2014-06-04



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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