Worldwide hit HMS Ocean returns home for Christmas

They saw them on the internet. And on the telly. And in the newspapers.

And today, after seven months away from home, 1,000 loved ones finally got to see them in the flesh as Britain’s biggest warship, HMS Ocean, returned to Plymouth.

The ship – which has hit the news around the world this week thanks to a spoof Mariah Carey video (endorsed by the diva herself) – arrived back under brilliant winter skies at HM Naval Base Devonport this morning, 225 days after leaving Plymouth Sound.

The Mighty O played a key role in toppling the Gaddafi regime, launching Apache gunships from her decks repeatedly to strike at the dictator’s military machine ashore, destroying military vehicles, installations and communications equipment.

The carrier’s flight deck also served as the launchpad for Sea King helicopters of 857 Naval Air Squadron which used their radars to clear a safe path for those gunship missions as well as monitoring enemy activity on the ground, in the air and on the surface of the Mediterranean.

All of which was far from expected by the several hundred souls aboard; they sailed initially for a matter of weeks, exercising with the rest of the Royal Navy’s new amphibious Response Force Task Group.

As the situation in Libya worsened, Ocean broke away from the force and joined the UN-backed mission to protect Libyan civilians.

In the early hours of June 4 she had launched a pair of Army Air Corps Apache helicopters and a Royal Navy surveillance Sea King to find regime targets and eliminate them.

All of which seems a very long time ago now. In fact, Ocean is the very last of the Royal Navy’s 16 ships and submarines involved in the Libyan mission – codenamed Operation Ellamy – to return to the UK.

Indeed, there was some possibility the helicopter assault ship might not return to Devonport for Christmas – so when the ship’s company were told they would be back for the big day, they celebrated with that spoof video.

The ‘re-imagining’ of Mariah’s All I Want For Christmas Is You has had more than 1.1m viewers on the internet video site Youtube (www.youtube.com).

It’s also featured on the BBC, ITV, BFBS, and internet news sites across the globe… prompting a response from Mariah herself on Twitter:

This is the best thing I've ever seen, you guys just made my day.

And it was only as the Mighty O got within mobile phone reception distance of the UK that the crew themselves have been able to watch the four-minute video.

“It has been crazy. I don't think they have really grasped how internationally famous they have become,”

said Lt Kelly Cleeve, one of the brains behind the spoof.

“They have said they are ready to do the X Factor final if required.”

There are two people in PO Stephen Cottam’s life who already possess the X-Factor: his fiancée Sasha – also a Petty Officer – and the couple’s first child, five-week-old daughter Freya.

“It is the best thing in life to have your first child, but it is the worst thing when you are forced to be parted from them,”

said Stephen, one of Ocean’s landing craft maintainers.

“I was lucky enough to be allowed home from deployment to see Freya being born.

"It was the most amazing experience. But it was a real emotional wrench to be torn away again with her so young.

"But it is so fantastic to hold her again – I can’t let go of her. Christmas is going to be the best ever. She is the only Christmas present I could ever want from my fiancée.”

His fiancée Sasha added:

“I am so pleased Stephen is back. It has been a long time, much longer than expected. But it makes it even more special being so much nearer Christmas. Stephen has missed a large proportion of her life with Freya being so young.”

Since Ocean left the UK 225 days ago, she’s spent 176 days at sea and steamed more than 40,000 miles, burning approximately 6,000 tonnes of fuel.

“After uncertainty in our programme we are all delighted to be back home for Christmas. Our families and friends have been a huge support during this deployment and it’s wonderful to be home with them for this most special of family occasions, particularly for those of us with small children,”

said Capt Andrew Betton, Ocean’s Commanding Officer.

“I have been hugely impressed by the fortitude and professional attitude of my ship’s company.

"Despite the frequent changes in our programme and the uncertainty of when our mission would end, everyone has got stuck in to do what the Royal Navy does best with good humour, energy and professionalism.

“The ability of Ocean to manoeuvre along the coast of Libya kept the tactical surprise on our side and meant that pro-Gaddafi forces were kept guessing as to where and when the Apaches would strike next, with huge effect on their morale.”