Navy News
Direct from the front-line, the official newspaper of the Royal Navy, Navy News, brings you the latest news, features and award winning photos every month.
The work for the Squadron and Regiment will continue over Christmas with the service relied upon 365 days a year.
This year, the RG has been guarding ships, weapons training and has been involved in ceremonial events but has also spent time on deployments and taken part in exercises.
In January, the RG were deployed to Bahrain to provide the Force Protection Platoon for the UK Naval Support Facility, which was officially opened in April by HRH the Duke of York Prince Andrew. They will continue to provide guards until next April.
As well as sending personnel to Bahrain, I Company sent Lieutenant Garcia Magrath to the Antarctic to join HMS Protector as a logistics officer and translator. He spent four months on board as the Ice Patrol Ship carried out its work, which included a search for the sunken Argentinian submarine ARA San Juan.
Back in Gibraltar, RG spent a lot of time guarding a number of visiting ships including aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth which sailed into port alongside the Rock in February on her first overseas visit, and submarines HMS Talent and Astute.
This work will continue over Christmas with the service relied upon 365 days a year.
The Royal Gibraltar Squadron’s HMS Sabre returned to the water in September following successful completion of her annual maintenance package. The 24-tonne Scimitar-class patrol vessel was craned back into the water following her Annual Survey and Repair Period.
Meanwhile, the other patrol vessel HMS Scimitar made a rare visit away from Gibraltar in a visit to Portugal during the summer.
The Band of the RG have not been idle either, participating in a number of high-profile ceremonies both in Gibraltar and the UK. In November they took part in Exercise Barbarian Horn which saw them play in the Royal Hospital, the National Army Museum and London Bridge Station as part of the centenary of Armistice.
The year had a hectic ceremonial programme too which included extra gun salutes for the birth of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s son Prince Louis and the supersession of the Commander of the British Forces. The unit also attended a re-dedication ceremony in July for the Gibraltar Defence Statue, at Casemates Square, which they helped re-condition.
Direct from the front-line, the official newspaper of the Royal Navy, Navy News, brings you the latest news, features and award winning photos every month.