{"id":13544,"date":"2013-05-31T16:00:27","date_gmt":"2013-05-31T16:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=451eb4b89b30307354dc65033e2c4a88"},"modified":"2013-05-31T16:00:27","modified_gmt":"2013-05-31T16:00:27","slug":"news-story-hms-edinburgh-makes-last-entry-into-portsmouth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=13544","title":{"rendered":"News story: HMS Edinburgh makes last entry into Portsmouth"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The 30-year-old warship has clocked up almost 800,000 miles, and she decommissions next week as the Type 42<\/a>s make way for the next-generation Type 45s. <\/p>\n

HMS Edinburgh returned to Portsmouth from a month-long farewell tour of the UK which included visits to her namesake city<\/a> and Liverpool, where she was built. She also stopped off in London where she played her part in events to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\n
\"A<\/div>
A 21-gun salute is fired from HMS Edinburgh [Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Gary Weatherston, Crown copyright]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In keeping with Navy tradition the ship was flying a decommissioning pennant on her final return and was accompanied by HMS Defender, one of the Navy\u2019s successor Type 45<\/a>s. <\/p>\n

HMS Edinburgh<\/a> fired a 21-gun salute as she approached the harbour and the saluting gun at Fort Blockhouse, Gosport, responded in a similar fashion. <\/p>\n

End of an era<\/h3>\n
\n
\"Saluting<\/div>
Saluting guns being fired from Fort Blockhouse, Gosport [Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Guy Pool, Crown copyright]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the 260-strong ship\u2019s company returning today was Leading Engineering Technician (Marine Engineering) \u2018Goldie\u2019 Gouldin, whose first ship was Edinburgh back in 2001:<\/p>\n

\n

Most people on board are proud to serve on a 42,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone wanted to be on the upper deck on the last day as we went past the Round Tower.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Fellow stoker Petty Officer \u2018Darbz\u2019 Allen, who has served in Her Majesty\u2019s Ships Birmingham, York, Exeter, Glasgow, and now Edinburgh, said:<\/p>\n

\n

I love these ships and I will miss them. They are brilliant ships with a great bunch of people.<\/p>\n

They have stood the test of time. They have proved themselves in the Falklands, in the Gulf, all over the world.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n
\"HMS<\/div>
HMS Edinburgh enters Portsmouth [Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Gary Weatherston, Crown copyright]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among the public gathered to watch the historic final entry was former radar senior rating Steve James from Whiteley, near Fareham. He left the Navy nearly a decade ago having served on 5 Type 42s, including 2 drafts in Edinburgh. Mr James met his wife, Julie, serving in HMS Manchester, and the couple\u2019s son, Will, was christened aboard her; his name is inscribed on the ship\u2019s bell:<\/p>\n

\n

There was a good family feeling on board a Type 42,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone looked after each other. And, whichever ship you served in, you knew your way around and you always knew someone on board. I had good times on them.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n
\"Gunners<\/div>
Gunners fire a 21-gun salute from HMS Edinburgh [Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Dan Rosenbaum, Crown copyright]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Open weekend<\/h3>\n

Today\u2019s ceremonial entry begins a busy \u2013 and emotional \u2013 final week in the active life of Edinburgh, which has sailed all over the world under the White Ensign.<\/p>\n

The public have a final chance to step on board a Type 42 this weekend, 1 to 2 June, as Edinburgh opens her doors to visitors free of charge at Portsmouth Naval Base between 10am and 4pm.<\/p>\n

\n
\"A<\/div>
A sailor throws a heaving line as HMS Edinburgh comes alongside at Portsmouth Naval Base for the last time [Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Dan Rosenbaum, Crown copyright]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

HMS Edinburgh\u2019s White Ensign will be lowered for the final time during a decommissioning ceremony at the naval base next Thursday, 6 June, attended not just by friends and family of the current ship\u2019s company, but also by former \u2018Edinburgers\u2019 and many from the strong former Type 42 community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HMS Edinburgh, the Royal Navy’s last remaining Type 42 destroyer, returned to her home port of Portsmouth for the final time today, 31 May.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13544"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13544"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13965,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13544\/revisions\/13965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}