NNAVYVY NNEWS,, NNOOVEMMBER R 20099 1 3
NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2009 13
‘Mourn for the brave’
LEST we forget the immortal memory, sailors from RNAS Culdrose
joined veterans and Cornish dignitaries for the Trafalgar thanksgiving
service in the Church of St Maddern at Madron – as worshippers did
204 years ago.
As HMS Pickle brought news of Nelson’s victory – and death – ● Once a green beret, always a green beret... Veteran Royals pay their respects at the new Memorial Wall at Lympstone which features
45 ‘stars in the fi rmament’ honouring commandos killed in the line of duty since 2000 Picture: PO(Phot) Christine Wood, CTCRM off Spain back to the mother country, so fishermen in Mount’s Bay
carried news ashore for fellow Cornishmen.
News of the triumph was initially proclaimed from the balcony
‘Stars in the fi rmament’
of Penzance’s Assembly Rooms (now the Union Hotel) in Chapel
Street.
But for a formal service of recognition, townsfolk decamped to
the mother church of Penzance in nearby Madron – and paraded
what became known as the ‘Nelson banner’ featuring the epitaph
“Mourn for the brave, the immortal Nelson’s gone. His last sea fi ght
is fought, his work of Glory done,” (it remains in Madron church to
I
T IS shaped like the e memorial chapel for the Fleet Air
m Hussein’s regime and attempt this day).
Rock which is the ee
Arm and rA estored following an to bring order to Iraq cost the And there it might have ended, but for a naval captain turned vicar
Corps’ sole battle e
interinin national appeal. lives of 179 British Servicemen who revived the service of remembrance in 1946.
And in the now-tranquil and women across all three Following Culdrose’s arrival on the scene the subsequent year,
honour.
surrsus oundings of Scapa Flow, the Services. air station personnel have been regular attendees at the October
Seven pillars of granite rise see e
Princess Royal led tributes to P Capt Jon Pentreath, the CO ceremony.
up, but an eighth is missing – –
the 833 lives – two out of thrth ee of the Commando Helicopter This year Commanding Offi cer Capt Graeme Mackay led the
symbolic of the sacrifi ces Royal aal
of the ship’ofo s company – lost Force, read prayers on behalf of Culdrose representation. Aside from sailors senior and junior, he
Marines have made for their eiir
when battleship w HMS Royal Oak the RN and Fleet Air Arm, while was joined by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall Lady Mary Holborow,
nation.
was torpedoed by a German w L/Cpl Gareth Thomas of 40 Cdo local MP Andrew George, members of the Royal British Legion and
On it are 45 plaques – “stars in inn n submarine in October 1939.su did the same for the Corps; he
a large contingent of Sea Cadets.
the fi rmament” – with the names es s Princess Anne joined the earned the Military Cross for
The service was conducted by the Bishop of Truro, the Right
of every green beret killed in the hee dwindling number of survivors, dwd his bravery during the 2003 Reverend Tim Thornton.
line of duty since 2000; one morreee families and senior offa ficers campaign. Picture: LA(Phot) Jenny Lodge, RNAS Culdrose
‘star’ will be added shortly. for a rfo emembrance ceremony
The Royal Marines Memorial aal l aboara d mine warfare vessel
Wall was formally dedicated at aatt HMS Penzance seven decades H
the Commando Training Centrre e on fro om the disaster.
in Lympstone, watched by byby Other smaller boats also stood
more than 1,500 former Royals, ss, by during the service, including byby
friends, families, trainee Royals, s, the Longhope and Strtht omness
men who already wear the hee lifeboats, plus Penzance’lifiif s
coveted green beret and the RM M sister HMS Bangor; Bangor’sis s
Band. crew had previously taken part
The imposing monument, t, in a 70th anniversary memorial
designed to emulate the Rock k service at St Magnus Cathedral
of Gibraltar – the only battle
commemorating the four men
in Kirkwall.
honour marked on the Corps’
who earned the nation’s highest
After the wreath-laying
badge – was hidden behind a
honour was dedicated in the
ceremony, the Princess Royal
huge Royal Marines fl ag until
Service’s own church.
visited the Royal Oak Garden of
the Commandant General
For the past 20 years St
Remembrance at Scapa, before
Royal Marines, Major General
Bartholomew’s in Yeovilton
joining survivors and guests
Andy Salmon, led the service of
has served as the Fleet Air Arm’s
at the Royal British Legion in
dedication.
memorial chapel.
Kirkwall.
There are monuments and
So it was the most fitting The ceremonies were a
memorials to the Corps’ fallen at
location for a service of poignant counterpoint to HMS
Royal Marines bases across the
thanksgiving for the 6,749 men Bangor’s other activities while
UK, but Maj Gen Salmon said it
and women of the Royal Naval in port, which included hosting
was important for families and
Air Service and Fleet Air Arm Orkney’s Sea Cadet unit and
for comrades to have a single
killed in action or in accidents members of the islands’ Royal
place to refl ect on the sacrifi ces
since 1909. Naval Association before the
which commandos have made
As part of that service a plaque ship opened its doors to local
in the 21st Century.
(pictured above) was unveiled people.
The result is the £200,000
to the four naval aviators “We always look forward
memorial wall: the pillars which
– S/Lt Reginald Warneford, to making port calls and
form it represent the eight men
Flt Lt Richard Bell-Davies, welcoming people onboard our
in a Royal Marine troop.
Lt Cdr Eugene Esmonde and ship,” said Bangor’s CO Lt Cdr
“Since 1999 the Royal Marines Lt Robert Gray – awarded the Peter Noblett.
have been busier than normal – Victoria Cross. “But there was obviously a
and ever since September 11 The relatives of the first more sombre note to this visit,
2001 there has been an intense recipient, ‘Rex’ Warneford who paying our heartfelt respects to
schedule of operations, leading destroyed a Zeppelin in 1915 those who lost their lives in the
to greater numbers of marines by dropping a bomb on the Royal Oak tragedy.”
dying,” Maj Gen Salmon leviathan over Belgium, joined Bringing acts of remembrance
told those gathered for the the head of the Fleet Air Arm, back into the 21st Century, the
ceremony. Rear Admiral Simon Charlier, sacrifices of more than 100,000
“The Corps of Royal Marines and the Lord Lieutenant of sailors, soldiers and airmen
is an extended family in the Somerset, Lady Gass, plus air during six long, and often bitter,
greater sense and includes all station personnel at the service. years in Iraq were remembered
those who have been connected St Bart’s, as it is affectionately with a service of thanksgiving at
with them, including veterans known by naval airmen, has St Paul’s in London.
and families of serving marines. been associated with naval More than 2,000 serving
“This memorial wall will help flight since Yeovilton opened personnel who hold the Iraq
those brothers, fathers and in 1940. Medal and families of those who
other relatives come to terms Fifteen aviators killed in lost their lives in Operation Telic
with their sad loss. accidents were laid to rest there were joined by 13 members
“It also serves as a celebration for the first two years before the of the Royal Family, including
of the lives of those who made Naval cemetery was opened in the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh,
the ultimate sacrifi ce since the grounds of RNAS Yeovilton Prince of Wales, Duchess of
2000.” in 1942. Cornwall and Prince William,
Meanwhile, sacrifices made When St Bart’s fell into plus past and present premiers
during a century of naval flight disrepair in the late ’80s, it was Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
were remembered as a plaque bought by the RN to serve as a The campaign to oust Saddam
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