Sultan welcome visit of Livery Companies

Representatives from the Worshipful Companies of Plumbers, Founders, Fuellers, Plumbers, Shipwrights and Engineers all made a welcome visit to HMS Sultan recently in order to learn more about the Royal Navy’s modern engineering training.

HMS Sultan enjoys close working relationships with each affiliated Company and the guests were treated to presentations on the Defence College of Technical Training’s Royal Naval Air Engineering & Survival Equipment School (RNAESS) and the Defence School of Marine Engineering (DSMarE) as well as a brief on the Establishment as a whole from the Commanding Officer of HMS Sultan, Captain Peter Towell OBE.To complete the morning programme, Phase Two trainees from the Engineering Technician Initial Career Course (DSMarE), gave their own presentation entitled ‘

The Glorious Creation and History of the Royal Navy’. The guests were then treated to a ride aboard the Establishment’s Super Sentinel Steam Waggon before a special lunch within the establishment’s Wardroom.

The afternoon’s programme saw the visitors enjoy visits to the Marine Engineering Museum and a look at some of the hands on Craft Skills (DsMarE) and Airframe Maintenance (RNAESS) training that the Establishment delivers.

HMS Sultan enjoys affiliations with a number of Livery Companies based in the City of London.  These Companies, some of which date back to the middle ages, were originally developed as regulators for their trades and now act primarily as charitable organisations, sponsoring prizes that are routinely awarded to HMS Sultan’s trainee engineers.  

Lieutenant Terry ‘Spud’ Whittaker, Training Officer Marine Engineering, DSMarE who organised the visit said, “HMS Sultan has long been established as a centre of excellence within engineering and the support provided by our affiliations with Livery Companies continue to play a significant role in achieving this.”

“Throughout the day, our guests have had been given an opportunity to see how our training continues to develop and how it ensures our Air and Marine Engineers and Technicians are prepared for the challenges they could face while out at sea,”.