Dunkirk style evacuation ends in confusion

[Begbie]

Fury at Brown as Royal Navy Rescue descends into chaos
Wednesday, 21 April 2010 05:46 |

There was increasing anger tonight at the chaos and confusion that has engulfed the heavily publicised ‘Royal Navy rescue’ of British holidaymakers stranded abroad.

An announcement by Gordon Brown on Monday suggested that British warships were on their way to foreign ports in readiness for a Dunkirk style ‘sea lift’ of thousands of stranded air passengers.

However plans to send HMS Ark Royal and HMS Ocean to evacuate stranded travellers from Calais were abandoned after French officials pointed out that the terminal was not equipped for naval vessels.

One senior Calais port official called the plan to send warships to Calais “nuts,” and added “It’s a push but the ferries are managing fine.”
There was further embarrassment for Gordon Brown after it emerged that Sir Peter Warmcott, Britain’s Ambassador to France, had downgraded the plans for a naval rescue to “an option” and advised travellers to head to Calais and take a ferry instead.

Both HMS Ark Royal and HMS Ocean are apparently still in British waters and said to be “making use of their time” by carrying out routine exercises and preparations for future deployments.

The Foreign office and the BBC also came in for heavy criticism following claims that people had been advised to travel to Spanish port Santander in the belief that HMS Albion would transport them back to the UK. However the ship had places for only 50 extra people after the planned passengers had boarded - many people had turned up were left abandoned.

Fury at Brown as Royal Navy Rescue descends into chaos

[FlyFree]

Sweet.

[panama hat]

Surely this is Thailand News , , , no?

[PaddyGreen]

No so much L O Sailor as bye bye matelot