16 NAVY NEWS, JUNE 2009
Princess
catches
AArboretum seeks
up with
her ship
THE Princess Royal visited
woworld-class status
Devonport to catch up with the
progress of her ship as it undergoes
WITH visitor numbers having
maintenance.
broken the 300,000 mark, the
HMS Albion is close to the
National Memorial Arboretum
Princess’ heart as she is the
sponsor of the assault ship.
has launched an appeal to step
So despite time being limited,
up to a new level.
the royal guest ensured that her
Plans have been unveiled which
time was well spent as she toured
will transform the 150-acre estate
the vessel and met a fair number
in Staffordshire into a “world-
of her ship’s company.
class centre for remembrance”,
Having been introduced to the
honouring the dead, recognising
ship’s Commanding Officer, Cdr
sacrifice and fostering pride in
John Gardner, the Princess also
the UK.
met senior managers from Babcock
The £8 million NMA Future
Marine, the main contractor
Foundations Appeal will address
behind the £30m project.
some of the issues arising from families of the fallen. Further names are added to the
First stop on the VIP’s tour of
burgeoning visitor numbers, with Other high-profile supporters walls annually (see left).
the ship was the petty officers’
specific projects including the of the initiative, as members of But the Arboretum is not
accommodation, which has been
creation of a new education facility, the National Appeal Council, exclusively dedicated to the
upgraded, and the Princess met
a central space for staging major include former Chief of the military – memorials pay tribute
members of the ship’s company
memorial services, a ‘veterans Defence Staff Admiral the Lord to people from all walks of life,
who spoke of Albion’s most recent
pavilion’ and improvements to the Boyce, actor and screenwriter such as the police, emergency
deployment to West Africa.
existing chapel.
Julian Fellowes, actresses Susan services and the Post Office.
This being Princess Anne’s first
As Prince William officially
Hampshire and Penelope Keith The site, which now claims to
visit in almost a year, she heard
launched the appeal, he also
and film director Lord Puttnam be the main focus for national
how the presidents of Sierra Leone
accepted an invitation to
of Queensgate. remembrance outside London, is
and Nigeria had been hosted
● Engraver Nick Hindle become patron, and spent the
The Arboretum opened in designed to be a living tribute
on board and of the community
adds names to the wall afternoon exploring some of the
2001 on former gravel and sand and a place of peace and
projects ashore which were helped
of the Armed Forces 150 imaginative and thought-
workings which were restored and reflection, with more than 50,000
by Albion’s sailors.
Memorial provoking memorials at the site,
leased out by quarrying company trees maturing in the tranquil
The party then moved on to
near Alrewas, as well as talking to
Lafarge on a peppercorn rent. surroundings beside the River
the junior rates’ dining hall, where Numbers of visitors have now Tame.
the Princess met members of the
Names added to walls
far exceeded targets – original It also embraces all ages, from
Royal Marines Assault Squadron, estimates were in the order of veterans remembering fallen
several of whom have been 60,000 a year. colleagues to schoolchildren
deployed to Afghanistan.
Much of the recent impetus learning about the concepts of
Up on the bridge she met Cdr THE names of 67 Servicemen and women who died The Prime Minister and Defence Secretary made
came from the unveiling of the remembrance and citizenship.
Ian Atkinson and other engineers, in the service of their country have been added to the a commitment in December 2008 to bring the wall
Armed Forces Memorial, a Donations to the appeal can
including those from Babcock, walls of the Armed Forces Memorial at the National home to a fitting resting place in the UK.
spectacular construction of be made through the website
and the royal visitor proved she Memorial Arboretum. And now, with British combat operations in
Portland stone on a raised site at www.thenma.org.uk or by
had done her homework on the
Every spring, over a period of around three weeks, southern Iraq drawing to a close and personnel
the heart of the Arboretum. sending cheques, payable to the
maintenance programme with
the names of those who died on duty or in acts of drawing down from Basra, it has been announced
The memorial was officially National Memorial Arboretum, to
some searching questions.
terrorism are cut into the Portland stone, adding to that the wall will be replicated as closely as possible dedicated by the Queen in The NMA Future Foundations
Among the enhancements to
a growing list of more than 16,000 who have been at the Arboretum, incorporating the marble centre- October 2007 and is the nation’s Appeal Office, 1 Fitzgerald Road,
the ship is a new coat of paint on
lost since 1948. stone of the Basra wall, which is engraved with a tribute to the 16,000 Servicemen Mortlake, London SW14 8HA.
the hull, which should improve
marina PLANS to replicate the Basra Memorial Wall at quotation from the Book of Wisdom. and women who have died while Enquiries should be directed
fuel efficiency as well as being
the National Memorial Arboretum have reached the Work on the foundations of the wall is likely to
more environmentally friendly.
on duty or as a result of an act of to appeal@thenma.org.uk or by
The morning finished with
design stage. start later this year with completion by July 2010. terrorism since 1948. calling 01283 792333.
a series of medal and award
presentations, including a Joint
Commander’s Commendation
to C/Sgt Dave Young RM, who
dragged a wounded marine to
Country plans for big day
safety under fire in Afghanistan
last year.
