Mayor's warship view of review (From Watford Observer)

Mayor's warship view of review

3:59pm Monday 4th July 2005 in

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MAYOR Malcolm MacMillan enjoyed a close-up view of Tuesday's naval review celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar on board HMS St Albans.

Along with Alistair McMillin of St Albans solicitors Sherrards and district council officer Steve Welch, he was taken to the frigate three miles off Portsmouth by Seacat catamaran.

He said: "The whole thing was absolutely spectacular. It was quite an exhausting day."

After breakfast on board, a tight security check and a tour of the warship, they were given a briefing on the events of the day.

HMS St Albans then fired a shot with its main gun to signal an exclusion zone of 200 yards around all the 167 vessels, both warships and sailing craft.

The shell case is going to be inscribed and presented to the district council.

The crew then prepared the frigate for inspection by a flotilla of six ships, including the Queen on the specialised ice exploration vessel HMS Endurance.

Councillor MacMillan said: "We could see her quite well and she waved.

"The whole ship's company were standing at attention and gave three cheers for Her Majesty."

The warships were moored in channels, with HMS St Albans next to vessels from Japan, India and Spain.

The crew lined up on the other side of the ship to watch the inspection flotilla, with other members of the Royal Family and representatives of the Admiralty, return up the neighbouring channel.

Councillor MacMillan and the other guests were then shown the ship's weapons and had their pictures taken with the Lynx helicopter.

After a fly-past involving various aeroplanes, they left the warship as the Red Arrows were putting on an aeronautical display, stopping off at HMS Endurance to pick up royal reporters and a military band.

The weather was deteriorating and it took them two hours to get back to dry land.

The review was followed by a huge firework display and a mock battle under sail, but the St Albans delegation did not stay to watch these.

The Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 was an overwhelming victory of the British over the combined fleets of France and Spain, saving the nation from invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Most of the enemy ships were captured or destroyed, but the heroic British admiral Horatio Nelson lost his life.

St Albans man John Gunner also took part in the review in his yacht Pendragon of Restronguet.