As a final tribute from the Royal Navy to a ship that had sailed in its support in the Falklands War, the QE2 was escorted by HMS Manchester, a Type 42 frigate,when she sailed up the Clyde to Greenock yesterday (October 5th).

This was a fitting honour for a ship that has carried the pride of the nation in her commercial life and its servicemen when she was – in naval terms – STUFT (Ship Taken Up From Trade), to act as a troopship running to and from the South Atlantic and, with great courage, mostly unescorted. Also fittingly for the country’s flag carrier, the two ships together represented four of the UK’s major cities: Glasgow, where the QE2 was built; Southampton her home port; Portsmouth, the home port of the Manchester; and Manchester itself, her affiliate city.

And there was a personal connection on the day between the navy, the QE2 and the Falklands conflict. Royal Navy Warrant Officer Bill Parry, about to retire from service, was there to say his own goodbye to the liner. His ship, HMS Antelope, was sunk in that war 26 years ago and he was one of many Falklands veterans repatriated by the Cunard liner.

HMS Manchester is one of four of the third batch of Type 42 destroyers built on the back of lessons learned from the Falklands. The appalling attrition rate on British ships in that war revealed many problems in the design and construction of the day. Their aluminium hulls – like that of the tragic Sir Galahad bombed in San Carlos Water – were very vulnerable to fire but had been chosen to allow as much as possible of the budget for their commission to be spent on ‘topside’ – weaponry. Several of her sister Type 42s served in the Falklands conflict and Manchester is a capable warship of a type still providing the core of the navy’s current fleet air defence 26 years later.

Manchester will complete the cycle of her connections with the QE2 when, in January 2009, she heads for the South Atlantic to carry out maritime patrols around the Falklands.

Nothing could upstage the QE2 and her escort on the day but she was nevertheless upstaged in the following day’s media. The focus then was on the accounts of television presenter, Muriel Gray and her family having their motor cruiser sink beneath them in the middle of the Clyde as they sailed to see the great ships up close. (And yes, we reported that first too – but we’re making up for that now.)

Manchester – fresh from escorting the QE2 on this last emotional visit to her birthplace, has already joined 28 other warships for the biggest military exercise to take place in Europe this year. Over two weeks from 4th October thousands of sailors, airmen and soldiers will train across the length and breadth of Britain. Eight NATO and allied countries will join with the UK in Exercise Joint Warrior – including 29 ships, four submarines and one hundred fast jet sorties a day for the next two weeks. Time for the earmuffs.

Scotland, the Borders and Wales will see most of the action and consultations have taken place with land owners, fishermen, tourist bosses, farmers and environmentalists to make sure that the needs of communities and of the exercise can be mutually accommodated.