Royal Navy sailors at HMS Collingwood row length of Portsmouth to Dunkirk for VE Day

The News, Portsmouth

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00:00This is a production of the U.S. Department of Education.

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00:56Alright guys, we're ready, 2k!

01:26Very smooth so far, we're currently on time, getting bums in seats, everyone's enjoying

01:35the cakes, donations are coming through, music's playing, great weather for it, so it's been

01:40a good atmosphere so far.

01:41I was going to say, doing this in 25 degree weather is a bit nicer than doing it in the

01:45rain.

01:46Yeah, it's ideal, it's ideal for it.

01:48So what made you decide to set all this up?

01:51Yeah, so Victory Squadron is heavily involved in the Dunkirk, they do something called Little

01:57Ships, so the idea of the rowing event is to recreate the journey, what the brave soldiers

02:03and sailors took.

02:04So the total distance was 266km, so the idea of today's event was to row 266km.

02:11We broke this up by asking for 133 willing volunteers to row 2km each.

02:18The first row started at 8 o'clock and the last row should be about 10 to 4, if we're

02:23all on time.

02:24So the idea is just to support the RNA.

02:27We've worked with the RNA on numerous occasions, Victory Squadron host.

02:32Evening events such as quizzes, just to help the trainees get out of their block, improve

02:37their social skills before they go on board.

02:40So it's just another opportunity to support the RNA.

02:43I was going to say, how much support has the charity given you guys and what do you think

02:47of the fantastic work they do?

02:49Very good for serving personnel but also people that have also retired.

02:53They're just always there for support.

02:55We have a very good relationship with them.

02:57We talked to them about the idea and now we're on board from day one.

03:01Provide banners, brought in cakes, card machines, just little things like that, they're all over.

03:07And I assume given the circumstances behind the event, you weren't short of volunteers

03:12to do it?

03:13No, not at all.

03:14So I plan, my future plan is to go with PTI.

03:17So my boss at the minute, Lieutenant Derbyshire, used to be a warrant PTI.

03:21So he said this would be a good opportunity to get some face time and what the job will

03:25entail if I am successful on my PT course.

03:29And obviously with this, you've got the links with VE Day, the 80th anniversary coming up

03:34and also the Battle of Dunkirk as well.

03:36Do you think those things, is that some of the reason why some of the guys over there

03:41and yourself have decided to serve to follow in the footsteps of those who served before you?

03:44Yeah, definitely.

03:45That is a big moment in history.

03:48Wherever you go is brought up.

03:50Yeah, they're the reason we're here today.

03:54Yeah, so anything we can do to give back and educate anyone around the block what happened

03:59on that memorable day.

04:02And also with the 80th anniversary coming up, there's going to be lots of events commemorating

04:06their service.

04:07What do you think of City of Portsmouth and other cities across the UK coming together

04:11to remember how they served?

04:13Yeah, it's very important.

04:14I'm originally from Plymouth, so it's very big.

04:18Yeah.

04:19And finally, how do you think the guys will do with the endurance bit of the road?

04:24Do you think they'll be all prepared to set up?

04:25So we've started off really strong.

04:27We've had some really good times.

04:29The idea is two stones, one bird here.

04:34So there's a fleet event called Road to Sewers.

04:38So we're going to add up our 81 fastest times and we're going to try and enter that competition.

04:42to see how we compete against our fleet.

04:45Do you think they'll be able to hit all their times?

04:48Yeah, I believe so.

04:49Yeah, it should be all right.

05:12After doing more, go ahead and go ahead and say,

05:13homepage group of the audience.

05:14Thank you, everybody.

05:16While they don't give up on camera,iren the Foldquiera, it should be sitting on

05:1710th percent.

05:18There's looking at mascara for managing craft.

05:19And after dealing with the

05:30operations, they start moving all the day andaciones.

05:32Everybody Once didela, people were part of river,

05:34these say celebrate, they Why are you so low?

05:36They're in a lot of.

05:37They started moving on camera,

05:37and they were not every day as well.

06:09There you go, there you go.

06:39How did you manage it?

06:54Surprisingly better than I thought actually.

