The very fine and extremely rare South Atlantic 1982 Aircraft Carrier operations, and Fleet Clearance Diving Team 1984 “Mines of August” Mine Clearance - Gulf of Suez and Kuwait 1991 and long service group awarded to Leading Seaman A.R. Turner, Royal Navy. Originally with the Missile Branch, he was aboard the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Invincible and was present with her during the Falklands War in the South Atlantic in 1982. Having then transferred to the Clearance Diving Branch not too long after the Falklands War had ended, he became one of only 250 recipients of the ‘Mine Clearance - Gulf of Suez’ clasp to the Campaign Service Medal, having formed part of Naval Party 1019 in Operation Harling during the mine clearance operations in the Gulf of Suez between 15 August and 15 October 1984. The 1984 “Mines of August” crisis in the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez resulted from the presence in shipping lanes of previously undetected mines which in rapid succession caused damage to 20 commercial vessels. Libya was identified as the culprit in the matter. Latterly he was one of 25 men of the Fleet Diving Unit who helped clear the waterways at Kuwait in the period from 8th March to 30th September 1991, for which he was further awarded the scarce ‘Kuwait’ clasp to the Campaign Service Medal. In helping locate and clear many of the 1,100 mines left by the Iraqis, the 25 men of the Fleet Diving Unit, initially had Iraqi maps that ‘made easier the job of sweeping a safe channel into the Kuwaiti port of Ash Shuaiba and then their main priority was to clear the harbour. But the job was being made more hazardous by thick black oil pouring out from fractured pipelines which.. drastically reduced underwater visibility, sometime to only 1 metre.’
Group of 3: South Atlantic Medal 1982 with Rosette; (AB (M) A R TURNER D162604B HMS INVINCIBLE); Campaign Service Medal 1962, 2 Clasps: Mine Clearance - Gulf of Suez, Kuwait, second clasp loose on ribbon; (AAB (D) A R TURNER D162604B RN); Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, EIIR Dei.Grat. bust; (LS (D) A R TURNER D162604B RN), mounted swing style as worn.
Condition: Good Very Fine or better.
Able Seaman (Missile) (No.D162604B) A.R. Turner, Royal Navy, originally saw service with the Missile Branch aboard the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Invincible and was present aboard her during the Falklands War in the South Atlantic On 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. Three days later, a naval task force headed by Invincible and Hermes left HMNB Portsmouth bound for the South Atlantic. On 20 April, the UK government formally ordered its defence forces to bring the islands back under British control. Along with eight Sea Harriers, Invincible's air group included twelve Sea King helicopters that were slightly larger than the ship had originally been designed to accommodate. Small machine guns were added around the flight deck and island for close-in defence.
On 23 April, while en route from Ascension Island to the Falklands, Invincible mistakenly locked her Sea Darts on a VARIG Brazilian Airlines DC-10 rather than on the Argentine Air Force Boeing 707 that had been monitoring the fleet's movements. The previous day, Task Group Commander Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward had sought permission from Commander-in-Chief Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse to shoot down the 707 as he believed its activity indicated a raid would be launched from the Argentine aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo. As the 707 would be no direct threat to the fleet, Woodward ordered Weapons Tight and the continued tracking of the aircraft's course while a Sea Harrier was dispatched to investigate. The Harrier pilot reported that "it was a Brazilian airliner, with all the normal navigation and running lights on."
On 30 May, two Dassault-Breguet Super Étendards, one carrying Argentina's last remaining air-launched Exocet, accompanied by four A-4C Skyhawks each with two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs, took off to attack Invincible. Argentine intelligence had sought to determine the position of the carriers from analysis of aircraft flight routes from the task force to the islands. However, the British had a standing order that all aircraft conduct a low level transit when leaving or returning to the carriers to disguise their position. This tactic compromised the Argentine attack, which focused on a group of escorts 40 miles south of the main body of ships. When one of the Super Étendards detected a large target on radar, the Exocet was launched, and the Super Étendards turned for Argentina, while the Skyhawks followed the Exocet, which soon passed out of sight. Two of the attacking Skyhawks were shot down by Sea Darts fired by HMS Exeter, with HMS Avenger claiming to have shot down the missile with her 4.5" gun (although this claim is disputed). No damage was caused to any British vessels. During the war, Argentina claimed to have damaged the ship and continues to do so to this day, although no evidence of any such damage has been produced or uncovered. On 1 June, the Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, advised the British government that the sale of Invincible to Australia could be cancelled if desired. In July 1983, a year after the end of the Falklands conflict, the Ministry of Defence announced that it had withdrawn its offer to sell Invincible so it could maintain a three-carrier force.
Turner then qualified as a naval diver and switched to the Clearance Diving Branch not too long after the Falklands War had ended. As an Acting Able Seaman he formed part of Operation Harling during the mine clearance operations in the Gulf of Suez between 15 August and 15 October 1984. The 1984 “Mines of August” crisis in the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez resulted from the presence in shipping lanes of previously undetected mines which in rapid succession caused damage to 20 commercial vessels. Libya was identified as the culprit in the matter, Maritime insurance rates rose sharply and the safe movement of international shipping through this critical waterway was jeopardised. A joint Royal Navy / United States Navy effort cleared the mine threat and the safe movement of shipping was normalised. In all only 250 Royal Navy officers and ratings and including some Merchant Navy men, gained entitlement to the clasp: ‘Mine Clearance - Gulf of Suez’ to the Campaign Service Medal 1962, one of those being Turner.
