Tomjoad,

I'm just telling it, as it is.

Welcome to the real world.

Funny, me too. Guess we see things differently fella.:ok:

True. The only thing I learned from 2 years of A Level history is there is no right answer and two sides to every story.
Then there's the conspiracy theorist in me that thinks the govt never does some
thing for a simple reason and there must be another political motive lurking in the background.

gr4

Shall we take bets on how long before such photo appears ?

I say 2 - 3 weeks.

Bloody treacherous of the RN to go around the world rescuing babies and performing similar good deeds. Could even ruin the UK's hard-won reputation as baby-murderers. :ooh:

David Cameron‏@David_Cameron56m
I can announce Britain is sending the carrier HMS Illustrious to help with #TyphoonHaiyan - Government aid also now £20m+.

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The Big Grey Boat is going now


https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e...nes-aid-effort

They're off...
BBC Story

Before any warship deploys it has to pass through the tender hands of Flag Officer Sea Training where the captain and crew are stretched to breaking point to be prepared for just about any event these 'evil' people can think of.

One such part of that training is to deal with a civil disaster that can be just about anything but the idea is where these sailors will have to go into a village that has been the victim of a significant natural disaster.

When this type 45 arrives, clearly its aircraft will do what aircraft do, but the sailors will go ashore and start to sort out whatever they can in that very specific area.

This is just an example of some of the things this air defence destroyer will be able to give

1. Sanitation... They will organise some type of mass toilet facilities

2. Water.. The ship will be making fresh water and as much of it as possible. We are talking in the tons per day.

3. The chefs will go ashore and set up huge canteens where they will start cooking food for as many people as they can.

4. Shipwrights will try to repair essential buildings

5. mechanics\artificers will try to sort out power to get the electricity working.

6. Mechanics and sailors will try to get water flowing through damaged pipework

7. The doctor and his staff will set up a hospital to carry out whatever aid is required and if the ship carries a fully qualified doctor (which this ship does) they will also no doubt be able to carry out emergency surgery.

8. This ship I believe carries a dentist so any major dental work can be carried out..

9. Schooling for the children if deemed appropriate or more likely some of the married personnel will set up play camps for these traumatised children and get them playing and no doubt laughing.

10. Mechanics\artificers will try to repair broken,essential machinery.

11. Electricians will try to get the power distributed once the engineers have sorted out the generators....

That is just a few of the things that ship will be doing and it will not be for only 120 hours a month that they will be required to work. The essential work will start when they arrive and will stop when they leave. It will be hot, extremely dirty, hazardous, exhausting, but all in a day's work for the senior service. I find it sad that this type of work does not get the publicity it deserves but I guess because it has always been a regular requirement, we simply treat it as just another duty!!

I say that because ever since I can remember our warships deploy with the required equipment to deal with these sadly regular events (definitely not as bad as this one)

When our carrier arrives then that ship has the exact same capabilities but more so, plus she has much better equipped workshops where the artificers can repair or manufacture bigger and better parts.

What will your C130 do? :ok: Cheeky banter and every little will help this devastated country

Just fly in relief supplies - food, clothing, blankets, shelter materials etc.

But not much dentistry or schooling I expect......

In all seriousness I'm just glad that everyone is finally starting to react, a bit late but better late than never. This shouldn't be the time for some kind of w*lly-waving 'my relief effort's better than yours', the people need help now (or better still, last week).

Totally agree and this post was in response to a number of queries which hopefully have now been answered with a smile on the face. I should imagine the Daring would have had its pedal to the metal the instant it was told to proceed with 'Full Despatch' .

A larger number of free ex navy i-Pods than a rubber dinghy.

:ok:Ouch.. That was below the belt ;)

Whilst I am waggling my willy I had to think back to what other major things I might have missed out and instantly thought about the installing or trying to maintain law and order. The ship will also have to supply patrols to stop looting or any other serious disorder.

There have been countless posts about the cost of an aircraft carrier and we all accept these things are not cheap but once again this is a perfect example of just how flexible these vessels can be. That American carrier has made a substantial difference to that countries lift capability. Has it trebled the number of helicopters that are being used at this disaster?

It would be nice if Illustrious has embarked some military support to help Jolly Jack in this awful, horrible natural disaster.

