2014:

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DOVER ETC 2014 ?

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The National War Memorial on Dover’s White Cliffs "probable" rather than "possible".

Dover Express 18th July 2013, note the level of confident support from the Leader of Dover District Council. The project is now "probable" rather than "possible", next stop is "inevitable". Thank you for all the support so far, please keep recruiting support and profile;

Major (retd) Rafiqul Islam MP is the holder of the Bir Ottam, one of just 69 members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces to receive this prestigious decoration for bravery during the War of Liberation of 1971. As a Member of Parliament for Bangladesh and a former Home Secretary of this proud Commonwealth nation, he chooses his words with great care. Major Islam was the leader of a delegation of 14 Members of Parliament and officials to visit the site of the National War Memorial on 12th July 2013. He has given his whole-hearted support to the construction of the memorial on Dover’s White Cliffs at Western Heights. In a signed and dated submission, he writes: “Seventy years ago in June 1944, Dover on the English Channel was bustling with hundreds and thousands of men and war materials ready to go across the English Channel to mainland Europe to free not only Europe but mankind as a whole from the terror that was Hitler and his military machine of destruction. Many of those who crossed the Channel never returned to their loved ones. But they allowed mankind to live with their loved ones. The National War Memorial on Dover’s White Cliffs will remind us not only of the colossal loss of life during the war, but of the need to maintain peace for all of mankind for all times.

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Falklands Memorial Way:

At Noon on Saturday 14th June 2014 the Falklands Memorial Way will be officially opened by the Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire Mr. Ian Dudson CBE.

This "Way" will link up memorials to civilian and military casualties who lost their lives during the war in 1982.

In the centre of the “Way” a memorial orchard will honour the Falkland Islanders who spied on, sabotaged and disrupted the enemy before British Forces landed. It will also honour those Islanders that helped transport troops, ammunition, supplies and vital intelligence to our troops as they battled across the Islands.

The "Way" is located in the Allied Special Forces Memorial Grove at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire.
More can be found on the website:

This is an open event and everyone is welcome, just let them know if you wish to attend.

LINK

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Samuel Plimsoll Day:

You are warmly invited to the following events in Folkestone on Saturday 8 February to celebrate the life and work of Samuel Plimsoll, who successfully campaigned for the painting of a line on ships to prevent overloading.

• 2.30pm A wreath-laying ceremony at Samuel Plimsoll's grave at St Martin's Church in Horn Street, Cheriton, CT20 3JJ

• 3.00 pm in St Martins Church - the first Plimsoll Memorial Lecture by Nicolette Jones, on "The Continuing Relevance of Samuel Plimsoll”.

• 7.30 pm. The day will end with a free music hall event celebrating The Life and work of Samuel Plimsoll at the United Reformed Church, Folkestone, CT20 2QL (close to Folkestone Central Station). Hosted by Roger Joyce, there will be songs, poems, performance and short talks.

All are welcome to these free events where there will be collections on behalf of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the Kent Merchant Navy Association.

For further information please contact:

Events at St Martins: David De Verney - [e-mail]

Music Hall Event: Michael Foad - [e-mail]

General Information about the Folkestone Plimsoll Memorial Campaign – Nick Spurrier: [e-mail]. Tel: [phone]

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75 Years: SS Athenia:

Received from Keith at Tregenna (LINK )

On 3 September 1939, the SS Athenia, en route from Glasgow to Montreal, became the first victim of the Battle of the Atlantic when she was torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat.

Here is an extract from SHIPPING COMPANY LOSSES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, published by the History Press.

ATHENIA (Captain James Cook). Bound for Montreal, sailed independently from Liverpool on 2 September, 1939. War was declared at 11am on the 3rd and, at 9.45pm, the ship was torpedoed by U.30 (Oblt. Fritz-Julius Lemp), and sank at 11am on the 4th in position 56°44´N 14°05´W. Of the 1103 passengers and 329 crew, 112 died. Of the survivors, 602 were picked up by the Knute Nelson (Nor.) (Captain Carl Johan Anderssen) and landed at Galway. Two hundred and twenty-three, picked up by the illuminated motor yacht Southern Cross (Swed.), transferred to the City of Flint (US) (Captain J.A. Gainard) and landed at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Four hundred and ninety-five picked up by the destroyers HMS Electra (LtCdr. S.A. Buss) and HMS Escort (LtCdr. J. Bostock), and landed at Greenock.

As U-boat commanders were instructed to observe the Hague Convention, which stated that merchant ships were not to be sunk without warning, Lemp contravened the instruction. This infuriated Hitler as many of the Athenia’s passengers were US citizens and the sinking might have brought the United States into the War.

From "The Sea is Their Grave" by Billy McGee.

