A Wirral sailor is returning home today, in time for Christmas, after traveling to the other side of the world and back on the Royal Navy’s largest operational deployment in a generation.

Able Seaman Matthew Bridge, 25, was deployed on the aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy, on her first operational deployment as part of the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group.

The journey began in May with a farewell from Her Majesty the Queen and has seen the task group sail from the Atlantic Ocean, through the Mediterranean, across the Indian Ocean, into the Pacific and back again.

AB Bridge said: “Since I joined in 2017, I have been to Scotland, Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Cyprus have served on Type 23 frigate HMS ST Albans, Type 45 HMS Diamond and currently serving on HMS Queen Elizabeth visiting Guam, Japan and Singapore.

"OP Fortis is my main operation I have been on, involving exercises with Nato countries and Foreign Navies to prove our Interoperability.”

HMS Queen Elizabeth’s operations included launching the first F-35 sorties from the Mediterranean north into the Black Sea, while also sending jets east into Iraq and Syria on 6-7 hour missions in support of Op SHADER and responding to Russian air incursions.

Able Seaman Matthew Bridge grew up in Wallasey and attended Liscard Primary School then The Mosslands School.

His role is an Electronic Warfare rating, where he supervises and compiles the wide-area picture within the operations room so the command has the awareness of what friendly or hostile country vessels/units are around.

In addition, he would act as a boson's mate on the gangway holding the control of entry and exit to and from the ship.

He said: “I'd probably have to say working in the ops room is more favourable as I can gain more knowledge within my current rank and branch.

“I joined the armed forces to become a better person and to travel the world and to visit places I would never think of visiting in my lifetime, which I can say I have done. My uncle was an Air Engineer my greater granddad was a Marine engineer.

"I miss family and my friends, I’ve always been family orientated and with this being my first time away for such a long period of time, it makes you miss everyone a lot more.”

When asked what his plans are for Christmas this year, he added: “Eating lots of food and having fun with the whole family!”

HMS Queen Elizabeth has steamed nearly 48,000 nautical miles, which has taken her to the other side of the world and back again.

The task group has exercised and engaged with over 40 different nations during her time away, including Republic of Korea, Japan, India, Oman and Singapore to name a few, as well as demonstrating the capabilities of the modern Strike Group to other on-looking nations.