Christmas on patrol with the Royal Navy’s submariners

00:00 08:17

Ali Kefford has narrated this article for you to listen to.

This Christmas, a Royal Navy Trident submarine will be quietly prowling the seas as part of the Continuous At Sea Deterrent mission. She will have slipped out of HM Naval Base Clyde in Scotland in late August. Her location is a secret, known only to a handful of officers aboard. Even the highest ranks of the navy, such as the Chief of Defence Staff and the First Sea Lord, remain unaware of where their ‘bomber’ is. For the rest of the crew, the submarine’s whereabouts are a mystery, with only the temperature of the water against the hull offering them a vague sense of geography.

For more than 50 years, the Silent Service has been safeguarding Britain’s national security, usually unnoticed and unsung. But on Christmas Day, it’s worth remembering those who are far from home, lurking beneath the waves, ensuring our safety.

Navy submariners are a unique breed – wily, resourceful and rebellious. When an admiral once likened them to pirates, they embraced the comparison and began flying the Jolly Roger to mark operational successes, an unofficial tradition that persists to this day. These men and women, referred to as ‘sun dodgers’ by their surface fleet counterparts, live a life like no other, with cramped quarters and long, intense watches.

Once submerged, the ship’s company follows a relentless schedule – six hours on duty, six hours off – around the clock. Roughly one third of the 100 to 135 men and women on board are asleep at any one time. The air inside is thick and fetid. After sea-riding in both attack and deterrent boats, I’ve concluded it’s a disturbing blend of hydraulic oil, sweat and the inevitable flatulence that accompanies a carb-heavy diet in which curry sauce plays a starring role.