HMS Cumberland's final return to Devonport in Plymouth

[The Dragon Master]

HMS Cumberland has returned to her home port of Plymouth after her final deployment.



Friends and family standing on the cliff-top at Devil's Point welcomed back the crew who helped evacuate refugees from Libya to Malta.



The vessel, nicknamed fighting sausage, left Devonport naval base on 30 September 2010.



In December, the government announced that four Type 22 frigates including HMS Cumberland were to be scrapped.



She is the latest warship due to be decommissioned under the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR).



Due to return for decommissioning in early 2011, HMS Cumberland's return to the UK was delayed due to the crisis in Libya.



The ship transported more than 450 people from Benghazi in Libya to Malta.



Lt Cdr Jim Bagshaw said: Clearly a lot of people on board had never been on a ship before and the weather was quite atrocious on the passage to Malta.

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-13103657