Families cheer home Royal Navy heroes of HMS Defender as coronavirus scraps ship's homecoming

HMS Defender sailed back to home to a hero’s welcome after a ‘challenging’ seven-month deployment, which saw the £1bn destroyer thrust into a crisis in the Middle East.

But after 222 days away at sea, hopes of a traditional homecoming at Portsmouth Naval Base were scuppered, with coronavirus restrictions seeing the navy cancel the celebration.

Undeterred, hundreds of crew’s family and friends gathered along Old Portsmouth’s Hot Walls to cheer their loved ones home, in a stunning display of patriotism and pride.

Among the crowds included the family of Hilsea sailor, Able Seaman Luke Barnett – who was celebrating his 26th birthday as he arrived home.

Hayley Barnett, of Military Road, Hilsea, was thrilled to have her son back.

The doting mum, who is celebrating her 49th birthday on Monday, said: ‘I’m so happy I could cry. It’s fantastic. It’s the best thing to have him back.

‘I’ve not seen him on my birthday, his birthday or Mother’s Day for the past four years since he joined the navy. Now he’s back for all three.’

AB Barnett’s wife, Charlotte, was looking forward to finally spending some time with her husband. The 32-year-old added: ‘We got married six weeks before he left, so it’s been really tough.

‘The first couple of months weren’t too bad. But it was hard in January when the issue between Iran and America was happening. He went radio-silent for weeks. I didn’t know what was going on.’

AB Barnett’s proud dad, Mark, 60, was amazed by the turnout on the day, and said: ‘It’s nice to see they’re getting the homecoming they deserve. Portsmouth is a big supporter of the Royal Navy and the people of Portsmouth have shown what they’re all about and are waving the flag proudly.’

Also waiting on the Hot Walls was Jo Richards. The 39-year-old of Fareham was with her children, Archie, seven, and Austin, three, to cheer home her husband, Chief Petty Officer Jim Richards.

She said: ‘This has been a really worrying time for everyone. I think we’re all just really pleased to have them home.’

Young Archie was thrilled to see his dad again, and added: ‘I have missed him a lot. I’m excited to see my daddy again. I’m going to say hello and give him a big hug when I see him.’

Defender sounded her horn as she approached Portsmouth, while her ship’s company gathered on the deck to salute all those gathered to cheer them home.

Defender’s captain, Commander Richard Hewitt, paid tribute to all the families for their support of his ship’s company.

‘While disappointing not to see our families on the jetty as we return to Portsmouth, we understand the situation and we are extremely grateful for all the support our families have provided while we have been deployed. We could not do it without them, and are looking forward to spending some quality time with them,’ he said.

Instead of a six-month patrol of the Far East as originally planned, the destroyer was diverted to the Middle East last summer to protect British merchant ships in the Straits of Hormuz.

She sailed the narrow waters at the gateway to the Gulf 28 times, accompanying 1.6 million tonnes of cargo on those 38 ships – cargo vital to UK trade and economy.

While in the Middle East, Defender conducted a series of successful drug busts, seizing 2,500kg of hashish, worth £1m, last month, and a record haul of crystal meth before Christmas, worth a whopping £3.3m.

She was also involved in helping to provide security in the region during the tensions between Iran and the US following the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.

Labour’s shadow defence minister, Stephen Morgan, paid tribute to the ship’s hard work.

The Portsmouth South MP added: ‘Ensuring freedom of navigation in the Middle East is vital to the future prosperity of the UK and our allies around the world.’

Defender is now expected to spend a period in Portsmouth Naval Base to undergo routine post-deployment maintenance.