UK: Ambush Commemorates 10th Anniversary of Derby’s Freedom

Sailors from new attack submarine HMS Ambush visited their affiliated city of Derby from Thursday, April 19, until Sunday, April 22, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Freedom of the City being granted to the Submarine Service.

The visit gave the submariners plenty of opportunities to celebrate with the City of Derby and the boat’s wider affiliate community.

HMS Ambush is the second-built Astute Class submarine currently undergoing test and commissioning, having recently launched in January 2011 and completed her first dive in December last year. She is due to be commissioned into the Royal Navy later this year and will join sister boat HMS Astute at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde.

The boat’s commanding officer, Commander Peter Green, said:

“I am delighted to be able to bring HMS Ambush crew to our affiliated city of Derby.

“It is an exciting and challenging time just now for HMS Ambush and engaging with our affiliates allows me the opportunity to update our progress and cement what I hope will grow into a strong relationship.”

The programme has been coordinated by Terry Hall on behalf of the Derby Submariner’s Association and the City of Derby. Mr Hall, a former submariner, said:

“We were the first and to my knowledge are still the only city to pledge affiliation to the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service.

“We were affiliated to HMS Sovereign, in fact I watched her launched and saw her decommission, and I didn’t want the city’s affiliation to end with her.

“HMS Vanguard crew members have also visited Derby thanks to our affiliation and we’ve had senior naval officers attend our Trafalgar Night dinners.”

Lt James Boulton and ten members of the submarine’s crew visited the Bemrose School to mark the affiliation and present a ship’s crest to the Derbyshire school.

Head teacher Joanne Ward said:

“We are extremely honoured to have been chosen as the only school in the city to be affiliated with HMS Ambush, and we have very much enjoyed meeting Lt Boulton and other members of her crew.

“HMS Ambush is an extraordinary piece of engineering and we all share the sense of pride that our city has played such an integral part in her development.

“We hope that by learning more about her, our pupils will be inspired to look into pursuing careers in the Royal Navy or as engineers working on the next generation of submarines.”

Cdr Green, his crew and local dignitaries also attended a tenth anniversary lunch at Derby City Hall courtesy of the Lord Mayor.

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Naval Today Staff, April 24, 2012; Image: royalnavy