Rededication completes Illustrious’ long road out of refit

True to the spirit in which she joined the Fleet nearly 30 years ago, HMS Illustrious completed the very final act of her long road out of refit: her rededication.

The ceremonial and symbolic act – a sort of ‘naval christening’ – was performed at sea, just as the aircraft carrier’s very first commissioning took place in 1982.

Back then Lusty was making best speed for the Falklands to relieve her sister HMS Invincible.

Three decades later, the helicopter assault ship was sailing at a more leisurely pace back from her first overseas visit in two years, Hamburg.

It being December, the poignant ceremony took place in Illustrious’ cavernous hangar.

The 700 men and women currently serving in the ship turned out smartly in their No.1 ceremonial uniforms for this special occasion, with musical accompaniment to the hymns provided by the always-excellent HMS Illustrious volunteer band.

Present at the ceremony was the ship’s senior physical training instructor, CPO Derik Nordon, who was aboard Lusty was first commissioned at sea in June 1982.

"I feel privileged to have served in Illustrious three times, at the very beginning, during the middle, and now again as she nears the end of her famous career,”

he said.

“Each time it has been the people who I have served with that have made being on board such an enjoyable experience."

Rededication proceedings concluded with the cutting of the rededication cake, decorated with the ship’s famous badge and surrounded by photos depicting various moments in the ship’s life from the past six months.

As is traditional, the cutting was performed by the youngest person on board, 18-year-old Chef Lewis Steel, who sliced the cake in half; the two huge slices were shared between two lucky mess decks (determined by a raffle) to enjoy.

A rededication ceremony would normally take place ahead of a ship’s Operational Sea Training period but events this year, which have seen HMS Ocean deployed for seven months, have resulted in HMS Illustrious’ training programme being brought forward.

Lusty therefore conducting her ceremony after successfully completing two months of intensive training and assessment off the South West coast ahead of taking over as Britain’s on-call helicopter carrier from Ocean.

The rededication ceremony was also a fitting final act for the current Commanding Officer, Capt Jerry Kyd, who hands over command of the 22,000-tonne warship to Capt Martin Connell in the New Year.

“It has been a very busy and demanding year regenerating this fine ship from sailing from refit in Scotland in June to now being ready for whatever the Government wants us to do around the world,”

said Capt Kyd.

“The ship’s company have been brilliant as always and I tremendously proud of what they have achieved in the last year.

"Illustrious is back, ready for action."