Captain coming home in style
Paul John Coulter • Published 17 Feb 2012 09:25
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A NAVY captain from Greenock is preparing for a return home on a prized vessel that recently hosted Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.
Captain Gerry Patterson, who was born and bred in Greenock and still lives here with his wife and son, will bring his massive and distinctive Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship Argus to 'home' waters this weekend.
RFA Captain Patterson brings the ship, which has recently been in Yemen, to Loch Striven on Friday to refuel, prior to the start of a large exercise off the west coast of Scotland.
Captain Patterson said: "As a Greenock man I am very happy to be bringing the ship to the Clyde and honoured to command a mixed crew of RFA and Royal Navy personnel.
"The ship has been operating off Yemen while more recently we have been training the pilots of 824 Naval Air Squadron using their Merlin aircraft.
"My ship's company are a thoroughly professional group which although eclectic, easily meld into a very efficient team and one which has been tested by a busy programme."
The 30,000-tonne vessel - formerly a container ship built in 1988 - is the UK's only Primary Casualty Receiving Ship and is equipped with operating theatres and facilities including over 100 beds.
These were first installed when the ship deployed to the Gulf in 1990.
Experts say a vessel of her sort would normally be called a hospital ship, if it were not for the fact that she is also armed for self-defence.
RFA Argus doubles as the Royal Navy's aviation training ship and currently carries three Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopters.
Two thirds of her length is a flight deck.
The ship will sail back down the Firth of Clyde on Monday.
Recently, the ship hosted Hollywood movie icon Pitt in the making of his new film World War Z. The vessel was used to simulate the fictional USS Madison, a helicopter carrier in the film.
Captain Patterson and his largely civilian crew will deploy to the United States in May in time for the hurricane season where she will be the sole Royal Navy fleet unit on station to assist the UK overseas territories in the case of disaster relief.
She will also represent the Navy at the US commemorations of the 1812 war of independence.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 17 Feb 12
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