I see on Sky news mention that a C130 is to be deployed for "distribution" of aid in theatre. This looks like what Albert was designed to do. In and out of small island airports with useful, break down loads from international arrivals. Somebody seems to be using their heads, and their aircraft for their capabilities. Good luck lads, I'm sure you will do a great job.

Smudge :ok:

Caribou's would have been useful although the quantity not that high
they always seemed to be operated on rough and ready strips and
short landings.

Glojo.

I don't know if you are deliberately misleading us because you are Navy and want your relief effort to wave more willys than ours. But I think you are over estimating what is possible with the resources of your little boat. You may be able to look after a 100 people and light up a 12x12 tent, but being able to make a difference to 100,000's and rebuild an nation would realistically require a lot more.

Does the ship carry 1000's of portaloos? Or are you talking about digging a hole in the ground?

Where are you going to store all this water once you have made it all? Do you have 10,000 green bottles?

How many cooks do you have? Do they have an entire field kitchen to feed an army and how much food have you got?

What with?

If you are going to do more than light up the insides of a tent. How are you going to generate sufficient electrical power that can replace the lines from a power station? You will need quite a few pretty big diesel generators.

Underground pipework that requires heavy plant machinery?

Is that one Dr with only enough medication for the ships company?


As above.

Do you carry on your little boat, all the books and learning resources used by a school. Any qualified teachers?

If they have the right tools and parts to hand.

I imagine the cabling used on the national grid maybe of a thicker and more industrial grade than the cable used to repair the instrumentation of your boat.

Bring in what is really needed for all my points raised above.

You want light, bring in small portable solar lights, cheap and they work.

Bottles - looking at the number of those Office Water Cooler type bottles
that were lined up amazed me.

Just to fill some of you in:

Whilst much of the rest of the world is spending bucket loads of taxpayers money sending or paying aid to Philippines here on Siargao Island, last evening, 100 Mayors had rented out a resort with grub and disco etc. to p1ss up and dance the night away at taxpayers expense.

Surely the party would have been planned and organised before the typhoon struck Leyte, which is next door to us here on Mindanao, but the party could very easily have been cancelled and the proceeds donated to the relief fund.

So whilst the rest of you are out collecting and/or sending money and aid please don't mind that here in the Philippines the politicians remain drinking and dancing their nights away.

Phileas....

That sort of information gets me angry - but it's the same the world over. The people in power are so far removed from the 'ordinary man', not matter what his circumstance. You are spot on in saying it should have been cancelled BUT we should not let this take away from getting help to the poor, innocent people who have been affected.

But 100 mayors? I'm sure they are worth their pay, their expenses, gold plated pensions etc - just like our UK politicians....

Good luck to all out in the Philippines doing aid relief.

With such a huge disaster having only recently occurred, I was surprised that the BBC's annual Children in Need luvvy-fest wasn't changed so that all proceeds would go to the Philippines.

On second thoughts, we're talking about the BBC......:rolleyes:

gr4techie - This is precisely the sort of emergency for which deployed RN warships are trained, equipped and stored (including Emergency Relief Packs containing extra medical stores). Apart from her professional medical staff, 50% of the ship's company are trained First Aiders.Your sneeringly contrived put-downs do you no credit at all and simply expose your ignorance by every definition. I'd refute each one in turn but I doubt I could alter your bitter and twisted viewpoint one jot so I won't waste my breath. GLOJO has summarised DARING's capabilities comprehensively.

Good luck to all our service personnel trying their damndest to help these beleaguered people in their desperate plight.

Sorry Beagle but I have to disagree with you there. Actually I dislike the "luvvy fest" as well and don't watch any of it, but the fact is millions watch and enjoy it and it does raise huge amounts of money for very worthy children's charities.

Your argument is similar to those be berate people for giving to animal charities, saying that people are more important, when in fact many people give to both.

The fact is people seem to be a charitable mood at the moment and the total collected for Children in Need is a record, that on top of the vast sums collected for the Phillipines appeal - in many cases I suspect the money is coming out of the same pockets.

