Royal Navy sailors from RNAS Culdrose joined councillors, Royal British Legion veterans and Sea Cadets for a parade through a west Cornwall village on Sunday, October 20.
The event in Madron, near Penzance, is held each year to remember those lost at the Battle of Trafalgar.
It was back in 1805 that victory by the Royal Navy over the combined fleets of Spain and France ensured British supremacy at sea. The battle, which raged over a single day on October 21 off the coast of Portugal, effectively ended the very real threat of invasion by the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte.
News of the victory – and death of Britain’s greatest sailor Lord Admiral Nelson – was first brought home to Penzance by fishermen in Mount’s Bay. The authorities organised their first thanksgiving service, which was held at the principle church in the area, at Madron.
This year, a guard, colour party and platoon of sailors from Culdrose joined members of the HMS Seahawk Volunteer Band for the parade.
The weather was clear and sunny as villagers turned out to watch the sailors as they marched through the streets and gather outside the church, ahead of a service.
Afterwards, Culdrose commanding officer Captain Anthony Rimington joined invited guests of the parish and took the parade salute outside the village hall, where refreshments and Cornish pasties were then served.
