Who let him in here? The last thing you need on a submarine is someone prone to leaks.
This picture of Gavin Williamson on board a Trident nuclear submarine was taken two days before he was Gavin Williamson sacked as Tory Defence Minister after Theresa May launches Huawei leak probe
Williamson was given a tour at HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane on Monday to mark the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the UK’s continuous at-sea deterrent.
The Record was also invited along to get an unprecedented glimpse into the submariners’ lives – and everything we publish today is with the blessing of Scotland’s biggest military facility.
Scots on HMS Vigilant revealed what it’s like to spend months underwater with little access to the outside world.
There is no TV, no radio and no internet. The crew receive a daily news sheet and 120-word “familygrams” sent by loved ones – however, they cannot respond.
The Vanguard-class submarines, introduced in 1994, consist of four boats: Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant and Vengeance.
Commodore Bob Anstey, Assistant Chief of Staff Submarines, who has commanded Victorious and
Vengeance, said: “You are not totally disconnected from the outside world.
Gavin Williamson sacked as Tory Defence Minister after Theresa May launches Huawei leak probe
“You can still keep abreast of the news and receive written messages from family.
“People can get good news about the arrival of a new baby but sometimes the captain has to avoid giving personnel bad news while at sea. It can be quite a responsibility.
“The bad news, perhaps about the loss of a loved one, is not broken to them until they are within a day of arriving back.”
The men and women on board say chefs are the key to good morale.
There is space on board for about three months’ worth of grub. A submarine’s crew munch through more than 2200lb of bacon, 7000 sausages, 10,000 eggs, 5000 chocolate bars, 11,000lb of potatoes, 50,000 bread rolls and 3000 tins of beans.
Chef Able Rate Alexander Waugh, 38, a dad of three from Carnoustie, said: “It can get pretty hot in here and we do 12 hours on, 12 hours off for the duration of a patrol. You can be cooking for 120 people, making four meals a day. It is a challenge.
“Pasta bake is a bit of a speciality of mine. Wednesday is curry night; Saturday is steak night.”
The rest of the crew work six hours on, six hours off. That means for the duration of a patrol, they never enjoy a break of more than six hours.
During that down time, they eat, sleep, wash, relax, carry out any administration, study or exercise on a rowing or cycling machine.
Accommodation is tight: nine men share a space just eight feet square, with bunks stacked three high.
Additional crew, such as trainees, are often accommodated in the “bomb shop”, or torpedo room, catching 40 winks in sleeping bags placed on empty torpedo racks.
There’s a sickbay for everyday illnesses and the medical team can perform some operations, using the junior rates’ mess as a theatre.
Should a crew member die on patrol, their body is preserved on board – the mission comes first.
If electronics between parts of the boat should ever fail, there’s an old-school voice pipe – like you see in war films such as The Cruel Sea – to pass on instructions.
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Engineering technician David Thomson, 26, from Glasgow, said: “It can take a while getting used to not having home comforts, like being able to read the Daily Record. After a while, you get used to it. I have been working on here for three-and-a-half years and it has been absolutely fine.
“When you are underwater, it doesn’t make much of a difference – you just get on with your job.”
The MoD is planning to spend about £40billion on four new nuclear-powered submarines – the Dreadnought class – to carry Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons for years to come.
During his visit, Williamson confirmed his “unwavering commitment to keeping the UK safe and secure from intensifying threats”.
He added: “We do not wish to see this asset moving away from the Clyde.”
Even as he spoke, he had no idea he’d be moved away from his office of state within days.
