The Memorial 'Mob'

31/10/2026

31 October marks the official end of the Battle of Britain in 1940.

Eighty-six years on, we remember those who defended Britain’s skies and the many people whose work made that defence possible.

We honour the pilots of Fighter Command, including those who came from overseas to serve alongside their British comrades.

We also remember the ground crews, controllers, radar operators, observers, rescue boat crews and support personnel whose skill and determination kept aircraft flying and helped guide them into battle.

The recognised campaign dates run from 10 July to 31 October 1940. This anniversary did not mark the end of the danger: the Blitz continued, bringing death and destruction to communities across the country.

Today, we remember those who lost their lives, those who survived, and the service of a generation whose courage helped deny the Luftwaffe air superiority.

We will remember them. The Few and The Many behind them.

30/10/2026

🌺 They entered a sinking submarine and recovered secrets that helped save lives.

On 30 October 1942, Lieutenant Tony Fasson and Able Seaman Colin Grazier, Royal Navy, of HMS Petard lost their lives recovering vital codebooks from the German submarine U-559.

After sustained attacks by British destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, the damaged submarine surfaced and its crew abandoned ship.

Fasson and Grazier went aboard and searched below decks as water rose inside. With the help of young NAAFI canteen assistant Tommy Brown, they passed precious documents to the waiting British sailors.

Then U-559 sank.

Brown escaped, but Fasson and Grazier were trapped below and drowned.

The material they recovered included short weather and signal codebooks. These proved vital to Bletchley Park's work in restoring its ability to read German U-boat Enigma messages, helping protect Allied convoys and the lives of those aboard them.

Fasson and Grazier were posthumously awarded the George Cross. Brown received the George Medal.

Today, we honour two men who never returned, and the courage of all three whose actions made a lasting contribution to the war at sea.

Lieutenant Tony Fasson GC.

Able Seaman Colin Grazier GC.

Tommy Brown GM.

Their names deserve to be remembered.

28/10/2026

🟢 Happy 362nd birthday to the Royal Marines!

On 28 October 1664, King Charles II authorised the formation of the Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot, also known as the Admiral’s Regiment.

Raised for service at sea, it marked the beginning of the history celebrated by today’s Corps. The title Royal Marines followed in 1802.

Across the centuries, Marines have served in battles and operations including:

⚓ Gibraltar, 1704 — its capture and defence earned the honour still displayed on the Corps’ Colours.

⚓ Trafalgar, 1805 — Marines fought aboard the ships of Nelson’s fleet.

⚓ Zeebrugge, 1918 — Royal Marines stormed the Mole during the raid on the German submarine base.

⚓ Normandy, 1944 — Commandos fought ashore while other Marines crewed landing craft and supported the landings.

⚓ Walcheren, 1944 — an amphibious assault that helped reopen the approaches to Antwerp.

⚓ The Falklands, 1982 — 3 Commando Brigade played a central role in the campaign.

Today, we salute serving Royal Marines, veterans, reservists and their families, and remember those who never returned.

Happy birthday, Bootnecks.

Per Mare, Per Terram. By Sea, By Land.

21/10/2026

⚓ TRAFALGAR DAY | 21 OCTOBER 1805 🇬🇧

221 years ago today, one of the most famous battles in British naval history took place.

On 21 October 1805, a British fleet of 27 ships of the line, commanded by Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, engaged a combined French and Spanish fleet of 33 ships off Cape Trafalgar, near the coast of Spain.

Before the battle, Nelson sent a signal that would become one of the most famous messages in naval history:

"England expects that every man will do his duty."

The Royal Navy secured a decisive victory, capturing or destroying 22 enemy ships without losing a single British vessel during the battle.

But victory came at a terrible cost.

Around 450 British sailors and Royal Marines were killed and more than 1,200 wounded. Among the fallen was Nelson himself, mortally wounded aboard HMS Victory.

Trafalgar helped cement Britain's naval supremacy and remains one of the defining moments in the history of the Royal Navy.

Today, we remember not only Nelson, but also the thousands of ordinary sailors and Royal Marines who fought that day. Men from Britain, Ireland and beyond, whose courage, endurance and sacrifice shaped history.

⚓ To all who served, to those who fell, and to those who continue to serve beneath the White Ensign, we remember you.

Lest We Forget. 🌺

01/10/2026

Today, 1 October, I remember the four men who lost their lives in the crash of Avro Vulcan XA897 at Heathrow Airport in 1956.

