On Wednesday 4th August, 2021 the Royal Navy paid farewell to the Sandown Class Minehunters HMS BLYTH M 111 and HMS RAMSEY M 110 in a formal ceremony in Rosyth, Scotland.
Affiliates and friends paid the final farewell to the Single Role Mine Hunters (SRMH) at Rosyth Dockyard, honouring their 20 years of service protecting UK interests around the world. Launched in 1999 and commissioned a year later HMS RAMSEY M 110 left her home port at Faslane for the final time in August last year, sailing to Rosyth where she has undergone work to prepare her for formal decommissioning.
HMS RAMSEY M 110 at Grand Harbour, Malta in August, 2014.
Launched in 2000 and commissioned a year later, HMS BLYTH M 111 returned to Scotland last March after spending two months attached to a NATO task group in the Baltic, as part of the Standing Mine Countermeasures Group One.
HMS BLYTH M 111 at Grand Harbour, Malta in July, 2014.
Both ships were the first sent to Bahrain when the government decided a permanent minehunter presence was required in the Gulf – a presence which continues to this day. Last June during a visit by the Type 45 Class Destroyer HMS DEFENDER D 36 at Odessa in Ukraine , it was revealed that an agreement had been reached for two Sandown class ships to be transferred to the Ukrainian Navy upon decommissioning.[Both ships following a refit by Babcock, they will be transferred to the Ukrainian Navy.[6]
Watermarked Photos are by Capt. Lawrence Dalli otherwise stated. Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
Published – Monday 9th August ,2021