Engineers behind Navy’s Gibraltar presence rewarded

Engineers who ensure the Royal Navy is ready to patrol the Rock around the clock have been singled out by Gibraltar’s commander.

It’s thanks to the marine engineering department that the six craft of the RN’s Gibraltar Squadron are available to safeguard the British territories water and provide protection for visiting warships.

That task in 2020 has been made all the difficult by the global pandemic which has reduced the number of available engineers… and the arrival of two more complex vessels to replace veteran patrol boats Scimitar and Sabre.

They were retired over the summer, replaced by P2000s Dasher and Pursuer – dispatched from the UK to stand in until new replacement craft enter service.

The two fast patrol boats are larger, faster and have a greater range than their predecessors, working side-by-side four RIBs also used by the squadron.

Covid control measures saw the engineers adapt their working hours to ensure that they minimised cross-contamination with the duty crews, often working late into the night to ensure repairs and maintenance were completed. 

As well as maintaining the squadron’s craft, they serve as engineers on Dasher and Pursuer on patrol, and coxswains of the RIBs when they are out and about in territorial waters.

They have done so demonstrating “drive, motivation and initiative” working “above and beyond” for months on end in the words of the citation accompanying the Herbert Lott Award for Efficiency, which was presented by Commodore Steve Dainton, Commander of British Forces Gibraltar.

“It is only right that this group of outstanding, technically-minded individuals received recognition for their exploits throughout the year,” said the squadron’s Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander Lloyd Cardy.