Mersey River Festival 2013
The Royal Navy’s star attraction at the International Mersey River Festival will be one of the world’s most advanced warships.
The air-defence destroyer, HMS Dauntless, will be open to the public at Liverpool Cruise Terminal during the Festival on the weekend of June 14 -15.
The Royal Navy’s second in command, Vice Admiral Philip Jones, of Bebington, Wirral, who is Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, will make a special visit to the Festival.
HMS Dauntless, the second ship in the Type 45 class, will arrive in the Mersey on Thursday, June 12, departing on Monday, June 16.
International Mersey River Festival will be one of the world’s most advanced warships.
The destroyer, with her distinctive tall pyramid-shaped radar tower, was commissioned in 2010 and is designed to shield the Fleet from air attack.
Dauntless has the sophisticated Sea Viper defence system of anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapons to repel aircraft, drones and supersonic sea skimming anti-ship missiles.
The Royal Navy’s official Festival events start with the rededication of HMS Liverpool’s bell at the Sailors’ Church, Our Lady & St Nicholas, Chapel Street, Liverpool, on Friday June 13. The bell was donated on behalf of the Navy by Commodore Richard Baum, RN Northern England Regional commander.
The service is for “old seafarers” of HMS Liverpool and Cammell Laird who built the warship and restored the bell, who are welcome to attend at 2.30pm.
There will be a mid-river Royal Marines combat display team which will counter -attack “pirates” who have commandeered the Mersey tug Brocklebank, on Saturday, June 14, at midday and Sunday, June 15, at 1pm.
HMS Dauntless
The Band of the Royal Marines Scotland will give two marching performances on Saturday, June 14, Princes Parade at 2.30pm and Salthouse Quay, Albert Dock, at 4.30pm; on Sunday, June 15, the band will be in concert at Music on Waterfront Main Stage, Pier Head, at 1pm.
On Sunday, June 15, at 2pm there will be a Raft Race around Albert Dock and teams of friends, work colleagues and social groups (eg, Scouts or Guides) are welcome to enter.
Other Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Cadet Festival attractions located by the Cruise Terminal and on Princes Parade will include its Northern Diving Group demonstrations in a giant glass-sided diving tank, the Bomb Disposal Group, ship models, plus displays of unarmed combat, semaphore signalling and weapons, numerous stalls and recruitment desk.
Cdre Baum said: “The Mersey International River Festival will be a spectacular event.
“More than 300,000 people turned out for the Battle of the Atlantic 70th anniversary event last year and if the weather is good we will match that easily. We’re delighted HMS Dauntless is making a visit and honoured that Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Jones will be here and back on his home ground.”
HMS Dauntless will be open (free admission) on Saturday – Sunday, June 14-15, 11am – 4pm. To enter the Raft Race on June 15, contact Major Mike Jessermino, of 208 Field Hospital, at Michael.Jessermino557@mod.uk
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