I am with TTN on this - and there are differences between the two appeals - disasters emergency straight from wallet to charity. CiN involves people individually and in groups, including many children. Just spent most of 24 hours with a bunch of kids who might be seen as "privileged" sailing on a salt water lake for 24 hours. They have raised well over £100k over 15 years and this year look to be going to raise close to £15k. As Beags said, neither seems to have reduced the amount raised by the other, Both should be applauded, IMHO

HMS Daring is well designed.
 

Has a comparatively large flight deck and hangar which links through to two decent sized compartments for the fast boats on either-well thought through. Will be useful on a small scale I would imagine.
Best wishes to the Captain and Ships Company from me on that.
Everyone seems to expect instant world response and instant impact these days - this is just plain unreasonable. Perhaps in future countries likely to be destroyed by natural causes will be required to bury beforehand large amounts of stores and provisions.
ie shelters, water etc already stored and prepositioned?
Situation is only going to go on like this.
Could happen in Britain. I fact I bet you it one day will.
Would we be any better prepared than the pinos? No.

Coincidence or what?
 

A few years ago, my wife and I visited Kefalonia (scene of Captain Corelli's Mandolin) in the Ionian Sea and stayed in a hotel in Sami. I couldn't help but notice a photo of the previous HMS DARING on the counter in reception. On enquiring, I found out that she had been the first on the scene after an earthquake flattened all but one village on the island in 1953. Argostoli, the island's capital, even has a street named after her.

When a ship's company reunion was held in Sami in 2003, I was told by the hotel manager that a local man had tears in his eyes as he recounted how the sailors had pulled his pregnant mother out of the ruins of her home. But for this rescue, he would not have been around to tell the tale. As can be seen from the video below, the RAF was heavily involved as well but even after 50 years, this single act had achieved more lasting good for the UK's reputation than any flurry of foreign aid money.

Well don't think for one minute that the Filipinos are going to be holding remembrance services or indeed giving one hoot for any rescuers in weeks, months or years from now.

Just Goggle for the lootings of Gaisano and/or Robinsons in Tacloban, many have probably perished whilst their relatives and friends have pre-occupied themselves stealing from shops.

There are numerous collections going on hereabouts, some may make it to the stricken whilst others will make it as far as someones back pocket, I was only discussing with my Filipina partner yesterday that had we been stricken by the typhoon, and indeed we had a narrow escape, would these people be doing anything for me and we agreed that the answer would be "no" purely based on my (white) skin colour.

Racism survives and prospers well here in the Philippines and if D.C. thinks that in the future he might receive a similar welcome to the he received in Libya then he's got another thing coming!!!

My comments were not said in a sneeringly contrived put-down way and I'm not bitter and twisted, why would I be? I just take the Glojo's post with a pinch of salt. Since I have never having been in the Navy, maybe I am ignorant of it's capabilities. However I never brag and seek credit.

GR4 thing is a lot of folk out in the Philippines don't have the luxury of naval gazing or engaging in your conspiracy theories. They are kinda focused on whether they or their families will survive the next 24hrs. I doubt they give a hoot about what kind of vessel comes to their aid, or what the senders intention may be. I kinda think I would be thinking exactly the same if I were in their position. You know, there are times when the right course of action is simply to act - this is one of them. You can indulge your intellectual vanity concerning conspiracy theories, petty inter service point scoring and government motives after lives have been saved. Thank God we live in a country where we are still willing to help those in peril with all the wealth resources and human endeavour that we can muster.

You're simply wrong, Beagle. The expression here is, 'charity begins at home'. £31 million was raised by CinN for deserving causes around the UK, whilst charities raising funds for the Philippine's disaster also raised a similar amount in the first 3 days after it was launched. There are clearly enough people in the UK who care about both causes for the BBC not to have to make the gesture you seem to expect of them.

PF,
Unfortunately that does not surprise me at all! Have the Manila media picked up on this story?

The C17 made it, a good route by the look of it and lots of support crew on board as well

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/r...he-philippines

The helicopter has been hard at work: Typhoon Haiyan: Royal Navy warship HMS Daring arrives in disaster zone - Telegraph

It has spent the last three days carrying out reconnaissance work in and around the Philippines, using a helicopter to survey the areas which have not yet been reached by international relief teams.
The Lynx helicopter will now be used to fly shelter kits, food and medical supplies to those remote areas.
Members of the 12-strong medical team from the UK, which arrived in the Philippines earlier this week, will also be flown to different areas to treat injured victims of the typhoon.

