Navy skipper to bring his ship home for Coronation

GUERNSEY will have a special visitor from the Royal Navy for the Coronation.

HMS Puncher travelling at 20 knots during Exercise Joint Viking in February. She was the first vessel of her P2000 class to operate in the Arctic Circle.

HMS Puncher will be in St Peter Port for more than a week, covering both the Coronation weekend and Liberation Day.

The visit is a last hurrah for its captain, Lt William De La Mare, a Guernseyman.

‘I finish as HMS Puncher’s commanding officer on 12 May,’ he said.

‘During my time I have tried to visit the islands before, but it has not worked out. Suddenly this gap opened up in our diary and I managed to contact the Lt-Governor’s office to arrange the visit.’

Lt De La Mare is inviting islanders to join him and his crew for a tour of the vessel while it is moored in the Victoria Marina. It will also be hosting local cadets and schools.

The locally-born skipper Of HMNS Puncher, Lt William De La Mare, who has the honour of bringing his ship to his home island before relinquishing command.

HMS Puncher is a P2000 Archer patrol craft. At just over 20 metres long and with a top speed of over 21 knots, it is often used as a training vessel.

But recently she has seen more active service, assisting with the rescue of people in small boats in the English Channel during the migrant crisis, and taking part in an exercise alongside the Norwegian and Dutch navies.

‘We were the first P2000 ever to operate within the Arctic Circle,’ said Lt De La Mare. ‘The temperature was down to minus 20C, which is tough on a small ship. We avoided the rougher weather by journeying up through the internal fjords.’

Lt De La Mare, who attended Elizabeth College, will take up a new role as chief navigating officer on HMS Somerset when he returns to Portsmouth after his visit to Guernsey.

His father, who is also from Guernsey, is Commander Richard De La Mare, who is retiring this year after a 30-year career in the Royal Navy.

n HMS Puncher will be open for visitors on 7 and 8 May between noon and 2pm, and on 9 May between 1 and 2pm. These times are dependent on the details of the Liberation Day parade. Visitors to the ship are asked to wear suitable footwear.