RFA Lyme Bay and her crew rolled into St George’s yesterday where they unloaded equipment and ammunition supplies for the Bermuda Regiment.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, which is equipped with a Lynx helicopter, is only on the Island for a three-day rest and relaxation break. But thanks to the Regiment’s close links with the Ministry of Defence the amphibious landing vessel also brought in a range of supplies for the Regiment.

Bermuda Regiment Adjutant Major Ben Beasley said Lyme Bay was carrying a variety of stores and equipment for the Island’s armed service, including blank shells for the ceremonial field guns, pyrotechnics and ammunition.

He added: “These things are difficult to ship using civilian vessels and the Ministry of Defence kindly agreed to transport the materials to us at no cost to Bermuda.

“Our relationship with the UK’s Ministry of Defence has grown stronger over the past few years and this is just one way the UK’s Armed Services are assisting and supporting us with our particular national security requirements.”

Lyme Bay is designed to be able to deliver a major fighting force of troops, vehicles, stores and ammunition anywhere in the world.

She is one of a fleet of four “Bay Class” ships and entered service with the RFA in 2007.

The vessel has seen action in the Persian Gulf and as part of a counter piracy force in Somalia.

In 2010 the vessel sailed for Haiti just after the earthquake with supplies for rebuilding aboard including a large quantity of corrugated iron from Britain.