Busy Week for UK Defence in Bulgaria

A busy week for UK Defence in Bulgaria this November: Remembrance events in Sofia and Plovdiv and Britain’s newest and most capable warship’s visit to Burgas.

Being a non-Resident Attaché to Bulgaria, unfortunately I was unable to attend the Remembrance events but I understand that they were extremely moving and both sites were immaculately presented  – our thanks go to the Bulgarian military for their contribution to the solemnity of both events. The Plovdiv site is maintained by the Commonwealth Grave Commission (CWGC), an organisation that does fantastic work over 23 000 locations in 153 countries to ensure that the final resting places of those that gave their lives in conflict are appropriately marked and maintained. Coming from the Navy I have had the privilege of visiting a number of CWGC cemeteries across the globe and I would defy anyone not to be moved by the peaceful and haunting atmosphere of these sites which, in the words of the British war poet Rupert Brooke, are a “corner of a foreign field that is forever England” (and my apologies here to those from the wider United Kingdom and the Commonwealth!).

Remembrance Day provides the opportunity to commemorate Service personnel and civilians from Great Britain and the Commonwealth who gave their lives in the First World War and all subsequent conflicts. 2015 has been an important year of Remembrance for the UK due in particular to a number of Second World War anniversaries, including 75 years since the Battle of Britain and the 70^th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. It also provides an opportunity to reflect that Britain remains a major player on the world stage and that there is a new generation of military and civilian personnel who follow the same proud traditions of service and achievements as their illustrious forbears. They are deployed around the globe on a range of missions, national and multi-national, keeping our people safe, and projecting our values in these challenging times.

No more clearly was this underlined than through the visit of the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan to the port of Burgas last week. On her way back to the UK from a nine-month deployment to the Gulf where she had been providing area air defence for a US Carrier Group engaged in operations against ISIL, HMS Duncan took time out of her busy programme to become the first major Royal Navy warship in the Black Sea for some seven years. In response to a request from the Bulgarian Minister for Defence Nikolay Nenchev to his UK counterpart, HMS Duncan’s visit was the culmination of a number of NATO assurance measures the UK delivered this year. I am delighted that the UK has committed to support the NATO Force Integration Unit in Sofia next year, and that the British Army and Royal Marines plan to contribute troops again to next year’s exercises.

HMS Duncan’s visit was undoubtedly a huge success – she is the most modern Royal Navy warship and bristles with the latest technology. Her mere presence in Bulgaria sent out some strong messages regarding the UK’s commitment to its NATO allies.

Whilst in port, HMS Duncan hosted a Reception and Capability Demonstration, a tour and party for some local children and, on sailing, conducted an exercise with the Bulgarian Navy. To get to know their Bulgarian Navy counterparts better, crew members also played a football match against the local Naval Base team (I thought a diplomatic draw would be ideal but the Royal Navy ran out winners by 8 goals to 7!).

I may be biased but Duncan’s visit and the range of events I have detailed above demonstrated clearly the utility of a warship in delivering the objectives of Her Majesty’s Government. Commander Atkinson and his ship’s company did the Royal Navy and the UK proud, with everything delivered with huge professionalism – again it is hard not to be moved when the White Ensign is lowered at Ceremonial Sunset with the extremely well drilled Ceremonial Guard providing the honours. I am immensely grateful for all that they achieved during their time in Bulgaria and wish them a safe passage home.