HMS Dragon, the Royal Navy’s advanced Type 45 air defence destroyer, is set to leave its base in Portsmouth imminently and head to Cyprus in order to protect the area from the threat of Iranian attacks.
The ship’s short but strong affiliation with Wrexham was officially marked in May 2024 when dignitaries from Wrexham attended a ceremony at the ships base in Portsmouth to officially pass affiliation from Cardiff to Wrexham.
Since that time HMS Dragon’s crew have been involved in many events in and on behalf of Wrexham, including:
- A visit to the city to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
- Helping to raise money for the poppy appeal and taking part in the Remembrance Sunday parade.
- Receiving Freedom of the City.
Armed Forces Champion, Councillor Beverley Parry-Jones, said: “Some of the crew were in Wrexham as recently as last weekend to play a charity football game against the newly formed Wrexham Military Veterans FC, with the monies raised going towards SANDS charity.
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“On that occasion and on countless other occasions it’s been an absolute pleasure to speak with the brave crew members of HMS Dragon, both men and women who are serving onboard.
“In such a short time, strong bonds have formed between Wrexham and the ship, and I wish the entire crew a safe and successful deployment.”
Councillor Mark Pritchard, Leader of Wrexham Council, said: “The armed forces are there to keep us all safe – they protect freedom of speech and democracy, and in times of war we need to remember how fortunate we are to have them.
“We should also remember that behind every crew member, there will be a family back home who will be worried and praying for their safe return, and our thoughts are with them at this anxious time.
“On behalf of the council and the people of Wrexham, we would like to express our gratitude to all those within the armed forces, and we’ll be following the news on HMS Dragon throughout its deployment and hope to welcome the crew back in Wrexham very soon.”
