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General HMS York - OP Deference J Royal Naval Medical Service 2011, 97.1 28-31 General HMS York - OP Deference S Schofield In March 2010, when I left HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, eventuality had to be considered including use I was saddened at the thought of never of different ports (Benghazi/Tripoli), use of returning to a sea-going unit – but less than a different assets (coming alongside/using sea- year later I was back at sea and the following boats/using helicopter) and how to react to 10 days reminded me just why I love my job as different situations ashore (aggression and a Medical Officer in the Royal Navy…..! hostility from locals/being welcomed into On the 19 February, after months of hard Libya). There were a lot of unanswered work, HMS YORK finally set sail for her APT questions, a lot of “ifs” and a lot of “buts” but (South) Deployment. She was due a 5 day eventually a flexible plan came together. run-ashore in Las Palmas starting on In Malta, elements of HMS YORK’s Wednesday 23 February, however, on Command team went ashore to the makeshift Tuesday 22 February, twelve hours before Joint Task Force Head Quarters which had reaching Las Palmas, she received instruction been established in the High Commission to turn about and make best speed to building, and as a result our mission became Gibraltar for a different tasking; the ship was clearer; we were to embark Royal Marine to prepare for a possible Non-combatant security troops and proceed to just outside Evacuation Operation (NEO) from Libya, territorial waters off of Tripoli. The ship was to which, as Sky/CNN and BFBS were reporting, be prepared for military action, to gather was experiencing much turmoil and an intelligence on the air and maritime picture uprising against their long time leader and to be prepared to undertake an evacuation Colonel Gadaffi. of Entitled Persons (EPs). In the mean time, in Gibraltar, I got the It should be remembered that as the ship “heads up” at 1400 on Wednesday 23 went to Action Stations and fell out to February that I was to join HMS YORK as Defence Watches that at that time, HMS medical uplift for the NEO, prior to her sailing YORK could have been alongside in Las East the following day. Also with this Palmas! The ship’s company could have direction, was the request for paediatric stores been having fun ashore, enjoying the local which was tackled by the Pharmacy team and culture and food and gaining some well- the request for baby milk/nappies which was earned rest after a busy period of training definitely a task for Morrisons! and maintenance prior to deployment. CPONN Tinsley and I eventually joined Instead, they were on the edge of a conflict YORK at 0800 on Thursday 24 February. zone with much anxiety about Gadaffi’s Throughout the day, we did a stock-take of position on nuclear/chemical weapons and personnel and equipment in case there was with uncertainty about the Libyan leader’s anything additional we may need, and the ship state of mind, awaiting a host of possible left Gibraltar at 1800 hours. missions. HMS YORK made best speed to Malta Over the next 2 days, HMS YORK fed over the following 40 hours. Much intelligence back to the HQ in Malta that contingency planning took place on board in provided the Special Forces troops with the preparation for our possible tasking. Every information that they needed to deploy C130s 28 HMS York - OP Deference 29 HMS YORK (Corporal Merry) into Libya to rescue stranded oil workers in the higher command had to react to new the desert. tasks and direction. Additionally, there was HMS YORK was then re-tasked; this time no communication allowed off the ship and we were to collect Swedish humanitarian thus times were stressful for the ship’s medical stores from Malta and to deliver company. them to Benghazi. We left the Tripoli However, by Wednesday 2 March we coastline and went to Sicily for fuel and then were alongside in Benghazi. Libyan planes Valletta in Malta for the medical stores. The were flying overhead and dropping munitions sea-state during these high-speed transits about 30 miles inland. The Royal Marine was 5-6 so there were many queasy troop, that we disembarked as soon as we individuals onboard. Ship’s routine remained were alongside to clear the area and protect 6 hours on and 6 hours off. Everyone was the ship, reported sporadic gunfire and tired, the planning process never stopped as rocket-propelled grenades being used within a 30 J Royal Naval Medical Service 2011, Vol 97.1 Top: Loading EP’s Above: RM security HMS York - OP Deference 31 mile or so of the ship’s position. The like 5 weeks, since so much had happened in humanitarian aid was landed in good Royal such a short time. There was a large proportion Navy fashion; within the safe cordon created of the ship’s company who at this stage were by the Royal Marine and Royal Navy ship’s operating on only adrenaline and the various E- protection teams, we formed a chain to the numbers in packets of “Haribos!” waiting lorries. In return, the local authorities Whilst transiting out of area, HMS YORK presented the ship with a bouquet of flowers still had work to do. We needed to hand over and the local scout group had come to the her stores of blankets, paediatric medical port to assist with the onward transport of supplies, toothpaste and Royal Marines to RFA the stores to the local hospital. Argus on Friday 4 March in order that they At the same time, we were able to embark could be taken forward, back into area. This 43 Entitled Persons including 8 children, from was done by vertical transfer – the helicopters across the globe, including the UK, Sweden, working hard to transfer many loads of stores Latvia, the Philippines and Serbia. The medical and personnel and the Ship’s Company at both department’s plan for the “triage”, treatment ends working hard to create balanced loads and onward movement of personnel worked quickly and efficiently. To move everything surprisingly well; the planning ahead paid off! took 31 round trips and 7 hours. The whole ship and her 43 guests were ready That was it: after being re-tasked for 8 to sail within 4 hours. days, HMS YORK left the area of operations. The evacuees were looked after onboard The ship had visited 6 ports, used 40 days’ overnight within the mess decks at the rear worth of fuel, eaten 1400kg of potatoes and of the ship. This involved displacing ship’s drunk 750 litres of milk all in just that 8 day company to sleep in the dining hall and their period! places of work. Despite this, morale was high Throughout the Operation, HMS YORK’s and there was a positive vibe throughout the contribution to Operation Deference was ship. The EPs were friendly and grateful to invaluable; feeding information into the HQ be on board, and the Ship’s Company felt about air and maritime activity; delivering proud that all their hard work had been humanitarian aid and transporting entitled recognised. personnel from conflict zone in Libya to the Even before we reached Malta, we had to safety of Malta. She had gained relevant react again. This time HMS YORK’s Lynx experience that she was able to pass on to helicopter was dispatched to meet with HMS the incoming units (RFA Argus/HMS CUMBERLAND and fly an injured Royal Marine WESTMINSTER) and assisted HMS to hospital in Malta. Finally, twenty hours after CUMBERLAND with a helo medivac. leaving Benghazi, the ship arrived in Valletta Although there is an evacuation exercise and our grateful guests were disembarked. built into Flag Officer Sea Training’s (FOST’s) They were met on the jetty by a well-organised package (ship’s pre-deployment training) there reception party as well as a wealth of media is a big difference between “exercising” and ready to take their photos and interview. actually “doing”. HMS YORK proved herself to On sailing from Malta to resume her initial be adaptable, resilient and capable. She “got APT(S) tasking, HMS YORK returned to normal on with it” and I feel proud to have played cruising watches, amazingly only 5 days after (albeit a small) part in enabling HMS YORK to having gone into defence watches. It felt more achieve her objectives. Surgeon Commander Sue Schofield Royal Navy, PMO PRMC Gibraltar.
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