Royal Navy: Portsmouth ship HMS Tamar hosts delegates and royalty in Tonga on diplomatic mission

HMS Tamar is on her latest leg of her Pacific patrol mission. The UK has long-standing ties with the archipelago, which was named as “the friendly islands” by Captain James Cook after his warm reception 250 years ago.

The patrol vessel’s sister ship, HMS Spey, supported Tonga during the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai underwater volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami in January 2022. HMS Tamar visited the capital of Nuku’alofa, where she hosted their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess on two separate occasions.

At the second ceremony, Tonga’s Princess Royal, her husband Lord Tuita, civilian and military leaders were all in attendance for a demonstration conducted by sailors. Members of Tonga’s Legislative Assembly and regional Commonwealth partners were also greeted by the crew, with Women in Uniform and school groups getting tours of the gangway.

Royal Navy personnel painted shipping containers used by the Tongan Red Cross Society for disaster relief supplies and revamped a run-down building at Tonga National Visual Impairment Association - fixing the roof, fitting new doors, external cladding and installing a brand new kitchen.

Petty Officer Callum Frogley, who led the overhaul, said: “We all really enjoyed this amazing opportunity to help these wonderful people. We were asked to fix the roof, but on Tamar we like to go the extra mile, so we did that, and rebuilt the kitchen and dining area to give them a family space to enjoy meals together and fixed up the outside. Thank you to everyone involved – without their help we could not have reached the goal we set out to achieve in just 48 hours. The Visual Impairment Association has our very best wishes and thanks for allowing us into their home and trusting in our skills.”

Feofaaki Leka, the homeowner and project manager, was fulsome in her praise of the visiting sailors. “We are so grateful to the crew of HMS Tamar for taking the time to come here and help us. I can’t put into words how we felt the first time we saw the house and moved in 18 months ago,” she said. “Now, after HMS Tamar, it’s a joyful place. The happiness of seeing the transformation means so much to us. It’s beautiful for the children – to sit down and enjoy mealtimes together for the first time. It’s a place we can now call home and enjoy all that you have done for us. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts.”

British High Commissioner to Tonga, Her Excellency Lucy Joyce OBE, added: “The visit by the Royal Navy demonstrates the enduring strength of our relationship and the importance the UK places on its partnership with Tonga and the Pacific region. We are able to showcase HMS Tamar to many of our partners here – progressing key shared objectives on climate change, defence and inclusion while also focusing on some of the next generation of Tongans with several school groups visiting the ship.”

The visit to Tonga is between two patrol periods in and around Fiji for HMS Tamar. The patrol ship has been working with island authorities and the Royal New Zealand Navy to deal with the threat of illegal fishing. Lieutenant Colonel Sophie Waters, the United Kingdom’s Defence Advisor to Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, said: “The ambition and scope of HMS Tamar’s programme in Tonga has led to a superb range of engagements, and some memorable opportunities for the crew.”

“The finale of departing Nuku’alofa’s palm fringed shores in company with a navy vessel of His Majesty’s Armed Forces visually symbolises the significance of the defence engagements between the UK and Tonga and our desire to drive forward maritime security cooperation in the region.”