds of tiny, hand painted models placed on tables complemented the `rooms,’ as these were the quarters of regiments and battalions that had been stationed on the Rock over many decades up to more or less the mid 20th century. Last year I wrote about the exhibition highlighting the Royal Navy, which must’ve brought back many recollections of the large, Home and Mediterranean fleets assembling in Gibraltar in the 50s and 60s in a replica of the Gibraltar harbour, as demonstrated by Manuel Infante’s diorama taking up much of one of the vaults at Casemates. This year the army took pride of place and regiments set out on parade and on the battlefield were perfectly re-enacted. Apart from the British regiments on show there were others: American and German armies at war in the snow; there were also military bands from places you may not have even heard of, and so much more. There were also scenes of World Wars, African fighters, the Wild West, the Roman Empire, Napoleon was present too and there was one scene of North American bison and other cattle also on show and on a much calmer scene, there was even a setting inviting `Tea for two!’ 

This year other model enthusiasts were allowed to exhibit their wares. The Warhammer players were in evidence this year with their futuristic, powerful warriors and war machines and the destruction they cause very much in evidence. Stephen Vinales is a Corgi cars collector and is very proud of his James Bond and Queen’s carriages collection… they were there as well. Also on show, Henry Pinna’s handmade, and painstakingly painted figures made out of some sort of Plasticine and paint. How does he find the time outside his Action for Housing commitments, I wonder? The whole display was wonderful to experience. It’s simply amazing how much time must be required to collect, paint, then clean, polish up for an exhibition and then set the whole thing up for display. One collector explained how he measured the parade ground (Horse Guards Parade Ground on this occasion) and the lining up in perfect order with pieces of string strictly spacing out all the figures exactly apart from each other displaying a smart parade just like the real thing… or even better! One collector I’ve interviewed in the past set out some of his regiments perfectly also – a fraction of what he has at home for sure. There, corridor display cabinets and elsewhere all beautifully set out and his vast collection just keeps on growing. Appropriately this year – as he was leaving us – there was a model of Governor Lt Gen Ed Davis in his Royal Marine uniform on parade, outside one the Rock’s ceremonial saluting landmarks. It’s perfectly clear to me that the collectors who take on the hobby quite seriously, undertake a lot of research to gather all the details in terms of colours of uniforms and all the tiny details involved, whilst on the way, learning so much about the history of the regiments and their battles, countries, cultures, so on and so forth, there being no point if, for example, all of those colours on uniforms, head gear, badges and medals including very minor details, did not appear in the correct colours and shades for each item, large or small. If they were not to be exact and true to the real thing it would take away from the fun to be had because these collectors are serious hobbyists and I’m certain would not have it any other way!

During my travels around the Gustavo Bacarisas Gallery I was escorted by Sergio Sacramento, another keen admirer of this fabulously interesting `need-for-serious-research’ hobby which, we mustn’t forget, can get expensive. Apart from purchasing the models or figures – you don’t just buy half a dozen, you go for a full company or even the whole regiment – you then have to buy paints, brushes, information booklets and probably lots of other bits and pieces and costs go higher and higher. Then, the time spent researching, painting and getting the whole thing together must have an inestimable figure put to it… but it’s all worth it, judging by the passion with which these works are assembled and put on show for the public to enjoy.

The bottom line has to be that there’s a myriad of hobbies and pastimes for everyone to enjoy: you just take your pick. On the Rock, as small as we are, I can’t think of anything there isn’t a following for – from crochet to Petanque onto stamp and coin collecting, the visual arts, chess, most sports and of course, if you’re a serious, patient, hard working enthusiast and have a real passion, there’s The Gibraltar Model Soldier Society who keep on exhibiting. Well done, that was a very good show!

Gibraltar Armed Forces

in Armed Forces

Royal Gibraltar Gun Salute 

A Royal Gun Salute was fired by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment on February 6th to mark the Accession to the Throne of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 

On this occasion, the Inspecting Officer was Major (Retd) Charles Armstrong ED JP, a former Battery Commander of Thomson’s Battery.  Major Armstrong relinquished command of B Company in 1990 and retired from the Regiment in 1992.  The Battery was commanded by Major Charles Bonfante of B Company, RG. 

British Forces Gibraltar Bids Farewell To Its Rock

Farewells are often hard to do. In close-knit organisations, more so.

Marie Martinez was British Forces Gibraltar’s longest serving member of staff. She started at a turbulent time as the military operations on the Rock were being scaled-back in line with defence cuts and the emergence of a different kind of military threat. Her fuirst job was that of part-time clerical assistant in 1984, when she was told not to make herself “too comfortable”. Time has proven to be on her side!

She then moved on to work in the former Principal Supply and Transport Organisation (Naval) for four years, before moving into the budgeting world in early 1989.  Promoted to EO in November 1991, Marie remained within the Budgets area until January 2004 when she transferred to the Library at HMS Rooke.  

