ON Sunday (November 9), whilst alongside in Vigo, Spain, HMS Ledbury held a Remembrance Day Serice on her sweep deck to honour Britain’s war dead.

The captain, Lt Cdr Chris Nelson presided and the navigating officer, SLt Rob Garner ran the service. Every member of Ledbury’s ships company attended.

The hymns Jerusalem, Thine Be the Glory, and I Vow to Thee My Country were sung. Prayers were said for members of the armed forces currently on active service in Iraq, Afghanistan, and off the Horn of Africa.

There was a reading from the book Destroyer Captain by Roger Hill, about the Second World War destroyer HMS Ledbury’s actions during Operation Pedestal and the relief of Malta in 1942.

AB(MW) Gavin Twigden read Psalm 23, and AB(MW) Mark Priestman read the Kohima Epigram.

Afterwards there were light refreshments and brunch on the sweep deck. Members of the ship’s company exchanged ships’ crests with the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2 which was berthed on the adjacent pier.

Ledbury sailed the next day and is now en route to the English Channel for further mine countermeasure exercises.