News Release issued by
the COI News Distribution Service on 10 September 2009
Members of the
media are invited to a ceremony to dedicate a new Royal Navy
memorial in remembrance of the many men and women who have served
in the Royal Naval Air Service and Fleet Air Arm be held at the
National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire on Friday 11 September
2009 at 12.00 noon.
This year the Royal Navy is celebrating the Centenary of Naval
aviation and the new memorial will honour the sacrifice made by
the 6,749 men and women who have given their lives in the service
of Naval aviation over the past 100 years. The dedication service
will include a fly past of two GR9 Harrier jets of the Naval
Strike Wing who served in Afghanistan last year providing air
support to the Royal Marines and coalition forces on the ground.
Over 80% of front line Fleet Air Arm Squadrons are currently
deployed on operations around the world including Afghanistan, and
the service is expected to be especially poignant as the Royal
Navy and Fleet Air Arm remember fallen colleagues.
The new memorial, a sculptured plinth of Portland stone
supporting a granite aircraft carrier, is set amidst an avenue of
fine old English oak trees close to the National Armed Forces
Memorial. The event will take the form of a dedication service in
the open air around the new memorial. The service will be
conducted by the Chaplain of the Fleet, the Venerable John Green,
and will be attended by 700 people made up of both serving and
retired personnel and their families. A Naval Guard from HMS
Sultan, Gosport will be in attendance along with Fleet Air Arm
Standard Bearers from the Fleet Air Arm Associations and serving
and retired officers in uniform. The address will be given by Rear
Admiral Simon Charlier, Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
The National Memorial Arboretum is located between Birmingham and
Derby just off the A38 north of Lichfield and south of Burton on
Trent. The address is Croxall Road, Alrewas, Staffordshire DE13
7AR. Members of the media are asked to be in place by 11.30. The
Fly past will take place at 12.00 and the dedication service will
start at 12.00. Opportunities for interviews with serving members
and veterans of the Fleet Air Arm will be available following the
service.
Members of the media wishing to attend are asked to provide full
accreditation and contact details to sue.eagles@flynavy100.co.uk
or mob: 07500126396.
Contacts:
Ministry of Defence
NDS.MOD@coi.gsi.gov.uk