THREE Notts sailors have been part of a historic voyage on board the last of the Royal Navy's Type 42 destroyers.
Stephen Edwards, Sam Weir and Alex McCarthy were all on board HMS Edinburgh when she entered Portsmouth Harbour for the final time yesterday before being officially decommissioned on June 6.
It was an emotional journey for the three sailors who were part of the ship's company as she undertook a farewell tour of the UK, visiting London, her affiliated city of Edinburgh and the city where she was built, Liverpool, before heading home to Portsmouth.
Type 42s were built for the Royal Navy in the 1970s and 1980s. At the age of 30, Edinburgh is last in class and being decommissioned to make way for new state-of-the-art Type 45 destroyers.
Chief Petty Officer Above Water Warfare Stephen Edwards, 47, of Cotgrave, said: "Straight out of school I went to work in the coal mines for five years. When the pit shut down, I jumped at the chance to join the Navy.
"In my 25-year Navy career, I have worked in four Type 42s, the Royal Yacht Britannia as well as HMS Invincible.
"All of my previous ships have been decommissioned and Edinburgh is now following, so I felt it fitting that I should retire from the Navy at the same time."
As a dedication to his final ship, CPO Edwards, who is something of an amateur artist, painted the ship, listing all of her company.
Leading Seaman (Writer) Sam Weir, 26, of Warsop, joined the Navy shortly after leaving school nine years ago and had a shore-based job for a number of years before recently joining HMS Edinburgh.
She said: "When I joined HMS Edinburgh, I was really looking forward to getting back to sea and back to being part of a ship – I really enjoy being part of the close-knit community you find on a ship."
Able Seaman Marine Engineer Alex McCarthy, 22, of Rampton, near Retford, will also soon be leaving the service after undertaking an apprenticeship with the Royal Navy.
He said: "I started my naval career in HMS Illustrious, so going from an aircraft carrier to HMS Edinburgh was a bit of a shock as you can pretty much fit the whole of Edinburgh into Lusty's hangar.
"It's sad to see Edinburgh being decommissioned but all ships eventually reach the end of their life and Edinburgh has had a good run."
Over her 30-year lifespan, HMS Edinburgh has clocked up 793,345 miles and performed a range of tasks, including counter-narcotic and counter-piracy operations.
