Four hundred serving and veteran submariners, including from WWII, attended this year's Submariners' Remembrance Service and Parade at Middle Temple Gardens, Embankment, London, on Sunday, 6th November.
This unique service and parade is held each year to honour submariners of all generations who have 'Crossed the Bar' in service to their country.
The salute this year was taken by Rear Admiral John Weale OBE RASM, FOSNI, ACNS(SM)
Other dignitaries attending include Admiral of the Fleet the Lord Boyce KG GCB OBE DL, Patron of the Submariners Association; Rear Admiral Niall Kilgour CB, President of the Submariners Association; and Mr. Michael Welbank the Chief Commoner of London.
The wreath on behalf of submariners' widows was laid by Mrs Gillian Molyneux, whose husband Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux was tragically killed in the shooting incident on board the submarine HMS Astute in Southampton in 2011
The ceremony was instituted in 1923 following the unveiling of the National Submarine War Memorial in 1922 and is held on the Sunday before the national Remembrance Day Parade.
The Memorial is situated on Victoria Embankment between Blackfriars Bridge and Waterloo Bridge. It depicts a submarine crew, statues of Truth and Justice, 40 anchor-shaped wreath hooks and lists of the submarines lost in both World Wars.
The open air service was conducted by Rev. Ralph Barber, RN Chaplain to HMS Raleigh and assisted by Rev. Peter Garvie RN Chaplain to SubFlot followed by the laying of over 30 wreaths and the salute taken by Rear Admiral Weale.
During the moving service a Roll Call of all submarines lost was read by submariners of several generations.
The Submariners' Remembrance Service and Parade is held on the Sunday before the national Remembrance Day Parade to enable submariners to attend both.
The Service this year took place at Middle Temple gardens in London which is immediately across the road from the Memorial.
It is no longer suitable to hold the Service of Remembrance at the National Submarine War Memorial due to the construction of the Cycle Super Highway which runs immediately in front of the Memorial reducing the space available.
