A former Spalding Grammar School pupil is helping to keep oil, gas and goods flowing safely from the Gulf to the UK for the next few months.
Naval officer Lieutenant James Sharpe is one of just 45 men and women aboard minehunter HMS Bangor, currently on an epic journey from her usual home – Clyde Naval Base near Helensburgh in Scotland – to Bahrain.
The 23-year-old Posh fan completed three years of intensive training to be appointed gunnery officer with the crew back in March.
His duties include making sure the gunnery team are at the top of their game, providing protection for the minehunter, conducting watches on the bridge to ensure Bangor safely navigates the oceans, and he is also the ship’s church officer, responsible for organising weekly services.
The former Spalding Grammar School pupil joined the Navy after completing his A-Levels in September 2017.
As part of his officer training he was attached to Britain’s flagship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, and sailed with her to the west coast of the USA in the autumn of 2019 – something he regards as his best experience in the Navy to date.
Bangor is more than 100 times smaller than the aircraft carrier.
Due to the specialist nature of her minehunting equipment she’s among the most expensive vessels in the fleet for her size.
Her job is to find and neutralise mines on or above the seabed – particularly those in deeper waters – using either a robot submersible or expert clearance divers to place an explosive charge and detonate the device safely.
Bangor’s wider duties involve working with allies in the region, especially the US Navy which also bases minehunters in Bahrain, and generally fly the flag for the UK in the Middle East.
The journey to Bahrain has so far taken the small ship – which is sailing in company with fellow minehunter HMS Middleton – to nine different countries, having left the UK at the end of July.
“We’ve had a busy 12 months bringing HMS Bangor out of refit at the end of last year,” said James.
“The focus since then has been on regeneration throughout the year and working through the complex challenges of Covid.
“This hard work has paid off.”
Once in Bahrain, the crew will return home every four months to enjoy leave, undertake training and naval courses, before heading back to Bangor to resume patrols along with five other British naval vessels permanently operating in the region.
