YEOVILTON LIFE: Home for Christmas

A LYNX helicopter crew from RNAS Yeovilton has arrived home this week in time for Christmas after seven months away on deployment with HMS Defender.

The Lynx Mk 8 helicopter celebrated her 35th birthday while onboard and has been embarked on the Type 45 Destroyer since departing Portsmouth at the beginning of June this year to be engaged in patrols in the Gulf as part of Operation Kipion.

PHOTO – TOP: Amy and Matthew Wilson.

PHOTO – RIGHT: Lt Chris Rebbeck and wife Natasha.

Families welcomed back their loved ones at Yeovilton just in time for the Christmas celebrations.

Natasha Rebbeck, wife of flight pilot Lieutenant Chris Rebbeck, said: “I have missed him it’s been hard but I’ve tried to keep busy.

“This is Chris’s first long deployment and I’m so please to have him back home in time for Christmas. Last year he got called away at short notice on the 19 December so was away for Christmas and New Year.”

Amy Wilson, wife of Leading Hand Matthew Wilson, added: “It feels lush to have him home we have only been married just over a year so he missed our first wedding anniversary.

“We have managed to keep in regular contact though while he was away so that has helped a lot.”

Miss Adventure and her flight of seven maintainers and three aircrew make up 217 Flight and have worked round the clock during the deployment to maintain a high level of readiness for whatever tasking is given at a moments notice helping to protect our economy, providing security at sea.

PHOTO – ABOVE: The Rebbeck family with Chris, Natasha, dad Geoff, mum Siobhan and Chris’s brother Richard.

PHOTO – ABOVE: Miss Adventure above HMS Defender.

PHOTO – ABOVE: Crew of the 217 Flight and the Commanding Officer of HMS Defender in front of Miss Adventure on her 35th birthday.

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