UK Marines Aboard HMS Monmouth Clock Up Bike Miles to Help Green Berets

Royal Marines on HMS Monmouth are cycling around the clock for up to ten days to help fellow green berets. The commandos – who provide the sharp sword of the Plymouth frigate’s boarding team on patrol in the Gulf – intend to clock up 4,825 miles exactly.

That’s the distance from their base at 43 Commando Royal Marines Fleet Protection Group in Faslane to the Gulf metropolis of Dubai – a regular (and very popular) port of call for Royal Navy warships in the region.

The nine-strong team are doing so on one bike, mounted on a turbo trainer on the port bridge wing of the frigate during one of its routine patrols of the area.

Since the challenge began, there’s been one Royal Marine continuously cycling on the bike, 24 hours a day.

Each commando is expected to cover at least 500 miles (roughly the distance from Plymouth to Faslane) – and all while the green berets are still fulfilling their full boarding duties and other responsibilities on board.

Temperatures by day in the Gulf are already touching 30˚C and the Royals face the added challenge of cycling into 30kt winds at time when Monmouth powers through the sea.

Nevertheless, the lads are already more than half-way to their goal (they’ve just ‘passed’ the Turkish capital Ankara) and, more importantly, raised over £1,500 for for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund, the Royal Marines’ over-arching charity; the trust supports the recovery, quality of life and through-life challenges of all Royal Marines and their families.

 “The good progress has taken its toll –the team are now struggling to move up and down the ladders on ship and sitting down has never been more painful,” said Capt Will Hall, in charge of RM Boarding Team 3 on Monmouth.

“We’re beyond halfway in terms of distance but with a deteriorating sea state, Dubai is still a long way away.”

When not urging on Royal Marines on bicycles, the Black Duke has been hosting senior RAF staff who are key to the RN and UK’s mission east of Suez.

Air Commodore Phil Beach who is United Kingdom Air Component Commander – the Air Force equivalent of the RN’s senior command in the Middle East, UKMCC – joined Monmouth when she paid a short visit to Doha.

Sailing with the ship as she departed Qatar, his visit was an opportunity to witness life onboard an operational Type 23 as she continued with her maritime security patrol.

The visit provided an excellent opportunity for the Black Duke to showcase what she can do and explain first-hand how she has provided assurance, assistance and deterrence whilst patrolling the busy sea lanes of the region.

Throughout the visit, Air Commodore Beach chatted with members of the ship’s company and gained an appreciation of how the Royal Navy and RAF can support each others’ missions in the Gulf.

He witnessed harbour stations, toured the Black Duke and watched a boarding demonstration by the Royal Marines, before disembarking in Monmouth’s 815 Naval Air Squadron Lynx ‘Black Knight’ back to Qatar.

“This visit was a great opportunity to show how Monmouth and the Royal Navy can contribute to air operations in the region, and will hopefully enable us to build closer links with our RAF counterparts during the remainder of our deployment,” said Lt Chris Hollingworth, one of Monmouth’s principal warfare officers.

[mappress]
Naval Today Staff, February 4, 2013; Image: Royal Navy