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NEWS ITEMS

MEN who bear the nation's greatest burden will finally be recognised for their unique service.

The work of the ballistic missile deterrent patrols is the most silent aspect of the Silent Service.

More than 300 deterrent patrols have been conducted by Royal Navy submarines since HMS Resolution headed out on the inaugural one in June 1968.

There is always a British ballistic missile boat on duty, 365 days a year, somewhere beneath the oceans.

It is a burden borne first by the R-boats carrying Polaris nuclear missiles and, since the 1990s, by the current breed of V-boats, known affectionally in the Service as ‘bombers'.

To recognise the dedication of the men carrying out these patrols – officially the Continuous At Sea Deterrence – the Navy Board has acceded to the wishes of the bomber community and agreed to award a pin.

The highly-classified nature of these patrols means the men who carry them out are cut off from the outside world; they cannot tell loved ones where they are going – or where they have been – and there's no way they can send outgoing communications to loved ones. In addition, there are the traditional hardships of submarine life – six hours on, six hours off for weeks on end in austere conditions.

The Royal Navy Deterrent Patrol Pin – a 2½in badge which features HMS Resolution with a Polaris missile and electron rings superimposed and a scroll inscribed with the motto ‘always ready' – will be issued to serving personnel from this October.

Deeps who've completed between one and 19 patrols – only those of 30 days' duration or more will be counted – will receive a silver pin, while veteran submarines who've taken part in 20 or more patrols will receive an identical pin badge, but in gold.

Although the pin will not be issued to bomber veterans who are no longer serving, it's anticipated that – like submariners' trademark dolphins – demand will provoke naval tailors and memorabilia to produce their own badges.

More details can be found in RNTM 074/10. Submariners should request silver pins from their divisional officers and gold ones from their commanding officers.

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