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        HMS Atherstone

        HMS Atherstone

        Minehunter HMS Atherstone is one of eight Hunt Class mine countermeasures ships based in Portsmouth. Built by Vosper Thornycroft, Atherstone (known affectionately as the Crazy A) was launched in March 1986.

        The ship’s programme has been demanding, but the ship’s company have worked extremely hard to achieve everything that was asked of them

        Lt Jason Dawson, Atherstone’s Executive Officer.

        She is currently undergoing training in preperation for her deployment to the Gulf.

        COMMANDING OFFICER

        Justin Hains

        Justin Hains
        RANK:
        Lieutenant Commander
        JOINED:
        1992
        SPECIALISATION:
        Warfare
        PREVIOUS UNITS:
        HMS Sandown, HMS Edinburgh
        Military experience

        Justin Hains joined the Royal Navy in January 1992 as a University Cadet Entry Warfare Officer. After gaining a Bachelor of Science (with Honours) Degree in Geological Sciences at Oxford Brookes University, he completed his afloat Junior Warfare Officer training in HMS Brecon and HMS London.

        Appointed to HMS Cattistock as Navigating Officer in 1997 and then HMS Middleton in 1998, he began a close affiliation with the Mine Warfare and Diving specialisation that led to him qualifying, as a Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Officer in 1999. A rewarding period as the Operations Officer HMS Sandown preceded his exchange appointment to the French Minehunter ‘Persee’, as Operations and Diving Officer, based in Toulon throughout 2003 and 2004.

        Returning to the UK, he completed an extremely demanding and rewarding 2 year period as Officer-in-Charge of Southern Diving Unit 2, during which time he contributed to the development of Underwater Force Protection Procedures in time for the Trafalgar 200 celebrations in Portsmouth and later led the training of other Fleet Diving Squadron teams to achieve sustainable, worldwide capability. Qualified throughout his appointment as a Joint Service Improvised Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operator, he attended a wide variety of tasks in support of eastern and southern Constabularies, which reached their peak on and following the London bombings on 7 July 2005.

        Qualifying as a Principal Warfare Officer (Underwater Warfare), he joined HMS Edinburgh in July 2007. Within 4 months he was performing the additional role of Operations Officer, during a successful deployment to the Middle and Far East (including periods supporting counter narcotics operations, participating in Exercise BERSAMA SHIELD and a period poised off Burma to provide Humanitarian Relief following the devastating landfall of Cyclone Nargis in April 2008). Returning to the UK, he performed the additional duties of the Principal Warfare Officer (Above Water Warfare) and remained the only PWO onboard and Operations Officer until July 2009.

        Assigned to the Second Mine Countermeasures Squadron as Chief of Staff in August 2009, he joined the On-call Mine Warfare Battle Staff (MWBS) in the Arabian Gulf, where he managed the transformation of the Staff from a permanently deployed shore-based MWBS to a more agile, embarked capability, capable of withdrawing to readiness in the UK if required.

        Justin assumed Command of MCM2 Crew 6 in HMS Atherstone on 30 August 2011. A keen runner and amateur triathlete, he enjoys most sports, but remains too young to play golf with any degree of skill.


        LATEST NEWS

         

        TOP STORIES

        Atherstone Gunner
        Testing Times for Atherstone as She Prepares for her Gulf Mission
        27 April 2012

        Sailors aboard Portsmouth-based minehunter HMS Atherstone are being put through...

        Joint Warrior
        Action exercise climaxes with Royal Marines invading Scottish shores
        25 April 2012

        The largest military exercise in Europe this year is drawing...

        Joint Warrior
        Naval forces converge on Scotland for biggest military exercise in years
        12 April 2012

        Warships from across the globe – including a dozen Royal...

        ABOUT THE UNIT

        KEY STATISTICS


        Pennant

        M38

        Displacement

        685tonnes

        Complement

        45personnel

        Length

        60Metres

        Beam

        10metres

        Draught

        3.4metres

        Top Speed

        15knots

        Range (Nautical)

        1500miles

        Launch Date

        01/03/86

        Commissioned date

        30/01/87

        Number of Officers

        5

        TAKE A LOOK

        Atherstone

        UNITS IN TIME


        HMS Atherstone HISTORY

        TRACK THE HISTORY OF SHIPS NAMED HMS Atherstone
        • The First Atherstone

          The Navy has boasted three ships with the name HMS Atherstone, but it was the second which grabbed the lion’s share of the honours. The first – an 810-ton paddle minesweeper – was built in 1916, and worked dutifully around the Firth of Forth and the Humber until being paid off in 1924.

        • The Second Atherstone

          The honourable second Atherstone was the first Type 1 Hunt-class destroyer, launched at Birkenhead in December 1939, she was completed in March 1940. She began her war service escorting convoys between the Orkneys and Clyde, before joining the First Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth in August 1940 on convoy escort duties and anti-invasion patrols. Bombed and severely damaged off Ramsgate one month later, she was taken into Chatham for repairs before taking up her coastal convoy escort duties again.

        • Battles

          Atherstone was one of two Hunt-class destroyers that escorted the Coastal Forces craft on their open-sea passages to the daring raid on the German ships at St Nazaire in Operation Chariot. After refit in January 1943, she headed out to join the Mediterranean Fleet, where she was to stay until the end of the war, notching up impressive honours at the invasion of Sicily, the Salerno landings, and escorting convoys around Malta.

        • Final Deployment

          She was among the ships that covered the invasion of the South of France in August 1944. She then operated mainly in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, with a spell in the Adriatic. She paid off in October 1945.

        Current Jobs

        Defence Technical Non Grade Scheme (Marine Engineering)

        The engineering branch includes weapons  marine and air engineering. Marine Engineers manage the repair and maintenance of the ships electrical and mechanical systems alongside and at sea.  Later in your career you will become involved in the procurement and building...
        More info

        Marine Engineering Grad Entry

        The Engineering Branch includes weapons, marine and air engineering. Marine Engineers manage the repair and maintenance of the ships mechanical and hydraulic systems alongside and at sea. Later in your career you will become involved in the procurement and building of...
        More info