HMS Royal Arthur Naval Veterans Remembrance Church Service

By Angela Gooch on January 16th, 2008

HMS Royal Arthur Naval Veterans

Remembrance Service

Ingoldmells Church

news story date 7th May 2006

The final reunion of the HMS Royal Arthur Naval Veterans was held in Skegness and Ingoldmells this weekend.
During World War 2, Butlins holiday camp in Ingoldmells was commissioned as a naval base and given the name HMS Royal Arthur.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Skegness, the Mayor of Ingoldmells, other digniatories and the veterans gathered at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Ingoldmells for a service in remembrance of naval servicemen who died in World War 2.
The service was led by the Bishop of Lincoln and Rev Malcolm France, rector and chaplain to the Skegness branch of the British Legion.

The service began inside the church where prayers were said and naval hymns were sung. As this was the final reunion of the veterans, the Royal Arthur Ensign was ceremoniously handed over to Ingoldmells church for future keeping. The Bishop of Lincoln said there is no more fitting a place for the ensign than in the house of God.

After the service, the remembrance party moved into the churchyard where the Bishop of Lincoln and Rev France offered prayers around the War Memorial.

below: The Mayor of Ingoldmells (right), Mayor and Mayoress of Skegness and other Digniatories.

The Standards were lowered as a mark of respect for the naval servicemen of HMS Royal Arthur who were killed in action during World War 2.
The Standard on the extreme left is the Norwegian Ensign. There is a headstone which marks the death of a Norwegian serviceman in the churchyard.

Respects were ceremoniously paid to the lost Royal Arthur servicemen…

…and a wreath of poppies laid on the War Memorial.

The congregation watched the ceremony.

The Bishop, Rev France, the Digniatories and the Standard bearers then moved to the headstones of the war dead. Again, prayers were offered.

After the service in Ingoldmells Church, the congregation marched through the streets of Ingoldmells to the HMS Royal Arthur Centre.

below: digniatories marching.

below: HMS Royal Arthur Military Veterans.

HMS Royal Arthur Final Reunion Church Service
Skegness News on Video
(includes the Drum Service and Ingoldmells Church Service)
6 min 20 sec - May 8, 2006