Remembrance NI
Every day is a Remembrance Day
Admiral’s return to Limavady
A thanksgiving service was held in Limavady Parish Church for the service and witness of Sir Desmond Cassidi on December 07, 2019. He commanded HMS Ark Royal. He was Flag Officer of the Carriers and Amphibious Ships in 1974. He was Second Sea Lord during the Falklands war.
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December 13 – Roll of Honour
On This Day in 1939 Cdre HH Harwood in HMS Ajax with Achilles and Exeter engaged the Admiral Graf Spee at the Battle of the River Plate forcing her to enter Montevideo in Uruguay for repairs but she scuttled believing superior forces were waiting. An early WW2 result. William Freeman from Cookstown was in Exeter. Read More
December 12 – Roll of Honour
In today’s Roll – A former Bangor Grammar school student and member of Queen’s OTC died serving with the Royal Flying Corps over enemy lines in 1917. Another member of the OTC serving with the RN died on this day a year later in Greece. Entries for WW2 reflect the war in North Africa and Italy. A Fleet Air Arm ace is recalled among today’s veterans.
On this day, 12 December 1939 the Royal Navy destroyer HMS DUCHESS, collided with the Battleship HMS BARHAM in heavy fog off the Mull of Kintyre. DUCHESS was escorting BARHAM back from the Mediterranean when the accident occurred. DUCHESS capsized, detonating her depth charges killing 124 men. Read More
Commissioning of HMS Prince Of Wales, December 10, 2019
Photos of commissioning of HMS Prince Of Wales and the 10 foot commissioning cake Read More
December 11 – Roll of Honour
11 December 1942 – De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk IVs of 105 Squadron at RAF Marham, Norfolk. None of the aircraft pictured survived the war, either being shot down or withdrawn due to heavy battle damage. Veterans in today’s Roll include Rebecca McCabe a WRNS on Caroline in Belfast in WW2, and Sir William Whitla, professor of medicine at Queen’s, who was a war physician. He was a generous benefactor endowing the halls at Methodist College and the university which bear his name. Read More
HMS PRINCE OF WALES – December 10, 1941
On this day in 1941 the battleship HMS PRINCE OF WALES and the battlecruiser HMS REPULSE were sunk by Japanese bombers off Malaya. They were the first British capital ships lost to air attack and the last RN battleship and battlecruiser lost in action. Six men from Northern Ireland were amongst the 840 who died in HMS PRINCE OF WALES. Several survivors were to die on other ships later in the war and others were to die whilst prisoners of war of Japan. Read More
HMS Repulse – 10 December 1941
14 men from Northern Ireland were amongst the 436 who died when HMS REPULSE was sunk as part of Force Z in the defence of Singapore on 10/12/1941. Others were to die whilst prisoners of war of Japan. Read More
