HMS Pembroke, one of the Royal Navy’s seven Sandown-class Mine Counter-Measures Vessels, will be visiting Pembrokeshire this weekend, with the public being allowed to tour the ship for free.

The vessel will be in Pembroke Port on Saturday, May 28, where members of the public will be allowed to access the upper deck and see some of the equipment onboard.

Since its 1997 launch, HMS Pembroke has completed more than 2,500 nautical miles, weighing at 485 tonnes, with a length of 52.5m.

A spokesperson from the Royal Navy said: “HMS Pembroke is part of the Royal Navy’s ongoing mission to keep the global sea lines of communication open for trade, thereby securing the UK’s access to fuel, energy and consumer goods such as cars and clothing.”

“The crew of HMS Pembroke is made up of highly trained Mine Warfare Specialists and Mine Clearance Divers, as well as engineers, officers and chefs.”

Western Telegraph: HMS Pembroke in the distanceHMS Pembroke in the distance

The ship was designed for seeking out and destroying mines, with one of her most successful missions being the finding of a Russian mine from the First World War.

During the mission off the coast of Lithuania, she deployed a remote underwater vehicle to dive down and positively identify the object, before Royal Navy mine clearance divers took to the water to get rid of the 100-year-old mine.

The vessel is actually the eighth HMS Pembroke of the Royal Navy, with the original being launched in 1665, before being lost in a collision 12 years later.

The fate of future vessels of the same name included being captured by the French in 1709, becoming shipwrecked off the West Indies in 1749 or being sold in 1905.

MORE NEWS

This Saturday, people will be able to go aboard HMS Pembroke as it arrives in Pembroke Port, where people can see its weapons and systems.

Furthermore, attendees will be able to talk to some of the ship’s company, who represent the Royal Navy in several sports, speak many different languages and play various musical instruments aboard.

Booking is essential to go on board HMS Pembroke, and can be done via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hms-pembroke-ship-tour-tickets-347309109897

Western Telegraph: HMS Pembroke. Picture: Martin Cavaney PhotographyHMS Pembroke. Picture: Martin Cavaney Photography