Long career of HMS Lancaster comes to an end

34-GUN SALUTE FOR 34 YEARS OF SERVICE

- By CARL EVE

A PLYMOUTH-based Royal Navy warship has arrived in Bahrain for the final time, ending one of the busiest and longest careers of any major British warship.

Flying her paying-off pennant - a ribbon-like White Ensign whose length reflects her 34 years of service - as she sailed into harbour, HMS Lancaster was greeted by a 34-gun salute and the Band of His Majesty's Royal Marines from HMS Collingwood in Fareham providing the appropriate musical accompaniment.

The 4,500-tonne warship powered down her engines after completing 4,097 days at sea and travelling 816,000 nautical miles - equivalent to 37.5 times around the world or almost two return trips to the Moon.

Launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the Clyde in 1990 and named after the Duke of Lancaster - a title held by the monarch - HMS Lancaster was commissioned into the Royal Navy in May 1992.

The late Queen remained a frequent visitor throughout the ship's service, attending key milestones and private visits. Her Majesty's sponsorship helped ensure Lancaster regularly made headlines, most notably in 2014 when she posed with nearly 200 sailors in a famous photograph on the ship's bow.

Based in Portsmouth for the vast majority of her career before transferring to Plymouth, HMS Lancaster spent her final three years operating from the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain, where she proved to be exceptionally effective on operations.