A MEMORIAL to 14 sailors who were killed during the Falklands War has been unveiled at The National Memorial Arboretum.
On a bitterly cold morning, on Sunday March 10 at the arboretum, in Alrewas, veterans from the HMS Glamorgan, gathered to unveil a memorial bench.
Sitting yard from the impressive Falklands Memorial, the bench commemorates 14 sailors who lost their lives when the Glamorgan was hit by an Exocet missile during the conflict.
About 70 former members of the Glamorgan attended the service.
Nigel Fielding, who served on board the Glamorgan and now works at the Mecure Hotel, Newton Solney, said: “It was a very emotional day – it was a small but moving service and it was greatly appreciated by everyone who attended.
“It was typical Falklands’ weather – it was as though 14 people were sniggering at us.
“The bench sits well just down from the main Falklands Memorial and it has a plaque to the 14 men who died with their names on.”
During the service, the names of the men who died on board the Glamorgan were read out and a cross placed in front of the bench.
Mr Fielding said former veterans from the Glamorgan had met up on Saturday ahead of the memorial’s unveiling.
He said: “We met the night before and had a big dinner together reminiscing, telling stories and trying to tell stories.
“We were well looked after by the arboretum and the Royal British Legion who were very hospitable towards us.”
The Glamorgan was severely damaged when an Exocet missile hit the ship on June 12, 1982.
The only remained afloat after the crew fought for hours, extinguishing the blaze and stemming the flooding.
Sailors who died on board the HMS Coventry, which sank on May 25 1982, have has a plaque and oak tree dedicated to them at the arboretum.
Nineteen sailors died, and 30 injured, when the ship was hit in an air attack.