Here Marie became a qualified para-professional in the Library and Information field and spent many a happy day processing books, preparing competitions for our younger readers, preparing learning opportunities and ensuring the Joint Education Library and Information Centre (JELIC) was the best learning environment it could be.  The Library sadly closed its doors in 2013, and Marie was instrumental in achieving the gifting of the contents (both books and shelving) to HMGoG for inclusion and use in the John Mackintosh Hall Library.  The JELIC became the Joint Education Centre and moved to Devil’s Tower Camp in 2016, becoming the Joint Education and Training Services (JETS) in the wake of the Op Model re-organisation.  

The Ops Model provided opportunities for the MOD workforce and in 2017 Marie was promoted to HEO, taking over the position of manager of the JETS.  Marie held this post until her retirement in January 2020.  She has relished these last three years, with the highlight of JETS achieving notable success in the field of Functional Skills for Command personnel.

Marie joins her husband Kevin, in retirement and they plan to travel as long as health and finances permit. Gibraltar salutes you, Marie!

Honors & Awards

Commodore Tim Henry, Commander British Forces Gibraltar, presented a number of awards at a ceremony in The Tower.

The latest ceremony saw four members of the British Forces Gibraltar community being awarded CBF Commendations in recognition of their outstanding contribution to Headquarters British Forces Gibraltar.  

Daniel Ferro, Ms Liz Connor, Ms Lourdes Berllaque and Mrs Audrey Maclean were commended.

Officers host the Governor

in Armed Forces
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In mid-January the Officers of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment held an inaugural Officers’ Curry Lunch, a newly conceived quarterly event to host personnel who support the Regiment.  The guest of honour on this occasion was His Excellency the Governor, who attended as Commander-in-Chief, and received an engraved 105 mm shell to mark his time in post.

The Governor decided that this event would be an excellent opportunity to respond in kind and present several of the officers present with their Commissioning scrolls.  Those presented were Lieutenant Colonel S Dyson, Captain D Hayton-Williams, Captain L Mauro and Captain A Pearce.

The event also provided the RG with the opportunity to bid a fond farewell to Major Chris Ghio, Major Julian Valverde and Lt Martin Garcia-Magrath.

RSM’S Challenge

in Armed Forces
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At the end of last year, 61 members of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, and 4 members from the wider British Forces Gibraltar military community, took part in the annual Regimental Sergeant Major – or RSM’s – challenge. 

The challenge was both physically and mentally demanding, designed to push competitors to their physical limits.  Starting at Devil’s Tower Camp and finished at Princess Caroline’s Battery in the Upper Rock. Those who took part, worked hard to achieve individual best effort times as they conducted a 10.2km loaded march, carrying 15kg. 

Gibraltar Defence Force Police Female Forum

in Armed Forces

The Gibraltar Defence Police (GDP) Forum for Females (FFF) recently held a coffee morning. Guests at the event included HMGoG’s Minister for Equality Samantha Sacramento, Commissioner of Police Mr Ian McGrail, one of the partners from Hassans Mr Ian Felices and Commander British Forces Commander Tim Henry.  In addition to GDP officers and staff, colleagues from the wider MOD community and from the Royal Gibraltar Police were also present.

The FFF was set up last year for women working across all areas of the GDP. 

Alex Romero, Head of Business Support within the GDP and Chair of the FFF, explained that its purpose is to create a support mechanism to ensure that the workforce is more representative of the community that it serves, by working to increase the number of female employees within the GDP and Defence Guard Service (DGS) and the number of female employees at higher ranks in these areas. In addition, the Forum seeks to identify diversity and inclusion issues encountered within the GDP, provide mutual support and encouragement, ensure a level playing field in all areas of business and provide both internal and external networking experiences.

Speaking at the event the Minister for Equality said, “I am delighted to see that there has been such a positive outcome from the Department of Equality’s Women’s Mentorship Programme at this level. It is particularly important in sectors where women are significantly under-represented that a forum such as this exists to facilitate inclusion and the message that senior jobs can be undertaken by women. It is through fora such as this where professional futures are shaped. I wish to thank those who have led on setting up this forum and wish it every success.”

RG Insight Weekend

in Armed Forces
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The Royal Gibraltar Regiment held its first Insight Weekend of the year at Devil’s Tower Camp (DTC) and Buffadero Training Centre (BTC).  The weekend was run over two days with an overnight stay to provide potential recruits with a better understanding of the Regiment, and what it could offer them.  

The event started kicked off on the Friday when 26 potential recruits turned up at Devil’s Tower Camp.  The group consisted of three females and 23 males, the youngest being 15 years and 8 months and the oldest being 42 years old. 

Despite the weather all attendees enjoyed the weekend which included indoor activities and presentations as well as outdoor activities including a Night Stalk, a live shoot, a FIBUA Attack and paintball.

