Worshippers remembered Canadian sailors who lost their lives just off the Isle of Wight at an 80th anniversary service.
They unveiled a bench and a memorial plaque in the grounds of St Lawrence Old Church, as they paid tribute to the crew of HMCS Alberni. It sank after being torpedoed by a German submarine on 21 August 1944. Some of the crew were rescued by the Royal Navy, but 59 of them sadly lost their lives.
The Service of Remembrance was held in the church’s Peace Garden, and was led by the Rev Rob Marsh, vicar of South Wight. The Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight, the Ven Steve Daughtery, preached and later blessed the bench.
The Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight, Mrs Susie Sheldon JP, was welcomed by churchwardens Sam Twining and Angela Adams. Captain Christopher Peschke, the naval attache from the High Commission in London and Bob Sackett from the Alberni Project in Canada attended.
The names of the 59 lost Canadian sailors were read out by Captain Peschke and Mr Sackett. A Royal Marine bugler played the Last Post for the two-minute silence. The Canadian national anthem was beautifully sung by Karis Wygiera, a Canadian student studying in Guildford, and a prayer for the dead was read by Jill Fothergill.
The final act was the unveiling of a memorial plaque by the Lord Lieutenant and an oak bench inscribed with HMCS Alberni and the latitude and longitude of her resting place, which is 21 miles from the island. This was unveiled by Diana McGreachan in memory of her cousin who was lost on the Alberni.
The bench is on high ground facing south across the English Channel. It’s located in the Peace Garden, which was created in 2008 and is managed by a group of volunteers led by David Garton. Also after the ceremony people enjoyed refreshments provided by Whitwell Womens’ Institute.
Photos: courtesy of Michael Dunkason