Shell from Liverpool’s Libyan mission takes pride of place at No.10

A shell case from a round used by HMS Liverpool to pummel the forces of ousted Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi now takes pride of place in No.10 – presented to the PM as he thanked veterans of the eight-month campaign.

David Cameron invited some 120 Servicemen and women from across the Armed Forces to an official reception in Downing Street to honour their deeds and stress the importance of their actions on a global stage.

Sailors from HM Ships Liverpool, Bangor, Brocklesby, Ocean – the very last Libya veteran to return home, sailing into Plymouth today – York, Turbulent, Iron Duke, Cumberland and Westminster, plus RFAs Fort Rosalie and Orangeleaf and personnel from 847 and 857 Naval Air Squadron provided a representative sample of the Senior Service’s involvement in Operation Ellamy.

The Naval service was involved from the very beginning of the Libyan crisis, evacuating civilians as the country descended into civil war, then launching the first strikes against the Gaddafi regime’s military machine courtesy of Tomahawk missiles from HMS Triumph.

Its ships and sailors were there too at the very end, keeping the sea lanes open and witnessing the fall of a succession of towns and cities from the capital Tripoli to Gaddafi’s last bastion, Sirte.

Throughout, said Mr Cameron, the sailors, marines and aircrew had shown “incredible courage, professionalism and dedication”.

The Prime Minister told the gathered personnel that he had held numerous receptions in No.10 since taking office 18 months, but none which filled him with as much pride.

“I can’t tell you what a thrill it is having sat, day after day – 68 meetings – in some bunker and we were talking about ‘will the minesweeper get through to Misrata?’

"Well, I’ve now met the people that were sailing on it.

“We were talking about how HMS Liverpool was getting on, trying to stop Gaddafi in Tripoli – I’ve now met not only the captain of that ship, but he’s very kindly given me my proudest possession: one of the shell casings that was fired in anger that is now going to be an umbrella stand in the Cameron household.”

Above all, however, the premier stressed what the men and women committed on Operation Ellamy, which was officially concluded at the end of October, had achieved for the people in Libya – and for the wider world.

“We are no strangers to what Gaddafi was capable of. He murdered the police officer on the streets of London.

"He managed to blow up an airliner over the skies of Lockerbie. He gave Semtex to the IRA,”

Mr Cameron continued.

“Our world is safer, our nation is safer if more countries make the transition from dictatorship to democracy.

"In Libya there is the real chance that the country could be a success.

“It has a people yearning to be free and it has people who are now able to be free because of the incredibly brave things that you all did in this room.”

Wtr Emma Graham was one of six members of HMS Liverpool’s ship’s company attending the reception; her destroyer – ‘the last classic 42’ – was in the thick of the fight for seven months, becoming the first British warship fired upon since the Falklands.

The Crazy Red Chicken fired back with more than 200 rounds of star and high-explosive shells.

“To be able to meet the Prime Minister – and all the other units we had worked with off Libya – was a huge privilege,”

said Emma.

Her shipmates will be back at No.10 in a matter of days; the destroyer has been nominated for a Sun Military Award (aka the Millies) for her actions off Libya.

Among the judges of the awards are Mr Cameron’s wife Samantha, England star Frank Lampard, TV hardman-turned-documentary maker Ross Kemp, Jeremy Clarkson and former First Sea Lord Admiral the Lord West.

Liverpool’s sailors will be hosted at a reception in Downing Street with Mr Cameron before decamping south of the Thames to the Imperial War Museum where the awards ceremony is being held.

During her Ellamy deployment, the Portsmouth-based destroyer hosted a film crew to document their accomplishments – and also the pressures and exertions of her lengthy and demanding deployment.

That film is being shown at the December 19 ceremony.

“It’s an honour to have been invited to No.10 not once but twice in recognition of our contribution and achievements in support of the Libyan population,”

said Liverpool’s Commanding Officer Cdr Colin Williams.

“I’m immensely proud of my ship’s company – as, I am certain, their families are too.”

After Christmas leave and a spot of maintenance, Liverpool will resume training and exercising, and squeeze in a final, emotional visit to her namesake Mersey city, before decommissioning in April.