HMS DUNEDIN REUNION and
MEMORIAL REMEMBRANCE
PORTSMOUTH
Sunday 24th November 2019
On an unusually sunny and dry 24th November, forty two members of the Dunedin Society gathered at the Royal Naval Memorial on Southsea Common for an informal Act of Remembrance.
Stuart Gill (representing Bill Gill RM) opened with a few words of welcome and reflections on the Dunedin Society and the men of HMS Dunedin. You can read his speech here.
Alastair Russell, who had come with several of his family (representing Bill Hughes, Temp Acting Lt-Cdr (E) RN), read The Exhortation:
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
After the Last Post, one minute’s silence and the Reveille (arranged by Michael Gill, representing Bill Gill RM)), Anne Randall (representing Lt Cmdr Sowdon RN) read the Kohima Epitaph:
When you go home tell them of us and say,
for your tomorrow we gave our today
Daniel Morgan (representing Commander Unwin RN) laid a wreath on behalf of the Dunedin Society, before the event drew to a close.
It was good to see so many of the group meet for lunch afterwards at the Royal Maritime Club in Portsmouth to chat and reminisce.
Here are some photos (to follow) of another memorable afternoon: