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The Silent Service Commemorates 125 Years of Sacrifice with Poignant Film
30 October 2026
- This weekend the Royal Navy remembers 125 years of the Submarine Service in 2026 with a poignant remembrance film.
- The film follows the journey of a Cold War-era submarine beneath the waves and a Submarine Veteran volunteering in his local submarine museum.
- This film is in memory of the nearly 6,000 Submariners and over 150 Submarines that never returned home.
Beneath the waves, where silence can mean survival and mystery can endure for generations, the Royal Navy has released a powerful new remembrance film marking 125 years of the Submarine Service and honouring those who never returned from patrol.
The Royal Navy have released a special remembrance film this year commemorating 125 years of the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service. While filmed on retired Royal Navy Submarine, HMS Alliance, it echoes the lives of many veterans, serving submariners, as well as those that never returned.
“This year being the 125th anniversary of the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service makes it an even more poignant Remembrance for us. As we stand at the Westminster Garden of Remembrance and name aloud every submarine that did not return, we remember those we have lost in the last 125 years.
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“This film, for me, encapsulates the experience of being a submariner. Whilst it’s set in the Cold War and is significantly different from the cutting-edge technology, we use today it still captures the jeopardy of being under the waves perfectly.” – Rear Admiral Andrew Perks, Director Submarines and Head of the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service
The Submarine used was HMS Alliance which saw active service during World War Two and Cold War. She is currently open to visitors at Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport. Her sister boat, HMS Affray sunk in 1951 and the cause remained a mystery for a long time, this reflects the mystery depicted in the film.
“We wanted to capture people’s imaginations and leave them with questions unanswered. We wanted audiences to think about what they’d seen and wonder what really happened.
The film’s ambiguous ending reflects the reality that, for many submarines lost at sea, the circumstances of their disappearance remain a mystery.” – Petty Officer James Clark, Head of the Royal Navy’s Video Production Branch.
While the fleet is currently looking forwards to the next generation of Submarines in the Dreadnought class and continuing our 57-year continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent. This film also provides an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary technological advancements of the last 125 years.