The current generation of submariners and veterans of the Silent Service will come together on Friday 8 November to remember their predecessors on eternal patrol.
The Royal Navy Submarine School based at HMS Raleigh is set to hold its annual Act of Remembrance, conducted by Royal Navy chaplain, the Reverend Robert Matau.
Wreaths will be laid by Commander (Cdr) David Burrell, the Officer Commanding, a representative from the Submariners’ Association and the youngest student currently in training at the school.
On Armistice Day (Sunday 10 November) around 400 sailors and Royal Marines from HMS Raleigh will march to Horson cemetery in Torpoint for a Service of Remembrance and wreath laying ceremony adjacent to the war graves. Cdr Sean Brady, the Commander of HMS Raleigh, will lay a wreath on behalf of the Royal Navy. He will be joined by a junior sailor, Councillor Rachel Tanner, deputy Mayor of Torpoint, and representatives of Veterans organisations.
The cemetery is the final resting place of 74 Service personnel; 48 sailors, 25 soldiers and one airman. Of those, 44 sailors and 21 Royal Engineers lost their lives on 28 April 1941 when a bomb hit an air-raid shelter within HMS Raleigh. It is thought that the engineers were part of two troops who were based in the Plymouth area, helping to prepare assault boats for the North Africa campaign.
As the grave-side service is being held, the Commanding Officer of HMS Raleigh, Captain Rich Harris, and a marching contingent of sailors, will join the community of Torpoint for the Civic Remembrance Service. The sailors are currently undergoing the second stage of their training at HMS Raleigh.
Capt Harris said: “The annual Act of Remembrance is particularly poignant to those of us that serve in the Armed Forces today. It’s a time for reflection and to remember those brave men and women who have gone before us and the sacrifice they have made. For many of our young sailors this will be the first time they have taken part in a Remembrance parade in uniform. Marching alongside the veterans they will see the unique bond among Service personnel past and present and the life-long camaraderie.”
