Royal Navy support ship receives warm welcome on UK return after three-year deployment

RFA Mounts Bay been away for more than 1,000 days – over half of them at sea – having clocked up nearly 90,000 miles and visited 32 different ports. The ship received a warm welcome as she arrived in Portland, Dorset.

The ship first arrived in the region in the autumn of 2017 as part of Operation Ruman, the UK's military response to the devastation wrought by hurricanes Irma and Maria.

During a 33-day period, Mounts Bay and her team of sailors, soldiers and airmen from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Army Royal Logistics Corp was responsible for providing life-saving aid and support to thousands.

The start of September 2019 again witnessed Mounts Bay teams being called upon to provide essential Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief at Grand Bahama following the destruction left by hurricane Dorian.

The Category 5 hurricane ripped through the islands with wins of 185mph, the worst natural disaster in the country's history.

Mounts Bay delivered and distributed more than 200 tonnes of water, food, medical supplies, shelter kits and hygiene kits to the worst affected areas of Great and Little Abaco islands.

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