"Passenger liner Athenia, 13,465grt, (Donaldson Bros. & Black Ltd). On the evening of the 3rd September 1939 a few hours after Britain declared war on Germany, the Athenia sailing independently from the Clyde and Liverpool bound for Montreal with over 1100 passengers including women and children was attacked by U-30, 250 miles West of Donegal. One torpedo slammed into her port side near the engine room and the ship immediately began to develop a port list trapping a number of passengers below deck as the stairways collapsed. As the ship began to settle the order to abandon was given and the crew began to evacuate the passengers. Crewmembers fought desperately below deck searching for passengers trapped in their cabins, made more difficult by the lights being disabled by the explosion. The sound of bulkheads could be heard collapsing under the pressure of the in rushing sea and the night air became filled with the screams of women and children fighting for their lives in the pitch darkness. The majority of the ships lifeboats were successfully launched, though two met with accidents, one falling from the davits while being lowered throwing the occupants into the sea, while another capsized in rough seas. Transmitting a distress message, which was picked up, number of ships in the area, they quickly raced to the scene. On arriving they were met with the full horror of the situation. The Norwegian Merchant ship Knute Nelson, one of the first to arrive, whilst attempting to pick up the survivors from one of the boats accidentally pulled another boat under her stern, which was cut to pieces by the ships propeller killing most of the occupants. Three British Destroyers were soon on scene as well as the British Merchant ship City of Flint and the Swedish yacht Southern Cross, who rescued over 1300 passengers and crew. A total of 112 passengers and crew perished. The Battle of the Atlantic had begun. The rules of U-boat engagement were that no passenger ships should be attacked stemming from the worldwide outcry after the sinking of the Lusitania in W.W.I. The Commander of U-30, Fritz J Lemp was said to believe that the Athenia was an Armed Merchant Cruiser. Adolph Hitler worried about reprisals from America because of the amount of American passengers onboard at the time put his propaganda machine into action and denied all knowledge of the incident. Commander Lemp was recalled to Germany to help the cover up"

On 9th May 1941 U-110 under the command of Fritz J Lemp attacked a convoy along with U-201. After being spotted by the escort ships Aubretia, Bulldog, and Broadway, U-110 was forced to the surface after depth charges were dropped. Believing he was about to be rammed Lemp ordered his boat to be abandoned. At the very last moment HMS Bulldog turned to evade the collision when her Commander realized he could probably capture the U-boat. The story goes that Lemp jumped into the sea and tried to re-board his U-boat in an attempt to scuttle her, and was subsequently shot and drowned. On board U-110 was one of the latest Enigma machines.

Merchant Navy Day is on the 3rd of September Every Year:

The 3rd September was the day that the SS Athenia was sunk just nine hours after Prime Minister Chamberlain declared the outbreak of war on the ‘wireless’. It should also be noted that the last casualties before VE Day was also a Merchant Ship also with the loss of merchant seafarers.

LINK

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Sea Sunday 2014: save the date:

Sea Sunday is coming, and the Mission to Seafarers is working on finishing off free materials for churches and community groups for the 2014 campaign.

These will be available from 21 April, but you can order yours in advance online from the Sea Sunday site here: LINK

[Admin]

May Week 2014 at Loch Ewe:


From 5th to 10th May 2014:

LINK

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Day of the Seafarer 2014:

IMO will be celebrating the fourth edition of its global campaign: Day of the Seafarer, held every year on 25 June.

The decision to establish 25 June as International Day of the Seafarer was taken at a diplomatic conference in Manila, Philippines, where milestone revisions to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) and its associated code were adopted.

Seafarers are the people without whom food, clothes, gifts, gadgets or even basic needs would not reach our doors. We rely on them every day. Yet have you ever said thank you to a seafarer? Chances are you haven't.

LINK

IMO Day of the Seafarer is coming up in June, and this year, IMO is looking for stories from ‎seafarers of life at sea to share with the world!

If you're a seafarer who has transported unusual or even life-saving products, or if you're from a seafaring family with stories that span generations, you could be a part of this year's campaign.

[Admin]

Trinity House on Tower Hill in London is to open to the public for just one day in May to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s maritime guild.

In 1514 a young King Henry VIII granted a Royal Charter to a fraternity of mariners called the Guild of the Holy Trinity 'so that they might regulate the pilotage of ships in the King’s streams' and the month of May marks the 500th anniversary of this milestone event in British maritime history.

To celebrate, Trinity House, now home to the Corporation and the working office of the General Lighthouse Authority, will open its doors to the public on Saturday 17 May from 10am to 3pm.

Trinity House is located on Tower Hill overlooking the historic Tower of London and the picturesque Trinity Square Gardens containing a memorial to merchant navy heroes of two World Wars and the Falklands War.

LINK

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MY LONGEST DAY:

D Day:



To all involved in Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord and outside area support ......

"WE SALUTE YOU."


MY LONGEST DAY

Do not call me hero,
When you see the medals that I wear,
Medals maketh not the hero,
They just prove that I was there.
_______________________________

Do not call me hero,
Now that I am old and grey,
I left a lad, returned a man,
They stole my youth that day.
_______________________________

Do not call me hero,
When we ran the wall of hail,
The blood, the fears, the cries, the tears
We left them where they fell.
________________________________

Do not call me hero,
Each night I stop and pray,
For all the friends I knew and lost,
I survived my longest day.
_________________________________

Do not call me hero,
In the years that pass,
For all the real true heroes,
Have crosses, lined up on the grass.
__________________________________

Author Rob Aitchison

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D Day Seventy Years On - Friday Night is Music Night from the Albert Hall commemorates the 70th anniversary of D Day. BBC Concert Orchestra:

June 6, 1944 was not the end. It was just the beginning of a long battle that would take many months only to end in May 1945 nearly a year after D-DAY.

On June 7, 1944 630 Allies lost their lives in Normandy.

LINK