The identity of a female officer accused of having sex on board a nuclear-armed submarine has been revealed.
HMS Vigilant was submerged in the North Atlantic when reports of two high-ranking submarine officials having sexual relations with two different women emerged – something which is forbidden between serving personnel on the same vessel.
It has emerged one of those women is believed to be Sub-Lieutenant Rebecca Edwards, who led a Remembrance Day service in Glasgow just 11 months ago, as some of her comrades threatened to resign over the sex scandal.
Sub-Lieutenant Rebecca Edwards, Assistant Weapons Engineering Officer on HMS Vigilant, has been accused of having a sexual relationship with one of her comrades on board a submarine
Sub-Lieutenant Rebecca Edwards, pictured centre, leads a Remembrance Day ceremony last year
Five officers on board the submarine have threatened to quit amid the reports Stuart Armstrong, 41, commanding officer of the Vanguard-class submarine HMS Vigilant, was sexually involved with an officer.
The incident came to light after a member of the crew alerted senior officials at the vessel’s base in Faslane, near Glasgow, and Armstrong has since been relieved of his duties.
The allegations sparked anger among crew members and when their boat completed its patrol and docked in the US, a source told The Times a handful wanted to hand in their notice.
Armstrong’s second-in-command Lieutenant Commander Michael Seal has also been suspended amid the claims, according to The Sun, who also named Sub-Lieutenant Edwards – Assistant Weapons Engineering Officer on HMS Vigilant – as one of the women involved.
HMS Vigilant is one of four British nuclear-armed Vanguard submarines on active patrol which provide protection to the UK in case of a nuclear war.
Stuart Armstrong (pictured) has been suspended from his post after an alleged affair with a female junior officer
Five crew members on board HMS Vigilant have threatened to resign following allegations of sexual relations between two leading male officers
A Navy source told The Times: ‘A group of officers threatened to resign as soon as the boat reached the US and the CO and XO were then relieved of their command.’
Another source added: ‘The trouble is with something of this magnitude it can destroy the camaraderie that goes with the officer corps. The code was put there specifically to stop this happening.’
It was only six years ago that a ban preventing female officers serving on submarines was lifted.
Armstrong has only been in charge of HMS Vigilant since February this year after serving on HMS Artful from December 2015.
A Royal Navy spokesman said the incident had not affected submarine operations.
He said: ‘We can confirm an investigation is underway, but it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.
‘Any allegations of wrongdoing are taken very seriously and will be dealt with appropriately.’