At the outbreak of these operations, the mine-hunters Bissington (Lieutenant G.P. Johnson), Brinton (Lieutenant N.J. Ford), Gavinton (Lieutenant N.A. Bruen), Kirkliston (Lieutenant D.R. Long), and Witton (Lieutenant S.D. McAlear), and the support vessel MV Oil Endeavour had been on exercise in the Mediterranean. The naval vessels then formed Task Group 321.3, whilst MV Oil Endeavour formed Task Group 321.1. The Fleet Clearance Diving Team who supported these vessels formed what was known as Naval Party 1019. The vessels had been exercising since April. and with the exception of the Witton, the remaining vessels departed from Taranto on 9 August. The Witton followed on after her crew came back from ships leave. The entire force was commanded by Commender John Porter. The force stopped for a hectic half day off Akrotiri to pick up stores and fuel, and then passed through the Suez Canal during the night of 14 August just before a squadron of French MCMVs.
After arrival at Adabiya, the naval base in Suez Bay, degaussing and acoustic ranges were set up in the harbour by one member of each of the Ministry of Defence degaussing teams from Plymouth, Portland and Portsmouth. Trisponder precise navigating stations were established along the coast to enable the mine-hunters to fix position at any time during the operations. By 17 August, with the force now led by Commander Tony Chilton, the first ships were on task operating at the top of the Gulf of Suez in an area of 150 square miles and covering the shipping routes. The Witton, previously left behind at Taranto, arrived on 29 August to complete the group. The ships were supported by the Fleet Clearance Diving Team, which in addition to giving diving support whilst standing by for mine investigation, had set to work a new piece of kit for the Royal Navy known as the Sea Owl. This Swedish vessel, operated from the surface by means of a long umbilical cable using joystick controls on a portable console in a mine hunter. This was described as the “poor man’s PAP104” - the type fitted in the Hunt class - it had a searchlight and a low-light TV which could take video film of underwater objects.
Adabiya had no recreational facilities and the only break for the ship’s companies were bus trips into Suez and an occasional tour and lunch in Cairo by courtesy of the Egyptian Navy. However, with a cycle of four days at sea, followed by 24 hours in harbour, then four more days at sea and three days in harbour, there was little opportunity for the ships, or Naval Party 1015 supporting them, to bemoan the absence of bars or shops. It was hoped that time would allow more ambitious tours to Luxor and Aswan, and meanwhile the British Embassy staff in Cairo were helping enthusiastically with a sweepstake which raised money for a sports trophy and with a barbecue in Cairo on 22 September. For its support ship role, MV Oil Endeavour was converted from an oil rig vessel to provide storing facilities for all the small ships’ needs. For a further account and images of the operations, see Navy News from September 1984 and again from October 1984.
At least two men were decorated for these operations, with Fleet Chief Petty Officer (D) Terence Settle being awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal and Petty Officer (D) Raymond Rowlands being awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct. Both men were instrumental in defusing a previously unknown type of Soviet mine when it was recovered from the Gulf of Suez. The unknown Soviet mine was found on 12 September, and removed by remote means into 13 metres of water. There, over the next two weeks, Settle dived on it repeatedly, eventually separating the instrument section from the main charge. Rowlands acted as his safety back-up and assistant. At the outset it was assumed that anti-handling devices were fitted and that the mine was armed. This did not deter the divers and, stats the citation: ‘despite the very high risk, they bravely continued the render-safe procedures, and on each occasion there was a risk of making the mine more dangerous and sensitive.’ it was the first time that underwater procedures had been conducted since the Second World War, and the operation enabled Britain to gain valuable intelligence.
Turner would deploy again with the Fleet Clearance Diving Team during operations in the Persian Gulf that centred on Kuwait in the aftermath of the war during the period 8th March to 30th September 1991. For these operations he would gain the scarce ‘Kuwait’ clasp to be added to his Campaign Service Medal 1962 with clasp ‘Mine Clearance - Gulf of Suez’.
Shortly before the Allied ground offensive on 24th February 1991, which marked the beginning of the Gulf War, the Iraqi troops set fire to hundreds of Kuwait’s oil wells creating an unprecedented ecological disaster. As thousands of Kuwaiti refugees who had fled the war returned to their homes, the extent of the damage from invasion, looting and war became evident. The clearance of booby traps, sea and land mines, unexploded Iraqi and Allied explosive ordnance, restoration of infrastructure and graves registration were amongst many priority tasks in which British Forces Middle East (Forward), British Forces Kuwait and their sub units were involved.
The Navy News would further report on the hazards faced by the men of the Fleet Clearance Diving Team during this operation. ‘In the new front line, helping locate and clear many of the 1,100 mines left by the Iraqis, are 25 men of the Fleet Diving Unit in Portsmouth. Iraqi maps made easier the job of sweeping a safe channel into the Kuwaiti port of Ash Shuaiba and then their main priority was to clear the harbour. But the job was being made more hazardous by thick black oil pouring out from fractured pipelines which, as well as taking a heavy toll on equipment, has drastically reduced underwater visibility, sometime to only 1 metre.’ The commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Mike Leaney, would state that ‘his men are literally employing a finger-tip search through the murky waters, locating mines tethered to the seabed. “Divers are trained to identify mins using only their hands - and in the polluted waters of the harbour where visibility is very poor you have to ensure you use the gentle touch!” The three diving units, Alpha, Bravo and Charlie, began operating in the Gulf from January 1991. When hostilities broke out, Alpha and Bravo combined forces in RFA Sir Galahad whilst Charlie embarked in RFA Diligence. Working within sight and sound of the Allied bombardment of Kuwait they were aided by helicopters of 826 Squadron, who dropped divers into the sea to dispose of moored and floating mines. During this phase 17 mines were cleared and an unknown type of ground mine was located and recovered from the seabed.
Turner had been promoted to Leading Seaman by the time he was awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
