HMS Ocean homecoming highlights 09.12.11

A Royal Navy warship that became the launchpad for Army Apache helicopter strikes during the Libyan crisis has arrived home today. Around 1,000 people welcomed helicopter carrier HMS Ocean and her crew to Plymouth after a seven-and-a-half month tour of duty which saw them play a key role in operations against the regime of Colonel Gaddafi. Originally sent to the Mediterranean in late April to take part in amphibious warfare exercises she was redeployed to the waters off Libya at the beginning of May as the crisis there escalated. What was due to be a seven-week exercise turned into more than seven months away on active service for the amphibious assault ship.

On 4th June the first seaborne raids by Army Air Corps Apache attack helicopters, destroying military vehicles, installations and communications equipment, were launched from the deck of the 22,000 ton vessel, currently the largest in the Royal Navy. HMS Ocean's commanding officer, Captain Andrew Betton, added: "After uncertainty in our programme we are all delighted to be back home for Christmas and are really looking forward to seeing our loved ones again.

"Our families and friends have been a huge support during this deployment and it will be wonderful to be home with them for this most special of family occasions, particularly for those of us with small children."

Fifteen children have been born to wives and partners of the ship's crew since they left the UK 225 days ago - including two sets of twins. In that time away the ship, based at Devonport Naval Base in the Devon city, has spent 176 days at sea and steamed more than 40,000 miles.

A video made by the crew on board on the journey home, where they sing along to Mariah Carey's festive hit All I Want For Christmas Is You to show how glad they are to be coming home has been viewed more than 1,000,000 times on YouTube and even came to the attention of the artist herself. She wrote on her Twitter page: "This is the best thing I've ever seen, you guys just made my day! Happy Happy Christmas!!! x0x0 to the troops"

Category:

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Tags:

• British
• Forces
• News
• HMS
• Ocean
• Homecoming
• Plymouth
• Mariah
• Carey
• All
• Want
• For
• Christmas

[dudbud1]

Greetings of the Season to all the crew of H.M.S. Ocean from across the pond!

Welcome home & thanks for making the world a safer place for us all; enjoy the Holidays with your family & friends. . .& know you made a whole lotta people all over the world smile :-)

God Save the Queen. . .& keep those videos coming! (love the one of the backflip off the Ocean!)

[ximplixity]

WELCOME HOME fellers, and thank you for your service... hope you have a most blessed Christmas with your families and friends. PS... in the video, the guy in the 'flag frock', make sure he takes his medication and don't let him out alone, k? lol Love it <3

[wank0r]

awesome

[Knightsfollybarn]

Welcome Home!!