Destroyer HMS York to visit Hull - with East Yorkshire's Chantelle on board
A SAILOR is returning to East Yorkshire shores in style this week – on a 5,200-tonne Type-42 destroyer.
Able Seaman Class 1 Chantelle Scott, who joined the Royal Navy after leaving school aged 16, serves on HMS York. The Portsmouth-based ship is expected to visit Hull on Thursday afternoon.
Chantelle, 23, of Withernsea, has served in war zones around the world, including Iraq, during her career.
Her mum Karan Skinner said: "We are all really proud of Chantelle. She always wanted to be in the Royal Navy. It's all she ever wanted to do."
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On Saturday, Chantelle and 250 other crew will march through the streets of York, where the ship was granted the freedom of the city in 1991.
Karan said: "Chantelle fires some of the weapons onboard HMS York.
"Of course, I worry about her like any parent would, but she loves what she does and we all support her."
Chantelle's sister Danielle, 22, is also in the navy and served on HMS Liverpool, which played a key role in toppling Libyan Colonel Gaddafi last October.
HMS Liverpool, also a Type-42 destroyer, was away for seven months enforcing the Nato no-fly zone and preventing arms from reaching pro-Gaddafi forces by sea.
Karan said: "It can be quite anxious having two daughters in the Forces.
"Chantelle almost went to Libya too.
"But HMS York was ordered to return home before it arrived after the conflict came to an end with the death of Gaddafi."
The crew of HMS Liverpool witnessed the siege of Misurata and the fall of Tripoli, Zlitan, Al Khums and Sirte to the rebels.
While enforcing the no-fly zone, HMS Liverpool's fighter controllers spent a total of 360 hours controlling 14 different types of aircraft from a number of Nato countries sent to destroy targets.
Chantelle and her crewmates will not march through Hull, as they do not enjoy freedom of the city status. The public can meet the crew and take a look around the ship on Sunday.
Visitors will be free to inspect non-classified parts of the destroyer.
HMS York is fitted with an array of impressive weaponry, including a 4.5in Mk8 gun capable of pounding air, sea and land targets from long-range.
Karan said Chantelle is keen to show her navy friends around East Yorkshire.
"Chantelle is hoping to have a barbecue at my house for her friends," she said. "She also plans to show them a good time around Hull. People say bad things about the city, but she wants to put them right and take them all on a good night out here. She is really looking forward to coming home."
Further information about when and where HMS York will dock and the open day on Sunday will be published in the Mail later this week.
Comments
by Mackem73
Monday, September 10 2012, 7:57AM
“HMS York is not a battleship, she is a destroyer!”