BdCpl Jase Walker escorts casualties to a Seaking Helicopter for casevac

BdLCpl Gary Turner next to the PCRS CT Scanner, 'The Polo Mint'

BdCpl 'H' Clay clearing a GPMG during weapons training drills

Musn John Beckley and 'Titty', his famous stuffed singing Blue tit

We docked on Friday 29th May and we were primed to wow more cocktail slurping dignitaries with a new Beating Retreat display onboard HMS Ocean, when a giant spanner was thrown into the works. This spanner came disguised as mumps of which there were two cases onboard HMS Ocean. A blessing in disguise, (not for the poor mumps sufferers), but for us as the cocktail party was rescheduled to be held onboard HMS Invincible. No travelling needed to HMS Ocean only a brief rehearsal to ensure that the display would work in the allotted area. Then it rained. A Drum Major vexed, a band perplexed. The possibility of a simplified indoor routine didn't sit well with many people. So when the guests returned to the flight deck at the last moment we breathed a musty sigh of relief, (stuffy hangar). The display went well despite the cramped area and the audience being located in the wrong place (again) to take full advantage of our musical prowess. On completion of Beating Retreat and a well-earned shower we ensured that all the equipment was correctly packed for our move to RFA Argus the following morning.

On Saturday morning bedding was handed in and our bags were lugged down two decks and along two berths where RFA Argus greeted us with her impressive brow. After settling into our cabins and taking care of the stowing of our band equipment the remainder of the weekend was our own.

Buster Brown and Danny Duncum chose to play rugby for HMS Invincible and gave Virginia Beach RFC a walloping in a one sided lesson in the art of Rugby Union. The Dixie Band returned to HMS Invincible to supply musical support for the pre-dinner drinks for the visiting dignitaries and Alison Young supplied the music for the dinner on piano. The remainder of us were left to find our own entertainment. A popular spot was the 'Crocodile Rocks' bar, where they have duelling pianos set up with two pianos and four pianists. Apparently you can ask them for just about any tune and they'll rattle it off for a price! (Thanks to CTC Band for the tip off.) When a friendly matelot stitched up Rob Sarahs to sing 'Can't take my eyes off you' there was no hiding place. There's now talk of Rob singing the 'Star Spangled Banner' at next years 'Super bowl', but he refuses to show a nipple a la Janet Jackson, that's extra!

On Sunday nine of us went to Busch Gardens, which is a large theme park about one hour outside of Norfolk. There are four large roller coasters that we managed to visit twice, the last of which was 'Apollo's Chariot' which went like the clappers. Jason Walker's shrieks of "We're coming off the tracks" did nothing for the shredded nerves of Dave Prentice who'd already gone into psychological and expletive ridden meltdown during one ascent, which did seem to go on forever. We all agreed that it was the best ride and even managed to persuade Trev Naughton to join us second time around. Trev won a very large cuddly green and yellow dragon that caused may comments during 'Rounds' over the following evenings. It was a great break from reality and we were exhausted on our return to our new home.

CSgt Les Sheppard met up with an old friend whilst visiting Norfolk, Senior Chief Chuck Mander was the ex 'Operations Co-ordinator' (Band Secretary) of CinC South Band from Naples last year. Chuck is now serving in the Atlantic Fleet Band based in Norfolk. Over the weekend both Les and Capt Dowrick attended an open-air concert band concert for Memorial Weekend and an open air Big Band Concert in the park. Thanks for you hospitality Chuck, and tell your band about the Crocodile Rocks bar. The Boss also managed to jump ship prior to sailing to visit the School of Music at Little Creek, run by the US Navy for training Navy, Marines and Army musicians of the US Service Bands.

There was time for one last night ashore before getting down to some serious casualty handling training and three solid weeks at sea. We set sail on Tuesday and split into our respective watches. Our role onboard is to get casualties into and out of helicopters, off and onto the flight deck, down the lift to the Primary Casualty Receiving Facility and back up from the wards, whether they are stretcher cases or walking wounded. OP Telic veteran CSgt Dave Sharp has been integral in drilling the rest of the Band on the procedure and intricacies of casualty handling. In the last five days we've had plenty of practice getting stretchers off of helicopters and also fiddling with the 'Stryker' trolley stretcher used in the PCRF (Primary Casualty Receiving Facility). We have also been assigned to the different departments within the PCRF to assist the nurses and doctors, mainly in the moving of patients.

Actually it has been the drill capital of Oceanville because the FOST (Flag Officer Sea Training) Team were here and they spent two days making sure that we knew how to and where to use the fire fighting equipment on board. The Band was so efficient at this that the 'FOSTys' thinned us out for one particular exercise to let the rest of the Facility get involved! We also practised a casualty evacuation exercise and it is no fun trying to carry Colin Hudson down the very narrow corridors in a 'Mediwrap' bag (open ended body bag) in the boiling heat. Sgt Rich Tilley's team were unable to here the screams of his patient to stop as he was being dragged along the deck. Afterwards Rich became aware that his patient, a Surgeon Commander, had friction burns on his behind where the bag had worn away. Rich was heard to say that he was glad it was the Commanders backside as he has some expensive artwork on his!

"They all laughed at Christopher Columbus, when he said the World was round", a line from a song by 'Old Blue Eyes himself'. Substitute 'Christopher Columbus' with 'Rob Sarahs' and 'The world was round' for ' We are doing a Ska Band gig in the unfeasibly small Junior Rates bar/shoebox'. When we stopped laughing, Rob still looked serious, so we set up and took up over a quarter of the mess. Doubtful glances were exchanged but there was no turning back, and lucky we didn't. The bar was chock full and the sweat was pouring after just minutes of us starting to play. The augmented Corps of Drums even came in and did their Stomp routine 'Noises On'. CSgt Bug Lee Cullen brought the ceiling down; literally, the tiles are still waiting to be fixed. By the end of the night everyone was soaked in sweat, dancing on chairs or anywhere they could find whilst singing their lungs out. The prospect of repeating this gig in the Wardroom seemed bizarre; surely they will just sip their drinks and clap politely? 'Think again, Doubting Thomas', because the Wardroom rocked as well! A magic moment occurred when one of the senior doctors ripped his cummerbund off and waved it around his head while 'skanking' (dancing) to 'One Step Beyond...', and he's pushing sixty!!

I managed to handle my first casualty on Saturday when a Seaking helicopter flew in bearing a female junior rating with an injured shoulder and a Bootneck who needed his wisdom tooth extracting. (Bootneck…wisdom…?????). Ritchie Burton and I (JB) had to shift a guy who we had been working with, as his back pain had become unbearable. He is now safely on his way back to England.

Thanks for reading, oh and just one last thing. The Buglers have decided to award their version of the Commando Medal called the 'Combando Medal'. I had the dubious honour of being the first recipient, for the strange happening that was my showering and dressing for work at quarter to two am. I blame my upside down watch, the fiend, but thanks, I'll wear the medal with pride. If only they knew about Laura David's mishap, on hearing the order to 'Darken Ship' she panicked and grabbed her life jacket in a mad frenzy as she thought the order was 'Abandon Ship'.

Everything is cool, love to our families! Look out for the next instalment when the Cobando medal will be dished out again and my stuffed blue tit will start her advice column.

BRNC Band taking in the rays, post weapons training

John Beckley & Alaine Shakespear