A veteran from West Kirby who served in the Battle of the Atlantic was guest of honour at the launch of a countdown to commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary later this year.
Denis Rose, 98, was welcomed into the Ops Room at the Western Approaches Museum in Liverpool, which was once home to the Western Approaches Command and the centre of joint RAF and Navy operations to protect Allied merchant shipping in the Atlantic.
Denis volunteered with the RNVR and served on Atlantic and Arctic Convoys after joining up aged 17.
He was joined by fellow veteran John Dennett, also 98, from Wallasey, and guests from the Royal and Merchant Navies, the Canadian Navy, the Royal Air Force, Lord Mayor Roy Gladden, Liverpool Pilots, senior cadets from Sefton Sea Cadets, and trustees of the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial Charity.
The launch marked the start of an 80-day countdown to a three-day commemoration which will take place in Liverpool across the bank holiday weekend from 26 – 28 May 2023.
The international event, which is being led by the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial Charity, will bring together partners from across the city region and beyond, including armed forces friends and allies from the Commonwealth, Europe, and the USA.
In a key part of the commemoration weekend, the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial charity will unveil a new national memorial to those who were lost. The new garden of reflection will be unveiled on Friday 26th May at the Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas at the Pier Head.
Chairman of the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial Charity, Gary Doyle, said: “Having veterans Denis and John join us as our guests of honour at today’s events, and speaking to them about their experiences, was a poignant reminder of the important contribution that their generation of seafarers from many nationalities, the port workers, and people of the port cities like Liverpool, made to eventual victory in the Second World War.
“Without success in the Atlantic other campaigns would not have been possible, including the D-Day landings. It is significant that in this 80th commemoration year we will finally have an overall memorial to remember this pivotal battle that our nation’s and many other nations’ survival depended on.”
The weekend of commemorative events from 26th – 28th May will include:
- A riverside 1940s-themed military village at the Pier Head
- Visiting vessels open to visitors in the Mersey
- Pop up music and dance performances
- Special family events at Western Approaches Museum
- Fly pasts by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and vintage Fleet Air Arm aircraft
- A concert by HM Royal Marines Band at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall
- A drumhead ceremony at the Pier Head
- A March of the Medals
The commemorations will conclude at precisely 19.43 hours on Sunday May 28th, with the attending merchant ships and Navy warships leading a convoy down the Mersey, while Beating Retreats are performed on both shores of the river.
In Wirral, Cammell Laird plan to open their yard in Birkenhead to celebrate the efforts of shipbuilders in WW2 – and show how things have moved on.
More information is available at battleoftheatlantic.org/boam-events/
Top photo credit: Al Disley Images
