A new, state of the art Royal Navy ship is now calling a seaside town home.
On Thursday, June 28, Salcombe was officially affiliated to the HMS Magpie, the Royal Navy’s newest addition to the Hydrographic Squadron at a commissioning ceremony at HMNB Devonport.
The prestigious role of affiliate is to be an advocate for the ship, her commander, and her crew for her working lifetime alongside the ship’s lady sponsor, Teresa Gardner, wife of RA Chris Gardner CBE.
Mayor Cllr Nikki Turton represented Salcombe at the ceremony with her husband Richard, and Assistant Harbour Master Chris Gill. They were given the grand tour of the ship from Rear Admiral Paul Bennett CB OBE, and Brigadier Graeme Fraser MBE.
Cllr Turton explains that the ship’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander William Alexander RN, has “strong familial ties to the town - past, present, and assuredly future - so Salcombe is anticipating a lasting and healthy relationship between the two.”
She then added: “As mayor, I am very lucky and proud to be at the beginning of this new relationship with the Royal Navy, and having our own ship call us ‘home’ is wonderful.
“We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon and the Navy’s hospitality, and meeting Lt Cdr Alexander, his crew, and those involved in Magpie’s creation was delightful.”
HRH the Duke of Edinburgh was the commanding officer of the last HMS Magpie, in charge of the sloop/frigate between 1950 and 1952, and sent the ship and her new home his well wishes.
He said: “Having had the honour of commanding the anti-submarine frigate HMS Magpie, based in Malta soon after the war, I am delighted to know that the name ‘Magpie’ has been revived for a new Royal Navy survey ship. I am delighted to have this opportunity to offer my best wishes to the new ship’s company for a happy and rewarding commission.”
An 18-metre catamaran, the HMS Magpie is the only ship of her type in the Royal Navy, and has on board the latest high-resolution, shallow water, multi-beam echo sounder and side-scan sonar, and can launch remote-controlled underwater devices to search wide areas of the sea bed for obstructions and mines.
With a maximum crew of 12, she can stay at sea for up to two weeks. For the technically-minded, the HMS Magpie displaces around 37 tonnes, is 18.5 metres long, has a beam of 6.4 metres and a draught of 1.35 metres, which, luckily for Salcombe, means she can cross the sandbar at all states of the tide.
Cllr Turton said: “I am very keen to see the HMS Magpie in our waters, and I believe we - harbour, town and ship - are going to forge a wonderful, lasting relationship and I very much look forward to continuing this journey together.”