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Echo and Ramsey honour the ‘forgotten D-Day’ at French Fleet Review
Echo and Ramsey honour the ‘forgotten D-Day’ at French Fleet Review
19 August 2014
HMS Echo and Ramsey joined ships from half a dozen nations off Toulon to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of southern France.
Vessels sailed along the Côte d’Azur before saluting the French President and veterans of Operation Dragoon who were aboard the carrier Charles de Gaulle.
SURVEY ship HMS Echo and minehunter HMS Ramsey have taken part in international 70th anniversary commemorations of ‘the other D-Day’ – the invasion of southern France.
The people of Provence lined their shores to watch a procession of warships from six nations, led by the hosts, parade along the Côte d’Azur from Cannes to Toulon.
It was along this stretch of coastline on August 15 1944 that the liberation of southern France began – Operation Dragoon.
Although eclipsed by the landings and subsequent fighting in Normandy, Dragoon was a massive operation, requiring the involvement of well over 40 Royal Navy vessels and several Fleet Air Arm squadrons.
Echo's sailors line her flight deck for the sail past
It was also hugely successful. Within a fortnight, the Germans had all but abandoned the south of France.
Seven decades later, and ships from the USA, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia as well as the UK accepted the invitation of the Marine Nationale to join it for anniversary events.
The ships in the sail past formed one large column as they entered the Bay of Toulon, where they were treated to an aerial display by more than 20 helicopters, Rafael and Super Étendard jets, maritime patrol aircraft and the Patrouille de France – the French equivalent of the Red Arrows.
“I have never seen so many ships and aircraft in such close formation together it was really remarkable" said AB (Diver) Scott Hulme, one of HMS Ramsey’s clearance diving teams.
The ships then conducted a formal sail past of the French flagship FS Charles de Gaulle.
Aboard the carrier was French president François Hollande, veterans of the 1944 campaign, former Maquisresistance fighters, and VIPs including First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas and members of the Monaco royal family.
They were treated to a traditional salute from both Echo and Ramsey – which was last in the column of vessels – as their sailors ‘cheered ship’ by removing caps and saluting.
“Every member of Echo’s ship’s company was immensely proud to be able to form part of the celebrations and fly the Ensign for the UK,” said the survey ship’s logistics officer Lt Isha Harvey.
“The French President even reached for the binoculars when Echo sailed past and gave the First Sea Lord the thumbs up!
“Our ‘Hip hip hoorays’ were audible from where they sat and our traditions marked us out from the other vessels who do not conduct the same routines.”
Saluting done, Ramsey then showed off her manoeuvrability by spinning on the spot; able to remain in station, she headed out to sea while going astern.
"It was real privilege to take part in such a memorable commemoration of one of the least known but significant events of the war," said Lt Cdr Ashley Spencer, Ramsey's Commanding Officer.
HMS Ramsey passes the Charles de Gaulle
The day after the Dragoon events, Echo hosted defence minister Lord Astor and his wife who said the survey ship’s sailors had done him and Admiral Zambellas proud.
Devonport-based Echo joined in events in southern France as her 18-month survey mission, most of it east of Suez, was drawing to a close.
Ramsey is also homeward bound to Faslane from the Middle East after more than three years in the Middle East – although her sailors have ‘only’ been aboard for the past seven of those as part of the rotation of minehunter crews in the Gulf.
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