Hundreds of primary and secondary school students from across Cornwall got a taste of what Armed Forces Day is all about with tours of the Military Village and a guided tour of HMS Richmond.
The Royal Navy Type 23 frigate arrived in Falmouth from its base in Devonport yesterday before the weekend and will be visited by hundreds of people over the next two days.
However, today (Friday June 23) it was all about schools and the crew of HMS Richmond expected 700 of them to come during the day, with visits to the bridge, deck and turret. The main mission of the warship is submarine hunting, but it also acts as a multi-tool for the Royal Navy and is often used as an escort ship for aircraft carriers, as a helicopter, as a patrol ship and in the fight against piracy. to protect British interests around the world. .
We joined a group of students from Falmouth School as they toured the ship and tried out a variety of weapons (not loaded of course!).
Oskar Beard has just finished his GCSEs and is looking to join RAF St Mawgan as an aircraft mechanic on an apprenticeship course after the summer.
About Armed Forces Day, he said, “It’s a good experience. I think it’s interesting to take a look at all the career options the military offers and better understand the role each plays.”
“They’ve put up some cool screens and high-tech stuff. There was a VR bubble for the RAF and that was great. They’ve been really good at helping everyone understand what they do.”
He added: “It’s great for Falmouth. We’ve got the Red Arrows coming to visit, but we’re not Plymouth. We don’t really have a huge military presence here or a Navy base.”
Madeleine Macrae, a member of the Falmouth School welfare staff, accompanied the group. A former Royal Navy engineer herself, she was very excited to be back on board a ship.
She said: “I served 10 years on Type 23 frigates like this. I served on HMS Northumberland and HMS Montrose. I joined in 1994 when they opened up marine engineering to women for the first time. I think I’m more excited by all this than the kids. I loved the Royal Navy. It’s a wonderful career. There are so many career opportunities in the military.”
Showing the students around the bridge was Junior Officer Isobel Rutherford, from Bath, who after earning an undergraduate degree in classics decided to join the Royal Navy and spent 18 months in training before being posted to her first ship – HMS Richmond in February. .
She said: “I wanted to do something different from my other college friends. This was an opportunity to travel and develop leadership qualities. Unlike the other services in the Navy, you are an officer before your role. It’s a style of life, not a job.”