La Siesta church was the venue on Tuesday for a coming together of local Veterans Associations on the 40th anniversary of the ending of the Falklands War.
The congregation included three former merchant and servicemen who served in Op Corporate, the UK mission to reclaim the islands, Pipe Major Brian Day, formerly of the Scots Guards, Kevin Bridge who served with 9 Para Squadron RE and Peter McWatt who was a cook on the North Sea Car Ferry that went to war, the Norland.
With RBL, RNA and RMA standards piped into the church by the Torrevieja Pipes and Drums, the service, led by Father Richard Seabrook, got underway with a short hymn, followed by his welcome and introduction.
Fr. Seabrook spoke of the many friends that he still has in Argentina saying that it is important to remember the dead and injured from both sides, as well as those many veterans who, though they survived, still suffer from the affects of the Falklands War, where 255 British personnel, 649 Argentines and three civilian Islanders were killed in the 74 days of bitter fighting.
Following the Exhortation, Bugler Mark Benton played the last post after which there was 2-minutes of silence in honour of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Following the Reveille Pipe Major Brian Day played a soulful lament after which the reading was given by the Chairman of the Royal Naval Association, Tony Jenkins.
There was a lively rendition of the National Anthem followed by the Kohima Epitaph, after which The Military Standards were paraded out of the church to the Garden of Remembrance for the Laying of Wreaths, with Pipe Major Day playing in the background, a poignant ceremony led by DD Veteran Joe Billet.
As the La Siesta service was brought to an end The Royal British Legion was holding the UK’s main commemorative event to mark the end of the conflict at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
