Summary: A film showing the many vital roles the Royal Fleet Auxiliary plays in keeping the armed forces going.
Description: RFA vessels move men and supplies to a Norwegian fjord inside the Arctic Circle for NATO exercises.
Round Table Class LSLs (Landing Ship Logistics) RFA Sir Tristram (L.3505) sails up the river Thames after an extensive rebuild. The ship was badly damaged during the Falklands War of 1982. (IWM film ADM 2474 shows Sir Tristram being returned to Portsmouth docks by a Dan Lifter vessel after sustaining the heavy damage in 1982.)
Fleet stores ship RFA Fort Grange (A.385) in a Scottish Loch before going to Norway for the exercise inside the Arctic Circle. Other vessels int he Task Group are (L.3004), (A.385), (D.87), (R.05), RFA Sir Percivale (L.3036), (F.169), (A.385), (A.124) Olmeda.
RFA officers undergo training in the colleges that are used for a wide variety of topics affecting future officers in the service.
Rover Class small fleet tanker RFA Black Rover (A.273) replenishing Type 22 frigate HMS Cumberland (F.85) with fuel on the way to an exercise in American waters.
Aviation training ship RFA Argus (A.135) saw over 24,000 visitors tour her during the Open Day in August 1991.
The launching of combined fleet stores ship and tanker RFA Fort George (A.388).
The LSL RFA Sir Galahad (L.3005) loading up with Challenger tanks in readiness for Operation Granby. (Note that this is the vessel commissioned in as a replacement for the original Sir Galahad, badly damaged during the Falklands War and later sunk as an official war grave out at sea).
Aviation training ship RFA Argus (A.135) was converted into a floating hospital administering primary medical care during the Gulf War of 1991. The ship later went to Turkey to assist in relief operations helping Kurdish refugees. RFA Argus was initially an Italian container ship called MV Contender Bezant until launched as an RFA vessel in 1988.
Fleet stores ship RFA Fort Grange (A.385) helped the victims of the Bangladesh monsoon immediately after completing its duties in the Gulf War of 1991, later moving for a brief rest and training in Charleston, Carolina, America. The Task Group RFA Fort Grange was deployed in then moved to the West Indies before making their way back to home seas. In May 2000 the ship would be renamed Fort Rosalie (A.385) to avoid confusion with RFA Fort George (A.388).
