MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
“Touching” Cenotaph Memorial Ceremony
The newly elected chairman of the Falkland Islands Association, former governor David Tatham CMG said he had been “very touched” by the Battle Day memorial ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, preceding the annual meeting of FIA last Saturday December 11th.
Mr. Tatham said it was remarkable that 90 years after the Battle of the Falklands (which destroyed the German South Atlantic Fleet in the First World in 1914), it was still commemorated in this way along with the sacrifices of the British servicemen who died in the 1982 war. The ceremony also commemorates the men lost in the Falklands flotilla's destruction of the German battleship Graf Spee in the Battle of the River Plate in the Second World in 1939.
The German fleet was sunk December 8, 1914 and the Graf Spee in December 13, 1939.
The service was conducted by the Reverend Peter Millam, a former rector of Christ Church in Stanley, who pointed out that ten per cent of active Falkland Islands manhood gave their lives to the defence of Britain in two Word Wars 1939-1945 and 1914-1918 wars ?" far more than any other Commonwealth country including the United Kingdom".
A wreath in memory of the Armed Forces was laid by a former British Forces Commander in the Falklands, Brigadier Geoff Sheldon (Colonel of the Queens Lancashire Regiment).
Wreaths were also laid by Sir Rex Hunt for the FIA; Miss Sukey Cameron for the Falkland Islands Government; Mrs Sara Jones, CBE (widow of Lieutenant Colonel H. Jones, VC) and Mrs Paula Shear for the Falkland Families Association; Captain Martin Reed (formerly of the liner Canberra in 1982) for the South Atlantic Medal Association of which he is chairman; Miss Kerri-Ann Ross for the young people of the Falkland Islands; Mr Maurice Jones for the Association of Men of Kent and Kentish Men, which has traditional links with the Falkland Islands and the First World War battle; and by Lieutenant Commander Roger Wager, who served in the Royal Navy in the 1982 Falklands War. His uncle Able Seaman William Charles Dale, fought in the 1914 Battle of the Falklands in HMS Invincible and was later killed n the Battle of Jutland.
The Royal Naval Colour Party were led by Chief Petty Officer Pincher Martin from HMS Collingwood in Portsmouth, who served on HMS Antrim in the 1982 war. They were accompanied by representatives of Pangbourne College and a Falkland Islands Defence Force member, Zoran Zuvic, a student from Stanley. The parade marshal was Air Commodore Peter Johnson, a former Commander of British Forces in the Falklands. Royal Marines buglers played the Last Post and Reveille.
Sir Rex Hunt, CMG, Governor of the Falkland Islands during the 1982 Argentine invasion and subsequent liberation has been succeeded as Chairman of the Association by another former Governor, Mr David Tatham,CMG.
Mr. Tatham's election was unanimously endorsed at the Association's annual general meeting in London on Saturday December 11, following the annual ceremony of tribute to British servicemen who died in battles linked to the Falkland Islands in two World Wars and the 1982 Conflict.
Harold Briley - London
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