The Neptune Association

Plymouth Meeting - 10 May 2009

Plymouth Meeting - 10 May 2009

A members' meeting took place in Plymouth on Sunday 10th May 2009

MEMBERS of the Neptune Association held a short service at the war memorial on Plymouth Hoe in conjuction with the Gloucester Asssociation. The service started at 11am on Sunday May 10th. Afterwards there was a members meeting at the nearby Astor Holel in Elliott Street. A talk was given by the Chairman John McGregor mainly about the casualties whose relatives have recently made contact. Each new contact is much valued and each has their own story of how they found the Neptune Association and how their particular relative is remembered.

HMS Neptune, HMS Kandahar and HMS Gloucester were all Devonport-manned ships. A total of 489 Neptune and 59 Kandahar casualties are commemorated on the Plymouth Hoe war memorial. About 70 Members, relatives and friends of both ships attended and paid their respects.

HMS Neptune lost 763 men (with just one survivor) including 150 New Zealanders (their greatest naval loss in World War Two) and 37 South Africans. HMS Kandahar had her stern blown off and she lost 73 men. The total lost at sea, 836, in this little known tragedy was the Royal Navy's fifth worst loss of life in the conflict.

 

 

 

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