Wrexham sailor Lee Williams, is taking part in a NATO winter military exercise in the Arctic Circle off Norway.
Lee, known as Bungy in the Navy, is a Leading Marine Engineering Technician serving aboard the Plymouth-based flagship HMS Bulwark.
Lee (26), a former pupil of Borras Park Junior School and St David’s High School, in Wrexham, joined the Royal Navy in 2002. Lee said: “After leaving school I joined the Royal Navy to get some life-experience and learn a trade whilst travelling the world.”
Lee joined HMS Bulwark two years ago and has worked to bring the ship back into the Fleet following a major upgrade period in dock and a year of equipment trials and testing exercises. Sailing in January this year, Lee has visited Kiel, Gdynia, Copenhagen and Oslo en-route to the Arctic. Lee enjoys the travel associated with the Royal Navy and previously spent a year helping protect Diego Garcia, a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, from pirates and poachers.
Lee’s present assignment sees him as a marine engineer in charge of the maintenance and running of one of HMS Bulwark’s four Royal Marine amphibious landing craft. HMS Bulwark is the Royal Navy’s high-readiness assault ship. The landing craft are key to the landing of troops, vehicles and equipment on a beach for an amphibious landing.
After this cold weather exercise Lee and HMS Bulwark will take part in another multinational exercise off the North West coast of Scotland. In contrast, in the summer they will support Dorset Police security operation for the Olympic Games yachting in Portland, Weymouth.
