Opening of 'Ardent' Block - Corporate Squardron 2010

Watched by members of the HMS Ardent Association and cadets from TS Ardent, the 1982 Commanding Officer of HMS Antelope, our sister ship lost in the Falklands conflict, unveiled a commemorative plaque on Thursday 27 May 2010 to mark the formal opening of HMS Raleigh's new accommodation blocks.


Recorded and produced by Richard Gough

Four new blocks named Antelope, Ardent, Sir Galahad and Conqueror have been built at HMS Raleigh as part of a major upgrade of facilities. The blocks have been named after units which were part of the UK Task Force sent to recover the Falkland Islands in 1982. The operation was codenamed Operation Corporate. To mark the formal opening Captain Nick Tobin, the Commanding Officer of HMS Antelope during the campaign, was invited to unveil a commemorative plaque mounted on a stone brought back from the Falkland Islands. As part of the ceremony, Captain Tobin presented to HMS Raleigh for safe-keeping the original crest recovered from the bridge of HMS Antelope 48 hours after the ship had been sunk. Following tours of the new buildings, Captain Tobin cut a commemorative cake during a reception assisted by trainee Logistician Natalie Skilton, aged 16, the youngest sailor undergoing specialist training at HMS Raleigh.

Ardent and Antelope blocks are home to the trainees of Corporate Squadron who are undergoing their professional training within the Defence Maritime Logistics School, the Royal Navy Submarine School and the Royal Navy School of Seamanship. Conqueror block is the new base for the National Sea Cadet Training Centre and Sir Galahad will be used to accommodate sailors returning to HMS Raleigh for career progression courses.

Ardent and Antelope blocks have been configured with eight person bedrooms, known as mess decks, a significant improvement on the previous accommodation, where sailors slept up to 28 to a mess deck. The Sea Cadets will sleep 12 to a mess deck, while Sir Galahad will accommodate six per mess deck. Each mess deck has its own utility area, common room and bathroom facilities. Offices for instructional staff and a lecture room, complete with state-of-the-art audio visual equipment, are situated on the ground floor of each building.