The common comment from those attending was that the weekend was interesting and that it was a great way of informing them of what the Regiment has to offer as a Reserve (part-time) or Regular (full-time) soldier.

The Big Brew-up

in Armed Forces/Culture Insight/History Insight

The Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron hosted a charity coffee morning
to raise funds for the Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Families
Association (SSAFA).

Leading Seaman (LS) Nick Hickman, one of the Squadron’s RHIB Coxswains, was responsible for organising the event, ensuring that cakes were baked, bacon was fried and tea was brewed and put on a superb spread for those serving with British Forces Gibraltar and their families. LS Hickman said, “This is the third time I have organised a “Big Brew Up” in support of SSAFA. The event has brought people together from across The Rock and raised money for a very worthy cause in the process.”

The Commanding Officer of the Squadron, Lieutenant Commander Kyle Walkley was full of praise for LS Hickman and the team and added, “It is great to see the hard work of members of the Squadron translated into real tangible benefits for a Service charity. SSAFA is a great cause, and the money we have been able to raise will go towards helping to improve the lives of personnel serving, their families, and veterans.”

The event ended up raising £260 for SSAFA.

Battle of Trafalgar

in History Insight

This year marked the 214th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the traditional Act of Remembrance was once again held within the Trafalgar Cemetery.  

Commander Michael Maher Royal Navy, Commanding Officer Royal Navy and Commander Stuart Lawrence Royal Navy, Commanding Officer Joint Support Unit placed wreaths on the graves of those who died as a result of the iconic Battle.

During the service, His Excellency The Governor of Gibraltar, Lieutenant General Edward Davis CB CBE KStJ read the despatch from Admiral Collingwood to the then Lieutenant Governor which informed Gibraltar that Commander-in-Chief’ had died:

‘Yesterday a Battle was fought by His Majesty’s Fleet, and a Victory gained, which will stand recorded as one of the most brilliant and decisive, that ever distinguished the British Navy… Our loss has been great in Men; but what is irreparable, and the cause of Universal Lamentation, is the death of the Noble Commander-in-Chief who died in the arms of Victory; I have not yet any reports from the ships…”

USS Ophir – The Burning Question

in Features/History Insight

Many of us remember the devastating explosion which rocked Gibraltar in April 1951 when the British ammunition ship Bedenham exploded on the Gun Wharf. A similar incident nearly occurred in 1918 when US navy cargo ship the USS Ophir returned to Gibraltar on fire carrying a flammable cargo.

The USS Ophir was built by the Dutch Kon. Masts de Schelde in Flushing in 1904. This 8905 ton cargo passenger ship was operated by the Rotterdamsche Lloyd Line on the Pacific run. The ship was seized in Hawaii by customs officials under a Presidential Proclamation of the 20th of March 1918 and was turned over to the US Navy on the 21st of March 1918 and commissioned on the 25th on that month as a NOTS (Navy Overseas Transportation Service) under the command of Lt. Cdr. M P Nash USNRF (US Navy Reserve Force). 

The Ophir left port on the 2nd of April heading for New York where she arrived on May 14th. Leaving again in the company of four other ships on the 1st of June. They carried sailors and tugboat men, 500 mail sacks and other cargo, heading for La Pallance in France, to supply the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) there.  She arrived on June 7th    (GHQ AEF France report dated June 9th) and set sail again for Verdun on the 27th and then returned to New York. The General Headquarters AEF shows the Ophir arriving in New York on July 30th. She continued to operate on this sector and on the 25th of October set out for Gibraltar and onward to the southern French ports. The Ophir arrived in Gibraltar on November 8th. Soon after sailing for Marseille she caught fire and turned back to Gibraltar. In the afternoon of the 10th a telephone call was received by the Senior Naval Officer (SNO) in the Gibraltar Dockyard which stated that the Ophir was on fire and would be arriving about 1500hrs. A berth was prepared on the North Mole. The question of tugs was raised but was informed that the HM Tug Crocodile, which had the necessary pumping equipment, was laid up and only the Marsden and Heroine were available with limited pumping capacity but that the Kings Harbour Master and Commander Remington had the matter in hand. At 1930hrs the ship was reported to be rounding Europa Point. The SNO boarded the vessel on arrival and was informed by the Captain that he thought the fire was in No2 lower hold which held some 500 tons of coal. The Ophir was anchored off North Mole. The fire was kept under control during the night using the ship’s firefighting equipment. At 1930 hrs on the 11th an explosion blew off the hatches of No2 hold and the ship continued burning furiously. The water from the fire hoses had passed from the hold into the boiler room and was in danger of extinguishing the furnaces. The SNO was on board when the Captain requested that the ship be beached. This was agreed and the Pilot, Pelizza, took the ship into the shallows and she was run aground in four and a half fathoms. The fire continued, the boilers were put out of action and the Ophir burned out with all the hold full of water. The 11th of November 1818, being the day that the Armistice was signed which ended the First World War. 

