Thank you from HMS Hermes Association for your generous donation which helped to finance comfortable travel and to provide a comemorative gift for the veterans of HMS Hermes 9 who attended a reunion in Portsmouth marking the 70th anniversary of the sinking of HMS Hermes in Ceylon 1942.
Despite the forcast Portsmouth gave us lovely weather and I was very proud to be alongside such brave men not only the veterans from 1942 but also the shipmates from Hermes 10 who laid a wreath in memory of those lost from Hermes during the Falkland conflict marking the 30th anniversay.
The group photograph is of veterans and families of Hermes 9 and the photo of the lady pointing to her fathers name on the memorial is Mildred she was just a little girl when her father was lost on Hermes 9.
Portsmouth the home port of both Hermes ships was a wonderful place to hold this special anniversary reunion and the Royal Maritime Club looked after us well we attended a lovely church service at St Anns in the dockyard prior to the very moving wreath laying service.
With each reunion we get a glimpse of precious history as a new story is told or a memory brought to light by those around us.
Carol Marshall
