‘OUR HEROES!’ TEENAGERS IN NAVY RESCUE

Published: 23 April 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB and PETER GRUNER

JEREMY Corbyn has praised British soldiers for giving up their beds aboard a Royal Navy rescue ship for 32 exhausted young footballers who were stranded abroad.

Mr Corbyn had negotiated with the Foreign Office for the teenagers – including many from St Aloysius’ College, in Hornsey Lane, Archway – to board 570ft warship HMS Albion after they were stuck in Spain by the volcanic ash cloud crisis. 

They slept in sleeping bags donated by ­battle-weary soldiers returning from Afghan­istan after losing a number of their own troops.

Mr Corbyn, Labour parliamentary candidate for Islington North, intends to write to the Ministry of Defence to thank the soldiers who he said “must be going through the most awful grief of coming back from a war and losing very close friends and comrades”.

The 14-year-old boys had flown to Madrid for a four-day football tour with the Dalston-based charity Reach Out last week. 

But they were held up for six days, fast running out of money and becoming desperate after planes were grounded. They finally returned late on Wednesday night – exhausted but delighted to be home.  

Reach Out youth worker Jack Bond, 23 said: “It was phenomenal. The soldiers gave us their own sleeping bags and beds. Some of them slept on the floor with nothing. Someone from the embassy told us they’d lost quite a lot of troops and said if anyone tells us about it by all means talk to them, but be sensitive.”

He added: “The soldiers were on a two-day break in Antwerp when they got a text saying they’ve got four hours to get back onboard. They were unbelievably friendly. I think they were genuinely pleased to see people.”

Mr Bond, who lives in Kentish Town, said the Foreign Office’s initial response was “frankly disappointing”, but that Mr Corbyn had been their saviour.

The boys had the run of the ship and even found themselves in friendly competition with the soldiers.

Mr Bond said: “They did circuit training with the soldiers on deck and played cards with the Navy, but not for money. They played them at the Pro-Evolution computer game but were banned because they were too good. 

We had a boy with a broken leg with us and they helped him on to the bridge so he could hold the wheel. They loved it. I loved it. It was eye-opening. 

“They saw it as an adventure. Being on the ship was the easiest 48 hours of the whole trip. We didn’t have to worry about them on the ship, we had the soldiers there.”

He said the group slept in the well deck, which houses smaller boats – and is usually opened  

up to flood when the boats are sent out to 

sea, adding: “It was 

like in Saving Private Ryan.”

They were given a warm welcome, snacks and full meals.

Mr Bond said: “There was a tuck shop, which was the only thing you had to pay for and the boys took full advantage.” 

Mr Bond, who initially contacted Mr Corbyn to help the group, praised the MP for “moving mountains” to get the boys on the ship, adding: “Jeremy and his staff swung into action. 

They were marvellous and we will always be grateful to him.”

Mr Corbyn said: “I want to really thank the MoD for their help and the individual soldiers who showed real comradeship to those lads, giving them help, support and guidance. 

“It’s to their credit that they behaved so well and I’ll be writing to thank them on behalf of ourselves, the group and Islington. 

“They were absolutely brilliant, well done.”

He added: “I was really pleased with the Foreign Office’s response. The kids were becoming extremely bored stuck in Madrid with money running out. 

“It was becoming more difficult for the support workers to cope with it. They certainly won’t forget this in a hurry. It’s nice when things work out for the best.

“I really admire the charity because they are taking on a lot of good kids who need guidance and support so I was delighted we were able to intervene. In the end the boys had a much greater adventure in adversity.”