DOVER PARADES AND SERVICES HONOUR WAR HEROES
Hundreds of people lined the streets of Dover to pay their respects to those who were killed and wounded during the Zeebrugge Raid 100 years ago which was the most audacious amphibious attack of the Great War.
The raid on the Belgian port was a desperate attempt by the Royal Navy’s Dover Patrol to stop German submarines wreaking havoc among allied shipping. During the raid on 23 Abril 1918, 277 men were killed and 356 wounded.
Parades and services were organised by Dover Town Council on St George’s Day (Abril 23) at both St James’s Cemetery and in the town centre, culminating in the striking of the Zeebrugge Bell at Maison Dieu at noon by Mayor Neil Rix, a remembrance ceremony undertaken each year since the raid.
At the cemetery’s Zeebrugge memorial where many of those killed are buried, wreaths were laid including those by Mayor Neil Rix, Commandant General of the Royal Marines Major General Charlie Stickland, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports – The Lord Boyce, Lord Lieutenant of Kent Viscount De L’isle, Governor of the Province of West Flanders Mr Carl Decaluwe, German Embassy Defence Attaché Commander Steffen Handrick, Australian High Commission Royal Australian Naval Advisor Captain S Craig, New Zealand Defence Staff Lieutenant Commander T McCall, Charlie Elphicke MP, other civic dignitaries from Kent and Flanders, descendants of the war heroes, Royal British Legion and other armed forces associations.
Los servicios fueron oficiados por el capellán honorario para el Ayuntamiento de Dover Reverendo Dr. John Walker, Royal Naval Capellán El Venerable Ian Wheatley y Obispo de Dover Rt reverendo Trevor Willmott.
Royal Marines Band Collingwood encabezó la marcha de la ciudad seguido de un guardia y destacamentos de la Armada Real HMS Somerset, Royal Marines, Estación del bote salvavidas RNLI Dover, Dover y el Cuerpo de Cadetes de Mar reparto, Scout Council distrito de Dover, Duque de estudiantes Real Escuela Militar de York, Dover Federación de las Artes Combinadas Cadete Fuerza, Goodwin Academy students.
The Dover event followed two days of commemorations at Zeebrugge and Ostend (Abril 21 - 22), which were attended by Mayor Neil Rix. He said: “The strength and reverence of this year’s commemorations was overwhelming, and I’d like to thank all those who participated and the people of Dover who came to pay their respects.”
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