FINAL preparations are being 16, while Blackpool is really
Ceremony to
made at dozens of venues around pulling out all the stops with a
the UK as the countdown begins packed week-long programme
mark transfer
for Armed Forces Day. from June 20-28, including an
Although Chatham hosts the illuminated tribute.
centrepiece celebration at its June 20 sees a ‘Festival for
SENIOR Service personnel were historic dockyard, as reported in
Heroes’ staged at Blenheim Palace,
amongst those who attended a last month’s edition, major events
while Sheffield and Stirling are
ceremony at the Eden Project in will also be staged at towns and
among the other locations to also
Cornwall to mark the operational cities the length and breadth of
hold their tributes on that date.
transfer of Joint Maritime the UK.
Carrickfergus in Northern
Facility (JMF) St Mawgan to Some of the events kick off in
Ireland has an Armed Forces and
its headquarters in Dam Neck, advance of the big day.
Veterans Week from June 20-27
Virginia. Weymouth, for example, stages
which features a beat retreat and
Advanced technology and cost a week-long programme between
fireworks, while Plymouth and
savings have prompted the move, June 13 and 19, with the focus on with a 1940s Nostalgia Night on Southport both opt for June 22-28
which will see the majority of the Saturday June 13, while an open- Saturday June 13, and events then for their contributions.
300 US Navy and 45 RN and air church service, parade and run through to Armed Forces Day Chesterfield’s Armed Forces
RAF personnel transfer across the vehicle convoy will be drawing the itself. Day will fall on June 24, while
Atlantic while around 100 civilian
crowds the following day. Wick has opted for “a musical
Cardiff has opted for Armed
employees will redeploy to other
Northampton launches its celebration of the Armed Forces”
Forces Day itself, when visitors
jobs in the UK and USA.
own programme of celebrations in the centre of the town on June
to the Welsh capital will be able to
Fly the fl ag
enjoy displays by the RAF Falcons
parachute display team and the COUNCILS, businesses and donating £1 to the Forces
Parachute Regiment’s Red Devils homes across the country Children’s Trust for every £10
HMS DARING TYPE 45
freefall team. have been encouraged to flag sold.
Music will be provided by the show their support for the Every borough, district,
ANTI AIR WARFARE DESTROYER
Central Band of the RAF and the Armed Forces by flying a city and county council in the
Welsh Guards Band, and many of special flag this month. country was offered a free flag
the events will be based around Hundreds of councils have by the MOD, with individual
Replica model, hand cast in white metal, painted and mounted on a wooden
Bute Park. already promised to raise authorities deciding whether
Among the other towns and the flag – shown above – to sign up to receive one.
plinth with brass nameplate. Model measures approx. 8 3/4” long. cities staging events on Saturday at 10.30am on Monday June Every Government
June 27 are Lincoln, Brighton, 22 at the start of a week of department has been
Grimsby and Cleethorpes, celebrations in honour of the encouraged to fly the flag,
Wigan, Ryde, Cromer, Redcar, Services. which should also be seen
£85.00
Carlisle, Chepstow, Doncaster, The design of the flag, in Afghanistan, Gibraltar, the
South Shields, Halifax, Aberdeen, which measures 5ft by 3ft, is Falklands and Cyprus.
+ £8.00 p&p
Birmingham, Edinburgh, based on the Union Jack. For more details on the flag
Manchester and Reading. Manufacturers Piggotts are see www.piggotts.co.uk
UK only In the case of Manchester
activities will be centred on
Exchange Square and Piccadilly weekend of July 4-5, while others Back to the main event in
Gardens, and a military band wait even longer to do their bit – Chatham, and organisers have
will be marching through the Hull, for example, holds an Armed emphasised that although tickets
surrounding streets. Forces Weekend at East Park on for the celebrations in the Historic
Veterans and members of the August 1 and 2 with a list of Dockyard are free, they must
Armed Forces will be able to take attractions ranging from military still be applied for in advance –
advantage of special offers in the vehicles to Eli Jolly’s Hillbilly and that includes holders of the
To order your model send your name, address and daytime telephone number
city – an arrangement repeated in Western Re-Enactment group. dockyard’s 12-month tickets – as
along with your cheque or credit card details to:
many places around the country. On July 8 there will be an Armed none will be available on the day.
The following day it is the Forces and Veterans Race Day at Ticket request forms can be
Skytrex Ltd, Unit 1 Charnwood Business Park, North Road,
turn of Andover, Durham, Bristol Lingfield Park racecourse near downloaded from the website
and Salisbury, among others; on East Grinstead in Surrey, which www.thedockyard.co.uk which
Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 1LE Tel: 01509 213789 that day Dudley stages a special will feature a parade of standards. will also give the latest details of
Email:sales@skytrex.com www.skytrex.com
Armed Forces Day Family Event Caernarfon takes up the torch timings and participants.
at Himley Hall. on July 18 with a programme of See www.armedforcesday.
PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 28 DAYS FOR DELIVERY
Portsmouth stages its tribute events based around the North org.uk for more details of all these
on Southsea Common on the Wales town’s historic castle. events and more.
016_NN_jun.indd 1 21/5/09 14:41:33
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52