Show onboard HMS Dauntless

31st October 2012

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The British Forces Foundation helped to welcome home the crew of HMS Dauntless in style after a seven-month voyage circumnavigating the Atlantic Ocean.

On the eve of their return to the home port of Portsmouth Naval Base, The BFF flew out to ship and put on a fantastic show for all those onboard.

BFF Founder and Trustee Jim Davidson OBE was joined by comedian Bobby Davro, singer Claire Sweeney and radio presenter Mike Osman for a wonderful evening's entertainment. Bobby Davro said: ''It was fantastic, a privilege and a honour. It is an amazing warship and the crew are fantastic.''

The BFF party stayed onboard for HMS Dauntless's arrival into Portsmouth the following day to the sight of hundreds of family members lining the quayside to welcome the crew home, and a flypast by two Typhoon jets.

The Type 45 destroyer has clocked up 30,000 miles on its maiden voyage, visiting 18 countries across four continents carrying out security patrols, counter piracy and counter drugs operations and multinational exercises.

Starting with Portugal, HMS Dauntless went on to visit the Cape Verde Islands, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Angola and South Africa.

Following a short routine patrol of the Falklands Islands, the warship headed up to the Caribbean where it visited Colombia, took part in a multinational exercise and was on standby to support potential humanitarian disaster relief operations during the peak of the hurricane season. Dauntless then spent time in the United States before heading home.