Flame Delivered Job Done – Royal Marine Martyn Williams abseiled from a Fleet Air Arm SEA KING HC.4 helicopter of the Commando Helicopter Force from Yeovilton and delivering the Olympic Flame to the Tower of London, amid much media coverage, at the start of its last stage of its long journey to the games.     The helicopters of 845 and 846 Squadrons, Fleet Air Arm provided the rotary power for this event.   The flame started this leg of its journey at Guildford (Surrey) and was greeted by big crowds on a summer evening on the banks of the Thames and on Tower Bridge, all covered by impressive live television coverage.     The first 9½ tonne helicopter manoeuvred into a 60ft low hover above Tower Wharf, allowing four (4) Royal Marines Commandos from the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone (Poole) to fast rope from the cargo door to the ground and mark the area for the second helicopter which came into a hover at 180ft just moments later to allow the dramatic abseil.   Various dignitaries were of course present and after the handover two torchbearers carried the flame around the Tower of London, and at the Jewel House, eight State Trumpeters from the Band of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment played a dramatic fanfare before the flame was handed to the Constable of the Tower of London, where it remained overnight for safe keeping.   

It was the rotary power of 771 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm with their SEA KING HAR.5s that in May 2012 had carried the flame to Lands End at the start of what had become a quite increditable and successful national event.

Earlier when passing through Greenwich eighteen (18) sailors from the Helicopter Carrier OCEAN lined the waterfront to applaud the torch bearer (yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston who is also an honorary Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve) carrying the flame past the newly restored Clipper CUTTY SARK as a Fleet Air Arm LYNX HM.8 flew overhead.