So your response to a humanitarian disaster is:

1. Will they hold rememberance day services for HM Forces.

2. Would they help me.

Thankfully the majority of folk in the UK, including those that govern and ultimately decide how deploy our wealth and resources to help fellow humans in need, live by a different credo than you.

Tomjoad,

There's no call to be so offensive whilst jumping to the wrong conclusions!!!

FODPlod made a point that Kefalonia "remembers" and I made a point that these Filipinos won't remember, they'll take and take and take and consider it to be their right. I was at our local Filipino pizza restaurant last evening, there they have a large box for relief donations of clothing, bedding etc. guess what, it remains empty, not even the Filipinos will give to their own people in need, they're all too pre-occupied looking after No.1, it is what they do best!

No, they wouldn't help me and apparently it is me that lives by some different credo? I'll have to go and figure that one out Tomjoad, that these people won't help me, not because of my skin colour but because I live by a different credo!!!

Nice to see our armed forces working closely.
 

I had the privilege of attending the media assignment at RAF Brize Norton in the early hours of Friday morning.

Now some of you reading this may be surprised to hear my comments as I have been accused by some as being a 'naval worshiper'.....but;

I must say that it was a real eye opener to see so many RAF personnel helping out, having given up their free time! Many on 99 squadron had volunteered to help with various stages of planning and with the loading of equipment and supplies onto C-17 ZZ177.

It was also very warming to, sneakily, overhear various phone conversations that went roughly; ''so the navy will be doing that, great, tell them we are bringing.....'' and ''ask them (navy) if they can do this as it will help....''

I really got a genuine sense that both forces were pulling together for the greater good and any kind of inter-service rivalry was certainly not at work. :D

I am now, however, saddened that some of the previous comments on this thread has resorted back to type.....:ugh:

And the C-17s have delivered a number of "rough terrain JCBs" (whatever they are :confused:) for reconstruction work.

No, Daring or Lusty (ETA about Sunday I think) couldn't do that, but then the RAF couldn't do what the Grey Funnel Line can.

So can't we STFU the inter-Service willy waving, and let each Service get on with doing what they do best .......

Including some banter of course ........ :ok:

I'm sorry you disbelieved my factual post regarding what those sailors WILL DO..

It was definitely NOT bragging, it was simply documenting just a few of the tasks these sailors are expected and yes, they are expected to perform. I totally, 100% accept there are only approximately 200 personnel on that ship but having been on a ship of a similar size and having performed similar tasks, I was simply giving an account of the tasks we had to perform.

Yes there are only a limited number of sailors but I can assure you they will be working around the clock, non stop, performing miracles. Yes that term might be a slight exaggeration but when others look back at what they have achieved in such a short time they will indeed be humbled.

Unfortunately the Navy does most definitely sell itself short regarding what it does and rather than me repeat myself I am going to post cuttings describing just a few of their deeds along hopefully with some pictures to back up my previous post.

This is not me waggling my willy, this is me responding to a post that did not do the author any favours.

Feel free to take your salt and do with it what you will, but I personally congratulate those hard working souls as fund raising is obviously helpful but what they are doing is possibly going that extra mile??

Eyes down...

https://assets.digital.cabinet-offic...130168060g.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/...psd8c7915f.jpg

Well done to the Royal Navy and the RAF who have been fantastic.

I will however take offensive if folks think I am trying to put down our 'Junior Service'

I am a great believer of inter service rivalry as long asd it is done in the spirit it is meant.

My earlier remark was military banter and long may that continue...

Note the funny ipod put down.. Great come-back

Now let's all concentrate on helping out those poor souls who NEED our help.

We all know we cannot produce ships or aircraft out of a hat and we are at, where we are at... We are doing our best.

glojo, fair point; banter is good. It fails if the observers don't grasp it, though. The Navy and the Air Force can (and does) contribute to this very efectively. The Army can't without silly-loads of supporting logs in place. That's not a criticism of the Army; it's horses for courses.

The Navy has trained, been equiped and applied this for years in the Caribbean. An integral part of the supporting stores pack has always been riot control kit. People always seem to riot and more likely loot when bad stuff happens.