HMS Cornwall rejoins the Fleet after major refit

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HMS Cornwall has been welcomed back to the Fleet with a rededication ceremony which took place on a cold but clear day in Falmouth, Saturday 28th January.

The ceremony comprised a blessing of the ship and a rededication speech by the Commanding Officer of HMS Cornwall, Captain Simon Williams. Guest of honour was Lady Mary Holborow, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall.

The ceremony took place alongside the ship on the jetty. The Royal Marine band from Lympstone began the event, parading and playing in front of the assembled friends, families of the ship’s company and VIPs, including past Commanding Officers. The ship’s company stood in formation on the jetty as they were addressed by the Captain Williams and inspected by Lady Holborow.
A special cake was jointly ceremonially cut by the CO’s wife Charlotte Williams and Steward Kirsten Bresnahan, 17, of Southport, the youngest member of the crew. The cake was baked by one of the ship’s chefs David Banks, of Sunderland.

The service was conducted by the ship’s chaplain the Rev Allan McCulloch. Lady Holborow was presented with flowers by the CO’s young daughter, Sophie Williams.

Captain Williams said:

"The ship has undergone an excellent refit and is in very good shape. The whole ship’s company is delighted have gone back to sea. That is exactly where a ship and every sailor should be after a year on land.
"This rededication ceremony is a form of rebirth for the ship. Most of the ship's company is new to the ship, many straight from training. We now all bond as a team, both ship and sailors and officers.
"The next process in forming an operational ship fit for anything the Navy asks of us, is to undergo a strenuous period of operational training under the Flag Officer Sea Training organisation in Devonport.
"This makes us prepared for anything, from peacekeeping, or diplomacy and humanitarian aid to defence operations. We will then effectively become part of the NATO Joint Rapid Reaction Force, ready to be sent anywhere in the world on any deployment at any time."

The rededication event follows an old Royal Naval tradition and marks the ceremonial return to the Fleet following the completion last year of a multi-million pound refit that started in November 2004. The ceremony asks that the ship and her crew is looked after and has good luck for the future.

The refit, the majority of which was dedicated to constructional repair after a demanding programme since her last major refit period in 1995/6, took place in Plymouth.

HMS Cornwall conducted an intense period of sea trials, ensuring all her marine and weapons systems are fully operational before being formally accepted back into the Fleet last December, through a contrasting non-ceremonial inspection and contract signing-off. The ship will continue more trials before beginning a demanding training regime of basic operational sea training under Flag Officer Sea Training, based in Devonport.

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