Barnard Castle honours 'forgotten service'

TEESDALE'S first ever service of commemoration to mark Merchant Navy Day was held in Barnard Castle on Friday, September 1.

Part of a nationwide campaign by Seafarers UK, the service took place in the Remembrance Gardens, in Galgate, and was led by Revd John Moore.

After conducting the welcome, Revd Moore blessed the town council’s Red Ensign before it was raised by mayor Cllr Sandra Moorhouse.

Merchant Navy Day offers the opportunity to remember the sacrifices, salute the courage and support the future of personnel who have served at sea.

In a message read by Cllr Moorhouse to coincide with similar ceremonies across the country, the Earl of Wessex said: “Too often they are the forgotten or invisible service.

“By raising the Red Ensign you are ensuring that at least on this day they are remembered.

“Your act means so much to their families and to the retired, but most especially tom those at sea.”

Among the small congregation were ex-seamen David Thomas, from Darlington, and Basil Young, from Northallerton.

They had travelled through after hearing about the service and because there was no similar act of remembrance in their towns.

Also at the service was David Craig, from Eggleston, who served in the Merchant Navy during the Second World War. Revd Moore said at least 35,000 British merchant sailors were killed in the Second World War – a greater proportion of the Merchant Navy’s strength than was lost by the other three services.

He added: “The Merchant Navy is the fourth service but it is also the forgotten service, it has not been unknown for the MN lapel badge to be worn inverted to signify ‘Not wanted’.

“In an attempt to change this, September 3 – the anniversary of the outbreak of Second World War when the first merchant ship was sunk less than nine hours into the conflict – was selected as annual Merchant Navy Day

“Yet it was not until 2000 that the men and women of the Merchant Navy were allowed to join the official march past at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.”

After wreaths were laid, Andrew Nicholson played the Last Post and Reveille.

l Memories of serving in the Merchant Navy, P12