Two sailors perished in the fire, they were Guy Alston Comstock, an Engineman, 2nd Class of the USNRF and Oscar Wilson, Engineman 1st Class USNRF. Both these sailors were buried at the North Front Cemetery on the 16th of November. The bodies were repatriated to the United States on the 3rd of June 1919.

Her cargo consisted of drums of Aviation Oil, which in those days was probably of castor oil base and highly flammable. Reports in the US media talk of shell holes but there is no evidence that she carried ammunition. She also carried a number of ambulances, coal and provisions, no doubt for the troops at her original destination. 

The Crocodile, obviously now repaired, started to pump out the holds and in a report from the Captain of the Port, dated 18th January 1919, the fore hold was now dry and No 2 hold had three feet of water and the after hold was reduced to about the same level. Tests were being carried out to see if the ship could be pumped dry without damage. The hull seemed watertight but some concern was raised over the after bulkhead. The iron deck aft of the dining saloon on the port side was split right across and it was hoped this was not a structural failure. A US destroyer was anchored just north of the Ophir and keeping an eye on developments. For security reasons, the night patrol was ordered to make several tours around the ship while on patrol. An inventory had been taken of everything on the ship including all brass and copper fittings and orders given that the correct night lights should be on during darkness. Nevertheless by the 4th of December the Captain of the Port reported that fittings had been stolen from the ship. Captain Nash was lodged with the American Consul while the ship was being raised. Captain Asserson USN was in Gibraltar as part of the diplomatic team and was involved in the decision to raise the Ophir, which was reported to the Colonial Secretary on January 18th 1919.  The US Navy survivors were repatriated and a team was sent to Gibraltar to refloat and repair the vessel. 

No doubt the provisions were spoiled and probably dumped at sea under the sanitary inspector’s control. The vehicles had been under 16ft of water but the five Quad trucks were salvaged and sold to Alexander Ivison of Cadiz under the authority of US Base 9, the Patrol Squadron based in Gibraltar on the 22nd of May 1919. The US media reported that the vessel was under water for five months but this does not appear to be the case as she was pumped dry within weeks.

Only enough work was done to make her able to sail back to the United States. A skeleton crew of six officers and sixty eight men were sent out to bring the ship back

On the 25th of November 1920, she set sail still full of holes and hardly seaworthy. Incredibly, despite her condition, eight wives of enlisted men were permitted to sail with the ship. Only three of her boilers were operational and two days out of the Azores, they broke down and she was given a tow by the USS Bob-O-Link off Bermuda. About 100 miles off Cape Henry, they hit a severe storm and the tow rope parted. For thirty six hours the Ophir drifted in 100 mile an hour wind and heavy seas but finally the storm abated and she was able to get under way on her own, arriving in Norfolk, Virginia on the 9th of January 1920. The Ophir was decommissioned and turned over to the War Department on the 16th of January 1920.

It is curious to note that there is no reference to this incident in the Gibraltar Chronicle, and were it not for the records of the North Front Cemetery and the official Government correspondence, there would be doubt as to whether it ever happened. The fact that it occurred on the 11th of November 1918, the day that the armistice was declared, which ended the First World War, might account for the lack of interest. Research is still going on to establish the details of how the vessel was raised by the US Navy.

WE WISH TO THANK THE DIRECTOR OF THE US NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER WASHINGTON FOR HIS ASSISTANCE IN THE RESEARCH INTO THIS INCIDENT AND THE USE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS. ALSO THE GIBRALTAR GOVERNMENT ARCHIVES FOR ACCESS TO THE GOVERNMENT PAPERS.

Article supplied by History Society Gibraltar.
Email: historysocietygibraltar@hotmail.com

New Commanding Officer for HMS Scimitar

in Features/History Insight

Lieutenant James Young has assumed Command of HMS Scimitar, one of the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron’s Lifespan Patrol Vessels (LPV). He relieves Lieutenant Commander Kyle Walkley who, after a year in Command of SCIMITAR, has taken the role of Commanding Officer of the Squadron.

Lieutenant Young commented, “This is an extremely exciting opportunity in a place steeped in the history of the Royal Navy.  I am very much looking forward to my first Command and delivering on live
operations on a daily basis in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.”

Lt Young has recently arrived in Gibraltar having spent much of the last year navigating Type 23 Frigate HMS Montrose from the UK, across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans to her new home in Bahrain.

Lt Cdr Walkley said: “James arrives here having just completed a challenging but rewarding job navigating a frigate three quarters of the way around the world.  The challenges here will be different, but his superb
performance in his career so far leaves me with no doubt that he will succeed in delivering on operations in this vital part of
the world.”

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