HMS Dragon and the 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital (Volunteers) who are known as the Welsh Medics are being recommended by Cardiff Council to receive the Freedom of the City.
At next week’s Full Council meeting at City Hall (October 24), a motion will be considered by all members to grant the Freedom of the City to the vessel and its crew, and the volunteers for their services to Cardiff.
Since 1886, only 62 people and 8 organisations have been given the Freedom of the City, the last person being Dame Shirley Bassey in 2012. Freedom of the City can be bestowed on ‘persons of distinction’ and persons who in the opinion of the authority, rendered eminent services to the place or area.
Cardiff Council Leader, Cllr Heather Joyce, said: “I’m extremely pleased that Council will officially consider bestowing the Freedom of the City on HMS Dragon and the Welsh Medics. The men and women who serve on HMS Dragon and in this medical unit are true ambassadors for Cardiff and Wales. By considering making them honorary freeman, we are recognising the contribution they make to Cardiff and reinforcing the strong links they have to the city.
“I am delighted to recommend that HMS Dragon and the Welsh Medics take their place among those distinguished individuals and organisations who have already been granted the honour of the Freedom of the City.”
HMS Dragon, a new T45 Destroyer and the Royal Navy’s newest warship, is proudly affiliated to Cardiff following its commission in Portsmouth in April 2012.
The destroyer sailed for her maiden deployment on 19 March 2013 to the Gulf working closely with other UK and international partners to promote security in the region. HMS Dragon was then repositioned to the Eastern Mediterranean to ensure the protection of UK interests, which includes the defence of our Sovereign Base Areas.
At 7,000 tonnes, HMS Dragon is twice the size of HMS Cardiff, the city’s last affiliated ship and is packed with new technology that will keep her in service for the next 35 years. The city has established strong links with HMS Dragon which has continued under the new Commander of the ship – Ian Lower.
203 (Welsh) Field Hospital (Volunteers) was established in the mid 1990s although there has been Welsh Reserve Hospital elements based out of Cardiff under various names since World War One.
The unit, which is based at the TA centre at Llandaff North, supports the regular army on operations by supplying high quality individual replacements of key medical professionals to Afghanistan and other operational theatres.
The Welsh Field Hospital has deployed personnel in support of many operations including the Falklands Conflict, the Gulf War, the Balkans conflict, the Iraq War and peace keeping in Northern Ireland and Cyprus. The unit recently deployed to Afghanistan and will be returning to Cardiff for their Royal Gun Salute Homecoming in February 2014.
HMS Dragon and its 190-strong crew will also be returning to Cardiff during February 2014.
