Ship of Shame

Daily Express - 23rd June, 2007 (Nick Constable)

It could have been worse for Navy top brass. No sackings, no disciplinary action and a great big tick in the No Publicity box after the Senior Service's greatest operational shambles in decades.

In fact listening to the anodyne clichés emerging through gritted teeth at the Ministry of Defence last week you'd be forgiven for thinking HMS Cornwall's navy larks are already a minor chapter in some dusty training manual.

The Navy's reputation following the kidnap of 15 sailors and marines by Iranian forces had been merely 'dented', according to the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jonathon (correct) Band. Things were 'moving on' with 'lessons learned'.

Defence Secretary Des Browne admitted to 'shortcomings' and a 'series of vulnerabilities'. Selling stories to the media would be banned. As to Cornwall's current state of readiness an 'action plan' had already been launched.

Unfortunately , the MoD's cliché offensive has done nothing to address the personal tensions gripping Cornwall's 237-strong ship's company as it defends the Gulf oil rigs which are Iraq's lifeblood.

The atmosphere on board has little to do with the threat of attack - real though it is. Rather it is about crew members so appalled at the cash-for-stories fiasco that they refuse to talk to those who trousered the profits - Faye Turney and Arthur Batchelor.

Others indulge in relentless mickey-taking which, in a school playground, might even be considered bullying.

Operator Mechanic Batchelor has been a particularly juicy target for this following his admission that he cried while in Iranian custody.

An army version of the song What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor, which includes the line... 'take away his iPod and make him blubber', - is currently playing big on internet sites.

Unfair it may be, but to an international audience HMS Cornwall is rapidly becoming the Ship of Shame.

The tension aboard has been further fuelled by the Navy's obsessive clampdown on any opinion about the kidnapped personnel which might leak home through emails or phone calls. Innocent questions as to how they've settled back into duties are ignored.

Some observers even suspect that a decision to delay the ship's return to Plymouth - originally scheduled for mid August - by a fortnight has been made to keep sailors away from what is traditionally the height of the media silly season.

In interviews conducted by the Daily Express with friends, families and naval sources this week a clear picture has emerged of a ship on probation. Officers are desperate to avoid another major blunder; resigned to career oblivion if it happens.

The crew, meanwhile, is just desperate to come home.

One Plymouth source who has several friends on board described the atmosphere as 'very, very edgy.'

'Things are always tense when you're in theatre,' he said. 'You're going to get more than the usual round of rows, fights, points-scoring and petty jealousies.

'But this is different. The mood on that ship is sharply divided between close friends of Faye and Arthur, who feel they've done nothing much wrong, and those who believe they betrayed the service for a grubby bribe.

'Some of the junior seamen and Wrens won't talk to them and treat them pretty much with contempt. The marines are less involved - but then they came out of the whole business with reputations largely intact.

'The argument that Faye and Arthur were let down by the MoD's media team, and got bad advice, simply won't wash.

'It's common sense - common dog factor as we say in the Navy. How much nounce does it take to realise that cashing in on national humiliation, while our people are being blown up in Iraq , isn't a good idea.

'There's also a lot of anger that all 15 have been tarred with the same brush. Thirteen of those kids actually behaved reasonably well under the circumstances.

'They may be guilty of over-co-operation with their captors but the idea that they should have engaged the Iranian boats - small arms against heavy machine guns - is ludicrous.

'God knows where it would all have ended.'

The attempt to keep fallout from the Iranian affair in-house has been largely successful. Cornwall's commanding officer, Commander Jeremy Woods, has instructed officers to discourage crew from offering personal opinions about the Iran fiasco in phone calls or emails.

'It 's almost comical,' said one woman who is in email contact with crew members.

'Simple questions like 'how's Faye doing' are completely ignored. You can't ask about the Iranian business at all. People are paranoid about it.

'Officers are desperate to avoid any more publicity. They know the navy has had a right kicking and that it happened on their watch. It never looks good on the CV.

'Some senior navy people in Plymouth aren't surprised that the ship is staying away for an extra two weeks.

'The official line mentions 'operational reasons' but you can always find an operational reason. There's a feeling that they don't want crew members rolling out of nightclubs at a time when the news agenda is thin.'

And with good reason. After Arthur Batchelor was released he celebrated back in Plymouth by stunting up photographs of a mock execution at a city centre club.

He appeared with a toy gun at his throat and a tea towel blindfold around his head.

It was the start of a difficult week for Operator Mechanic Batchelor - who at 20 is the youngest of the hostages. He lost his passport and had to stay behind to apply for a new one.

Sources say that when he finally re-joined Cornwall last month officers made clear he was guilty of a PPP - piss poor performance.

Families of the 15 refuse to be drawn on tensions between the crew. Roy Summers, whose 22-year-old son Nathan was taken, insists that his boy is fine.

'There is a bit of banter on board - that's what blokes are like together,' he said. 'I think there has been a bit of mickey-taking aimed at the two who sold their stories.

'Nathan feels there's no point harbouring ill-feelings - you've just got to get on with your job.

'He was offered money but turned it down. He told me he was paid for doing his job and that was enough. I'm very proud of him for making that decision.

'There is a feeling on board that no one wants to make a mistake. They just want to get the deployment over and come home. The families can't wait to see them.'

Mr Summers said the government reports into what went wrong were 'embarrassing and disappointing'.

One, by former BBC Director of News Tony Hall, blamed a 'collective failure of judgement or an abstention of judgement' within the MoD over the sanctioning of a media auction. It was published in full.

The second by former Royal Marines Lt Gen Sir Rob Fulton found that the Navy could have done more to prevent the kidnap. Most of General Fulton' conclusions about operational practice remain classified.

Mr Summers added: 'The boarding party was following orders. Whatever happened with the helicopter support was a cock-up not of their making.

'They're only youngsters and they conducted themselves well during the incident. What happened afterwards with the media was regrettable and I firmly believe the MoD should have told the two concerned not to get involved.'

It's a view shared in Plymouth by everyone from retired Admirals to staff in the matelots' bars strung around Devonport dockyard.

'I'm afraid the First Sea Lord [Sir Jonathon Band] didn't make a very good start,' said one distinguished senior officer, now retired.

'He was appointed a year before the Iranian business and it took him a long time to get to grips with challenges facing the Navy.

'I am told that he has now got a grip and hopefully we can put this whole sorry saga behind us.'

Many in Plymouth's naval community are aghast that not a single senior head rolled. 'It beggars belief,' said one. 'How can you cock up this massively, make the Navy a laughing stock, shatter morale on board Cornwall and yet walk away saying "no problem folks, lessons learned."

'It just smacks of a classic Royal Navy a***-covering exercise.'

Perhaps the mood is best summed up by contributors to the website of the Plymouth Herald.

'All thoroughly unprofessional,' writes one. 'These people are highly paid, much better than their American counterparts for the first time (sic). Therefore all pure greed and attention- seeking with no thought for security.

'The Royal Navy must remember that the UK taxpayers expect something better in the future.'

More succinct is a one-liner from 'Kev'. Initials at the end of his post stand for Bravo Zulu, navy slang for "well done" or "it's fine".

'Thank you Faye and Arthur,' writes Kev, 'for making the RN a world embarrassment. BZ'.