Seventy years ago, the aircraft was returning from a tour of Australia and New Zealand when it crashed while attempting to land in poor weather. Three RAF officers and an Avro civilian representative were killed.

We remember:

• Squadron Leader J. G. W. Stroud

• Squadron Leader E. J. Eames

• Squadron Leader A. E. Gamble

• Frederick Bassett, Avro technical representative

The pilot and the co-pilot survived thanks to their ejector seats.

Behind each fatality, was a life, a family and a future tragically cut short.

The Memorial Mob created a memorial for St George’s Chapel at Heathrow Airport to honour their memory. We have also visited the victims’ graves in Lincolnshire and Lancashire, paying our respects and remembering the people behind this tragedy.

On this anniversary, our thoughts are with their families, friends and all those affected by their loss. I am also thinking of the veterans who I have met subsequently who had their own connections to this tragic event and who have since marched off the parade square one final time.

Their lives and service are remembered

Lest we forget the first of the mighty Vulcans and the crew of XA897.

17/09/2026

Help Bring the Beattie Medals Home

Captain Stephen Beattie’s medals, including the Victoria Cross he was awarded for valour during WWII’s St Nazaire Raid (Operation Chariot), need a new home. This September National Maritime Museum Cornwall begins a fundraising campaign to purchase a new highly secure case so we can share his incredible story, and the story of the brave military personnel who fought alongside him.

Captain Beattie’s Story – the St Nazaire Raid

On 26 March 1942, Lieutenant Commander Stephen Halden Beattie left Falmouth with over 600 other men to undertake what is often referred to as ‘The Greatest Raid of All’, the St Nazaire Raid (Operation Chariot).

Beattie commanded HMS Campbeltown, the First World War destroyer, in a seemingly impossible mission to prevent the German pocket battleship Tirpitz from entering Atlantic shipping lanes and disrupting the vital convoy system sustaining Britain's war effort. The dock at St Nazaire was the only facility on the Atlantic coast that had a dry dock capable of servicing Tirpitz.

Beattie’s ship was transformed into a floating bomb - stripped of weight to navigate the shallow estuary, disguised to resemble a German destroyer, and laden with nearly five tons of delayed-action explosives concealed in a steel and concrete casing.

He led a small fleet of motor launches carrying over 600 military personnel along the Loire estuary. At 01:22, German searchlights illuminated the entire convoy and unleashed a maelstrom of fire. Campbeltown was hit repeatedly, but Beattie maintained his course with unwavering determination eventually driving his ship head on into the dock gate.

Beattie’s successful mission confined Tirpitz to Norwegian waters, where it could be contained by British naval forces, but the mission came at a price. Of the men who departed Falmouth two days previously, only 228 returned. 169 men were killed in action and 215 became prisoners of war, including Beattie.

Beattie remained a Prisoner of War until April 1945. He was awarded a Victoria Cross, ‘in recognition not only of his own valour but also of that of the unnamed officers and men of a very gallant ship's company, many of whom have not returned.’ He also received the French Legion d’honneur and Croix de Guerre.

Captain Beattie’s family has kindly granted permission for National Maritime Museum Cornwall to bring the medals back to Cornwall. Given their rarity and significant historical value, they must be housed in a secure, specialist display case. We now need your support to help us raise the funds to purchase the case.

How you help

National Maritime Museum Cornwall is a registered charity, and we need your help to raise the funds to buy a new highly secure case to display Captain Stephen Beattie’s medals. We have until Monday 19 October to raise £29,151.

You can help us by making a donation or by sharing details of our fundraising campaign via email and social media. You can pop up a poster in your place of work, village hall or local library, or you can tell your friends and family. Any kind of support you can give is invaluable, thank you.

10/09/2026

When we started the Ribbon of Poppies idea 9 years ago, we never thought it would "grow" into an art installation.

Thank you to all who supported our friends at The Veterans Charity (who now have guardianship of the Ribbon) in creating a stunning tribute.

Lest we forget.

19/08/2026

Hands up if you are a WWI reenactor and would like to support The Veterans Charity with a very special act of remembrance this November.

Please get in touch with their team if you would like to take part.

30/07/2026

Veterans 🇬🇧

This maybe of interest, a very special Routes of Remembrance style trip.

22/07/2026

For fans of military history...

VETERANS:

Enjoy a FREE tour of the Naseby Battlefield on Thursday 30th July thanks to Naseby Battlefield 1645!