This year so far has seen more naval activities than in the whole of 2010, with the first half of this week seeing an exceptional number of movements.

The US nuclear submarine Florida left yesterday after a weekend visit to Gibraltar, but it had already been replaced at the South Mole by HMS Cumberland, fresh from playing a leading role in the evacuation of refugees from Libya, amongst other operations in an action-packed six months.

Cumberland was joined last night by HMS Albion, the first of three ships taking part in Exercise Cougar II, which has been on the planning table for several months. She will be joined today by the frigate HMS Sutherland and the RFA Cardigan Bay.

There is an extra Gibraltar connection with the arrival of the Albion, as AB Lisa Ryan from Gibraltar was aboard as part of the ship’s crew. Nineteen year-old Lisa went straight into the navy from Westside Comprehensive, and the RN arranged for her family to be on a balcony at the Tower to greet her as her ship berthed alongside.

Another point of local interest is that an officer from the Albion was met by his fiancée as they have arranged to be married in the King’s Chapel, before he rejoins his ship for the exercise.

The Albion is a troop and vehicle carrier, and on this occasion it will be carrying around 300 Royal Marines as part of the exercise, with Cardigan Bay carrying a similar number of troops.

The 650 marines celebrated their arrival in Gibraltar by holding a Top-of-the-Rock run, which set off from the Tower at seven o’clock this morning.

The twenty-two year-old Cumberland, which has had an exciting schedule during the six months since it was last in Gibraltar, will not be seen on the Rock again. When it leaves here it will be heading for its home, Devonport (the naval base in Plymouth), from where it will be decommissioned and scrapped.

To mark the occasion, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, commander-in-chief of the fleet, flew to Gibraltar yesterday to join the ship for its final voyage.

In total, four Royal Navy ships were berthed in the naval establishment last night, and arrangements were being made for some school visits to HMS Albion.

Local reporters were given a tour of HMS Cumberland by Lieutenant-Commander James Farrant, from Carshalton near London. He said that it was sad that the ship was to be decommissioned, but added that it was ‘the people that made the ship’ a reference to the 270 male and female sailors and six marines who had worked closely together through many challenges. They will be split up and re-assigned after the ship is decommissioned this summer.

Cumberland was the first British warship to go into Libya, from where it made three trips to Malta carrying a total of 454 people, including 129 Britons. ‘We were a little cautious the first time’, said James, ‘as we simply didn’t know what to expect. But it was all quiet in the port although we could hear gunfire in the distance.’

He said that he found the Libyan authorities to be very cooperative but nonetheless the Royal Marine squad patrolled the jetty to protect the ship and the refugees as they boarded. ‘Everything was done in a calm and controlled way,’ he explained; ‘but also as quickly as possible, as a ship alongside is very vulnerable.’

Asked where the refugees were accommodated on the already full ship, he said that the voyages to Malta, which took up to thirty hours in bad weather, saw the passengers bedded down in the ship’s recreational areas ‘where at least there were carpets on the floor.’ They were provided with blankets, toothbrushes, nappies and other basic requisites, although in the roughest weather some of the crew had to do nappy-changing duty as the parents were too seasick to do anything.

HMS Cumberland leaves Gibraltar for her final voyage this Saturday.