Honourary Military Appointments
The Royal Fleet Auxillary, United Kingdom
In 2006, HRH The Earl of Wessex became patron of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Association. This involvement was shortly followed by the announcment that h was to became the Commedore-in-chief of the Royal Fleet Auxillary Service (RFA).
The RFA is a civilian manned fleet, owned by the Ministry of Defence. Its main task is to supply warships of the Royal Navy at sea with fuel, food, stores and ammunition which they need to remain operational while away from base. It also provides aviation support for the Royal Navy, together with amphibious support and secure sea transport for Army units and their equipment.
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service was constituted in 1905. It began by carrying coal bunkers and other stores, acquiring a tanker fleet as British warships became oil burning during World War I. The RFA saw service in every naval theatre of operations (from the Arctic to the Pacific) in the Second World War, including the Maltese, Russian and other convoys. Since then it has supported the Royal Navy and the Army in Korea, Suez, Cyprus, Beira, Kuwait, Borneo, Belize, Aden and in the Icelandic Wars. During the Falklands Conflict in 1982, the RFA spearheaded logistic support for the Task Force, losing RFA Sir Galahad to heavy air attack at Fitzroy.
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