The Royal Navy Type 21 Association will be represented both nationally and internationally on Remembrance Sunday with the laying of poppy wreaths bearing the Type 21 Association Crest in Remembrance of all those that lost their lives whilst serving on Type 21 ships, and all those that lost their lives in the service of their country in war and peace.
In the Falkland Islands a wreath will be laid at the Stanley War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday to commemorate those that lost their lives on HMS ARDENT and HMS ANTELOPE during the 1982 Falklands war.
In the United Kingdom wreaths will be laid at The Cenotaph in Whitehall and the National Memorial Arboretum, at the Naval War Memorials in Portsmouth and Chatham, and at the South Atlantic 1982 Memorial in Plymouth – home of the Type 21 Frigates.
And for the first time, led by Association Member Derek Ross, the Type 21 Association will have a platoon of 65 men on parade and marching past The Cenotaph in Whitehall representing The Association at the national memorial event.
In 2013 the Association purchased and dedicated a Memorial Bench at the National Memorial Arboretum. This was followed in 2015 by the installation of a full Memorial made from a granite block from one of the dry docks in Devonport Naval Base topped with a granite tablet engraved with the names of the eight ships around the Type 21 Club crest. The face of the memorial has the outline of a Type 21 frigate. Both memorials were paid for by funds raised by Association members and they are now a permanent fixture within the Arboretum for all to visit at this place of national importance. Both of these memorials are situated close to the main South Atlantic 1982 memorial.
Steve Parker, PR Officer said “Once again, members of the Association will be remembering those no longer with us on this special day. We have members in Australia, the Falklands, America and numerous other countries who will all take time to remember lost comrades on Remembrance Sunday wherever they may be”.
Association Chairman Morgan Phillips said “The Type 21 ships will once again be represented both nationally and internationally and I am very proud that once again our memorials at the National Memorial Arboretum will form part of the national Remembrance services.”
The Type 21 ships were HMS Amazon, HMS Alacrity, HMS Ardent, HMS Antelope, HMS Ambuscade, HMS Avenger, HMS Arrow and HMS Active.
Any current or former servicemen who served on the Royal Navy Type 21 Frigates can join the Association via the website www.type21club.org The Association also welcomes those closely associated with the ships to join as Associate Members.