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HMS Bulwark Visit (September 2011)
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On 21st September Liam Harbour and myself, Chris Ong, went aboard HMS Bulwark, one of the Royal Navy’s landing platform docks. We boarded in Plymouth at HMNB Devonport in the morning and quickly settled into our accommodation in the junior rates mess.
On our first day aboard ship we were given the necessary safety briefs for anyone working on ship which included fire precautions and measures if a fire were to break out. This gave us a hands on experience as we had the opportunity to don fire fighting gear and practise spraying the powerful hoses. Once the briefs were complete HMS Bulwark set sail out of HMNB Devonport into the British Channel where the sea breeze was chilling yet refreshing. We enjoyed the scenic views of the South West coast, a beautiful experience.
Shortly afterwards we were welcomed by young Officers doing their Initial Fleet Time (IFT) as part of Officer Training at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) Dartmouth. They were of great help as they explained what Dartmouth and Officer Training was like, providing us with invaluable tips for the future. In addition we had the opportunity to speak to Commissioned Officers who outlined their purpose aboard ship and educated Liam and myself on the different branches of the Royal Navy. Liam found this especially useful as it consolidated his opinions of his future in the Air Engineering branch of the Royal Navy. After discussions with RN personnel we attended dinner, tidied for rounds and called it a day.
On our second day we toured the ship visiting the vehicle deck, flight deck, infirmary, Officer’s mess and bridge - all of which gave us an opportunity to gauge life aboard ship. On the vehicle deck we were greeted by Royal Marine Commandos who allowed us to look at their equipment including the SA80 Rifle, a 52 tonne beach recovery vehicle named ‘The Beast’ and Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel, an amphibious landing vessel. After our tour Liam and myself went up to the flight deck to see HMS Bulwark enter Southampton Harbour in preparation to be displayed at the Southampton Boat Show. Ceremonial guns were fired as we came into dock. The visit to HMS Bulwark was just a preview to a potentially prosperous career in the Royal Navy, an excellent experience all round.
Christopher Ong, Portland 10E