06:56So I did it in 8.57 so I was quite pleased with that because I didn't think I was going

07:01to get past the 10 minute mark to be honest so yeah I'm quite happy, quite proud of myself

07:06on that one.

07:07Is it very much an endurance test given the weather?

07:11Funny enough it wasn't the heat that was getting me, it was more the endurance just to keep

07:15going.

07:16I wasn't expecting 2k to feel so long, it felt longer than that.

07:21Do you think it helped to have all the guys around you?

07:23Oh definitely yeah, I think the atmosphere is really really electrifying here at the moment

07:27you know, so much positive energy around so yeah and all the support and everyone cheering

07:31you on and people coming over to sort of give you tips and check on you and yeah it's been

07:37really good atmosphere.

07:38That's definitely kept me going.

07:39And why do you think yourself and all the other guys have signed up to it?

07:42It's because it's for charity, it's fizz and let's be honest so many people in the military

07:48love a bit of fizz but also I think it's just taking part and having a good time, raising

07:53money and just getting out there and bonding with people and just enjoying a bit of fun in

07:59the sun I guess.

08:00Do you think those positive causes, do you think that definitely helps morale around

08:04the naval base?

08:05Absolutely yeah, things like this definitely help yeah, you know especially when we're

08:09so stuck in a routine doing near enough sort of the same things all the time, obviously

08:15with discipline and stuff like that so this is a little bit of a chance to let your hair

08:20down, a bit of fun.

08:21Not just with the ABs but with all the ranks, there's lots of officers and senior ranks here

08:26as well.

08:27Again all of them, everyone just having a good time with everyone, you know just chatting

08:29and having a laugh.

08:30And finally obviously all the guys, all the collective kilometres, it's the same length

08:35as the previous soldiers who sailed to the Battle of Dunkirk, do you think the actions of

08:41those who came before you, is that why yourself and so many other people decided to serve in

08:44the Royal Navy?

08:45Yeah I mean they had it much harder than what we've got and yeah their endurance and their

08:51bravery and all the stories that surround every single one of them is inspiring and that's

08:58certainly inspired me to join up and I know that's inspired a lot of people here to join

09:04up as well and take part.

09:15One, two, three, four, four, five, six.

09:29Can we live?

09:30We don't know if you're thousand either.

09:33Andy.

09:34I'm not the same one now.

09:36We've been working on this for a good few weeks now to get this into place across the

09:54base.

09:55So fantastic support from HMS Connorwood, particularly led by the Victory Squadron.

09:59It started at 8 o'clock this morning, so there was a good batch of people there ready to

10:04do those things.

10:05There were a couple of lads that I've just seen there that rode over their metres because

10:09they just forgot what the time was and things like that.

10:12And then for me, I'm going to do my bit, it would probably take me about an hour to get

10:16that task done as well.

10:17I was going to say, how do you think your session will go when you get line up through?

10:21I think I'm the only person that's going to have a lifesaver and a defib in the same place

10:25and an hour to do it, whereas everybody else is doing it at 8 to 10 minutes.

10:29And finally, does it mean a lot to you that all these guys are coming together to raise

10:33money for the cause of the Royal Navy Association?

10:35Absolutely.

10:36So the give back from HMS Victory Squadron has been phenomenal.

10:42So it's the younger sailors, as we said, going to interact and help raise money for the older

10:47sailors or the naval family.

10:49So it's vital that we can keep that link together.

10:51How do you think it went?

10:52Was it a tough one, this weather?

10:53To be fair, it's other than I thought it would be.

10:55I've got about halfway started guessing out a bit, but that's it.

10:58Do you think the rest of the guys in the crowd pushed you on to complete it properly?

11:01Definitely.

11:02They're smashing it, to be fair.

11:03You've got all different shapes and sizes of people doing it.

11:06All going well, to be fair.

11:07Do you think they'll all be able to hit their targets and times and stuff?

11:10Because there's obviously over a hundred people all set up.

11:12They'll all smash it.

11:13It's all right.

11:14When you're in the sun, everyone's egging you on.

11:16You're all right.

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