Honouring our seafarers

Sunday 3 September is Merchant Navy Day and the Town Council decided to commemorate this day by hoisting the Red Ensign on our flag pole over the weekend. As Mayor, I was asked to raise the flag. I wrote a speech to mark this occasion which I reprint below. As I was donning my regalia, Amanda from the TC offices arrived with a letter that she had received the day previous from a lady whose brother was a Merchant Seaman. Her daughter was present and I asked her if she would like me to read out the letter. She said that would be fine. So I did. Here is all that I said this morning.
____

Welcome everyone to this occasion to remember our seafarers, thank you so much for coming along.

We are an island people: we depend upon our Merchant Navy to bring us food and provisions that we have not grown or produced ourselves. More than 90% of our imports are carried by ship. And with more sea ports and harbours than any other European country, we depend on the Merchant Navy to help the country handle over 75% of our exports

And in times of war, the Merchant Navy has sustained our armed forces abroad and the people home in this country, often in great peril. Thousands of ships were sunk and many thousands of merchant seafarers, from many nations, lost their lives during the world wars - some were just teenagers.

Redan Sydney Jeffries of Lowestoft aged only 13 was drowned on 24 October 1917. And some were very much older than their combatant colleagues: Patrick Casey, aged 73, was killed when the SS Dotterel was sunk by a mine off the French coast on 29 November 1915.

My own brother-in-law, Chris Uglow, was a merchant seaman with the Falklands War. Thankfully he survived like many others but he will never forget his experiences there.

And I have here a letter from Molly that I was given this morning:

Memories of John Henry Swift, known as Jack, by his sister Molly

My elder brother 'Jack', my three sisters and younger brother, Pete were all born in London. We were a loving and close family, living with Mum and Dad in Clapham.

John preferred to be called 'Jack' and he followed in Dad's footsteps and became a carpenter / joiner. Jack was commissioned into the Merchant Navy as a Ship's Carpenter.

I adored my 'Jack', he was my hero, very handsome, very kind, and he had a cheeky sense of humour. He married Win who was in the W.A.A.F. and I was their bridesmaid.

He looked so handsome in his uniform, and I always felt so proud holding his hand walking down the street.

Jack was killed in 1941, aged 29 years old. His Merchant Navy ship was hit by a torpedo off the West coast of Ireland. Jack's body was never found.

I am now 93 years old, but I still remember the pain, and grief of losing Jack, and that feeling has never gone. God bless you darling.

Your loving sister, Molly

And so today, we honour all those seafarers who have kept us safe, fed and warm over the years - and we honour all those who are still doing so. I am pleased and humbled to be raising the Red Ensign today which will fly here all over the weekend, including Merchant Navy Day on 3 September.
___

And here is a picture of Jack.

Let us never forget the people who work hard to provide us with the food, energy and safety that we all need, especially this weekend, our merchant seafarers, past and present.

I hope to have a cup of tea with Molly sometime soon.

Some more pics taken by Amanda this morning.