The Royal Navy has launched a short film to highlight the sacrifices made by deployed sailors and their families when they are separated at Christmas time.
The poignant video acknowledges what Royal Navy families go through across the year, but especially at Christmas when thousands of sailors and Royal Marines remain deployed around the world and in the UK on critical operations.
It is recognition for those families and serving people and a reminder of the sacrifices made by those in the military.
The video follows a serving sailor, Petty Officer Sam Quinn, and his husband living out a scene familiar to most service personnel - a Christmas Day spent apart.
It shows the pair going about their separate Christmas days without each other before a pause in Sam’s duties allow him to make a quick phone call home to talk to his loved one.
The idea came from Petty Officer Photographer Dan Shepherd, one of the video’s creators and a Royal Navy videographer, who spent a Christmas away from his family while deployed in Afghanistan as a Royal Marine in 2013.
Dan said: “This is about recognition for the sailors, Royal Marines and families who are apart this Christmas and throughout the year.
“The idea came from when I was deployed in Afghanistan. You all group together and support each other.
“I remember having some little festivities on Christmas Day and being able to make the call to my now wife before all communications were cut off later that evening. That really brings you down to earth and hits home the distance between you and your loved ones.
“That’s what I wanted to show in the video, that we stay connected despite being miles apart and the precious moments – like a phone call – that bring you back together.”
