The Rover Crew of St Aloysius’ College Scout Group, which has a long-standing close association with the Royal Navy, mainly thanks to the efforts and contacts of its former Group Scout Leader, John A. Mizzi, paid an onboard visit to HMS Cornwall when the warship stopped at Malta while en route to the Arabian Gulf.

The visit was made on Saturday 3 February, when the Group’s Rover Crew coordinator, Pierre Sant, led the Rovers to the ship’s Lascaris Wharf berth, where the party was met by Lieutenant Rebecca “Bex” Martin, a junior air crew member who is the sole Flight Observer on board, having joined the ship from HMS Gloucester in June last year.

She flies in the left-hand seat of the Lynx Mk8 helicopter, of which HMS Cornwall can accommodate two on board. Her responsibilities on board the helicopter include tactics, radar and search sensor manipulation, weapon delivery, navigation, winching, load-lifting and load-gunning.

Following a brief introductory explanation about the vessel, the ship’s tour followed, when the Rover Scouts were introduced to the frigate’s Officer-of-the-Watch, Lieutenant Carmen, who gave an overview of the vessel’s defence system and explained about its first and last lines of defence, as well as providing some impressive information about the armaments on board.

The tour included a visit to the frigate’s bridge and a close inspection of the Lynx Mk8 helicopter on board.

At the end of the visit, Troop Leader and Rover Crew member Mark Cassola presented the group’s own scarf and its 90th anniversary specially-produced neckwear as a memento.

HMS Cornwall is a Type 22 frigate and was commissioned at Falmouth, Cornwall in 1988 by Diana, Princess of Wales. It forms part of Devonport Flotilla under Commander Jeremy Woods and is the first of the Batch 3 Type 22 Frigates.