[jambutty]

When this episode is finally resolved and I feel that it could be some time yet, and we get our troops back will it be quietly forgotten to protect the higher ranking officers? Or will someone still ask the question why were HMS Cornwall 8 miles away from the boarding party and why didn’t someone see the Iranian gunboats approaching? After all the ship was patrolling in what to all intents and purposes is a war zone so it should have been at a readiness one step down from full action stations. Even if the ship were at cruising watch all radar would still have been operating.

If an old battle class destroyer like HMS Alamein which I served on back in the fifties could see aircraft at over 100 miles away and small boats at over 50 miles away, a modern frigate like HMS Cornwall should have seen the Iranian gunboats long before they were in a position to ‘arrest’ our sailors and marines.

The thought also occurs – will the 15 captured sailors and marines still get paid for the days they were prisoners? Or will it be like during the last war when British prisoners did not get paid whilst in captivity?