An Isle of Wight sailor who has spent over 7 months at sea onboard the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will return home later today (Thursday), just in time for Christmas with his family.
Leading Engineering Technician Gregory Hattersley, 33, has been to the other side of the world and back as part of the Royal Navy’s largest operational deployment in a generation.
HMS Queen Elizabeth left Portsmouth as part of the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group back in May. Since then, the Strike Group have sailed nearly 48,000 nautical miles from the Atlantic Ocean, through the Mediterranean, across the Indian Ocean, into the Pacific and back again.
LET Hattersley, who grew up in Havenstreet and attended Medina High School, is now an engineer with the Cyber and IT team on the ship, maintaining and managing the main IS system on board. Over the past 7 months, he has played a role in HMS Queen Elizabeth’s operations which have included launching the first F-35 sorties from the Mediterranean into the Black Sea, while also sending jets east into Iraq and Syria on 6 to 7-hour missions in support of Op SHADER and responding to Russian air incursions.
Gregory says:
“I really enjoy the fact that there is something new to learn every day. With IS there is never a set answer to problems, and the experience of meeting and talking to a range of people every day, from contractors to Ships Company, helps to bring a new dynamic to each day. I am also the Welfare Rep for the largest mess on board, and making sure they are well represented is something I find rewarding.
“I was inspired to join the Royal Navy by my dad, who served 22 years – and then another 23 in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary!
Article continues below this advertisement “My first deployment was with HMS Dauntless in 2014, which took the ship out to the Gulf, visiting Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Bahrain – with a stop at Mallorca on the return leg.
“I have served in HMS Queen Elizabeth since she was being built, and sailed with her each time the ship put to sea”.
LET Hattersley is now looking forward to having some family time at Christmas at home in Cowes, probably at the Pontoon View pub, where his father-in-law is the landlord.
He adds:
“When I get back home I am looking forward to spending as much time as possible with my wife and daughter and making the most of the time I have at home with them. For Christmas I am looking forward to seeing my parents and my wife’s parents and enjoying opening presents as a family, having the best day possible together”.
HMS Queen Elizabeth is expected to sail into Portsmouth later this afternoon (Thursday), at approximately 15:20.
Thank you for your service.
My son is coming home from the same deployment tomorrow on HMS KENT
These men (and women) are my absolute heroes. Doing their jobs selflessly and without fanfare. Bravo.