HMS Collingwood remembers the lives of those lost in second world war bombing

Just after midnight on June 18 1943, a lone German bomber, flying behind a squadron of Allied planes dropped two 50 kg high-explosive bombs on the training establishment. One of these fell onto the playing fields but the other had more deadly consequences, hitting one of the accommodation huts, killing 33 young sailors and wounding 38 others. They were all volunteers, signed up to serve King and Country, and most were just 17 or 18 years old and for many this would have been their first time away from home, having been in the Royal Navy for just over a fortnight.

Today (June 19) Civilian and military staff joined in this annual memorial service, held on the exact spot of the tragedy, to remember the lives lost and to observe a minute’s silence. Reverend Jonathan Backhouse, one of HMS Collingwood’s chaplains, spoke of the loss of the young sailors and the tragedies of war, both then and in the present day.

The establishment’s Assistant Base Warrant Officer, CPO Andy Gibbs, read out the names of the trainees who died before the Last Post was played by a bugler from the Royal Marines Band, Collingwood. Commanding Officer, Captain Tim Davey, then laid a

wreath. Today a tree stands on the site of the accommodation hut, as a permanent reminder of the tragedy and, ahead of the service, 33 memory cards were tied to its branches, each one displaying a poppy, a copy of the sailor’s prayer and the young trainee’s name and service number.

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Speaking after the remembrance service, Captain Davey said, “We will always remember those who lost their lives here during the war, particularly today to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the bombing. Tragically, they never lived to fulfil their potential and undertake the service for which they had volunteered, but we will never forget their sacrifice.”

Personnel from Victory Squadron attended the service, reflecting that those who died were similar ages to themselves. On completion they travelled to Haslar Royal Naval Cemetery, Gosport, to visit graves of fourteen of the sailors who lost their lives following the bombing.

AB Callum Tinsley, 27, said “It’s quite tough to see how young they were when they lost their lives, they had their whole naval careers in front of them too. They deserve to be remembered for making the ultimate sacrifice.”

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