Royal Navy over Christmas: Here's all the ships based in Portsmouth and further afield on patrol over the festive season

The words of Lieutenant Commander Grahame Flint, executive officer of Portsmouth-based patrol ship HMS Severn, sum up the thoughts of thousands of Royal Navy personnel who are working over the festive period to guarantee the UK’s security

The Portsmouth-based patrol ship is one of several Royal Navy vessels assigned to Operation Isotrope, supporting the Home Office in the Channel, meaning the ship’s company are on call to take her to sea at short notice – even interrupting Christmas dinner.

It’s the second year running that Severn’s gunnery officer William Gunter has been on duty during the festive period.

He hopes that the public will reflect on the sacrifices Service personnel are making on their behalf.

The 28-year-old said: ‘The world is growing evermore unstable and unpredictable.

‘It falls to us in the Armed Forces to maintain protection of the UK 365 days a year, no matter what time of year.’

Royal Navy medics and surgical staff are on duty throughout the festive period, working alongside NHS colleagues at Queen Alexandra Hospitals in Portsmouth and other hospitals across the country.

In the Caribbean, Portsmouth-based HMS Medway is undergoing maintenance in Florida after covering 10,000 miles around the region during hurricane season this autumn.

In the Indo-Pacific, fellow Portsmouth-based patrol vessel HMS Tamar has just completed a visit to Brunei.

In the Mediterranean, HMS Cutlass and Dagger are enjoying their first Christmas on The Rock with the RN Gibraltar Squadron, accompanied by Portsmouth-based patrol ship HMS Trent.

Elsewhere around the world, HMS Spey and her crew spent the holidays in Japan undergoing maintenance, meanwhile elements of 3 Commando Brigade and Commando Helicopter Force are already in the Norwegian Arctic ready for their annual winter training ramping up.

HMS Lancaster is enjoying her first Christmas in Bahrain, having relieved HMS Montrose, while the Gulf-based minehunting force – HMS Bangor, Chiddingfold, Middleton, plus RFA Cardigan Bay– is enjoying a festive break after working around the clock providing security for the World Cup in Qatar.

As the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War draws to a close, HMS Forth has been on patrol around the islands in the South Atlantic, while HMS Protector continues her scientific mission off the Antarctic peninsula.

Back home, HMS Somerset stand ready to respond to any incident in UK waters, supported by Royal Marines, Fleet Air Arm and Royal Fleet Auxiliary as required.