Probus Club tour Faslane

Mar 3 2010 by Lynda Nicol, East Kilbride News

IT was snowing, and a cold wind was blowing up the Gare Loch but nevertheless some 23 intrepid East Kilbride Probus members made their way to Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde (HMS Neptune) otherwise known locally as Faslane.

There they received a very warm welcome from all the personnel, writes Ken Lawton.

Naval Base Clyde is the service's headquarters in Scotland and is best known as the home of the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear deterrent.

After passing through security, the party proceeded to HMS Bangor, a Sandown Class mine sweeper. They were shown around the ship, which, because of its type of role in the Navy, has a fibreglass hull.

Next the club were addressed by Commander James H. Leatherby, who gave them an illustrated run down on the base, after which lunch was provided in the senior NCOs’ mess.

The afternoon was split between ‘FOST Faslane’, where members got the experience of being on a ship’s bridge in the simulator, where a few queasy stomachs were experienced.

The final visit was to, not the simulator, but the emulator where they watched the multitude of sonar screens and were then part of the team ‘firing’ a torpedo which was controlled by a wire as it left the submarine.

It proved an exciting end to such a fantastic day and it underlined to Probus Club members not only the professionalism of the Royal Navy personnel but their enthusiasm to do their job well.

Rex Diack, EK Probus president, thanked the club’s guide and host for the day, Petty Officer Ian Masterson, for such an enjoyable day and the chance to see the Navy at work.

The next meeting of East Kilbride Probus will be held as usual in the Old Parish Church hall in Glebe Street, at 2 for 2.30pm today (Wednesday) March 3, when there will be a talk by Robin Watson on ‘The Covenanters’. New members will be made very welcome.