857 Naval Air Squadron return to Helston for Christmas

For some of the Squadron, this will be the first Christmas that they have spent at home for three years, having previously been based at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan serving on Operation Herrick until May 2014.

The team of 44 aircrew, engineers and support personnel will be glad to return to Cornwall and spend time with family and friends.

Lieutenant Commander James Hall, the Commanding Officer of 857 Naval Air Squadron said: “Some of my personnel have spent the past two Christmas periods at Camp Bastion, so I am in no doubt that they will be delighted to come home to Cornwall and spend some time with family and friends.

"It has been a demanding tour, as we collectively deployed for a total of 26 months in Afghanistan, and soon after returning we have also achieved a great deal whilst deployed to the Gulf in our more familiar maritime environment. The personnel and their supporting family and friends can be justifiably proud of their efforts.”

 857 Squadron was based onboard RFA Fort Austin where they have been providing ‘Force Protection’ to Royal Navy ships and the Coalition Task Group in the Gulf region.

Lieutenant Commander Hall said: “The professionalism and determination of my team to train, prepare and deploy to the Gulf has been an outstanding effort.

"This has required a shift in focus from the desert environment of Helmand Province, but the ability to maintain and operate the Sea King Airborne Surveillance and Control aircraft whilst embarked, has been thoroughly successful and appreciated by our coalition partners.”

“In Afghanistan, the Squadron played a key role in locating and interdicting insurgents’ arms caches, tracking drugs shipments and following the movements of insurgent activity. More than 40 tonnes of drugs, 170 tonnes of home-made bombs and 150 insurgents were seized thanks to the Royal Navy’s eyes in the sky – as we are often known.

"The total deployment for the Sea King Force was over five years, so my personnel became every accustomed to operating in an environment quite different to our maritime home. In the Gulf region, it has been much more about returning to our traditional role and protecting Royal Navy ships as they carry out their duties.”

Lieutenant Commander Hall also gave credit to the families of those deployed, saying: “Throughout our time away, our families and friends back in the UK have been a huge support. They’ve seen their loved ones spend a considerable time away from home, missing birthdays, Christmas and other important occasions.

"Without this ‘back stage’ support, the deployments would have been much more difficult for the personnel.”

The return to operations at sea rather than flying from a land base has presented several challenges.

Lieutenant John Clayton, deployed to Afghanistan multiple times but this deployment represented his first time on operations onboard a Royal Navy warship, said: “For many of the engineers and aircrew this was the first time they had been to sea since their initial training, never mind the first time operating complex aircraft from a moving platform.

"With a gap in sea-based experience of life following such a long commitment to Afghanistan, lessons have been learnt throughout the squadron - from the planning required to ensure a suitable amount of spares and stores are taken to maintain aging aircraft at sea, to dealing with Helicopter Delivery Service transfers of personnel and stores when vital parts are required. All of the 857 Squadron personnel can be confident that they have learnt a lot which can be fed back into the whole Sea King Force as they continue to rediscover their home back at sea.”