- Type of Memorial
- Stone of remembrance
- WMR Reference Number
- 72040
- Description
- Pyramid-shaped Derbyshire gritstone stone of remembrance on square stone base with rectangular bronze plaques affixed to each side, below insignia. The front face has a plaque engraved with a map of the region above a plaque which is engraved with descriptions of the sinking of the ships. the three other faces of the memorial have plaques with rolls of honour of lives lost.
- Inscription
- Plaque 1: THE SINKING OF HM SHIPS NEPTUNE AND KANDAHAR/ ON THE EVENING OF 18TH DECEMBER 1941, FORCE "K" THE CRUISER RAIDING SQUADRON, LED BY/ HMS NEPTUNE (CAPTAIN RORY O'CONOR) WITH AURORA AND PENELOPE, ESCORTED BY DESTROYERS/KANDAHAR, LIVELY, HAVOCK AND LANCE, SAILED FROM MALTA TO INTERCEPT AND DESTROY A CRUCIAL/ ITALIAN CONVOY, LOADED WITH PANZER TANKS, FUEL AND VITAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT, BOUND FOR TRIPOLI./
AT 0106, ON THE MORNING OF 19TH DECEMBER, WHEN CLOSING THE LIBYAN COAST, NEPTUNE STRUCK/ THE FIRST OF FOUR MINES, DISABLING HER RUDDERS AND PROPELLERS, LATER SEVERELY DAMAGING HER/ PORT SIDE AMIDSHIPS AND FINALLY SINKING HER BEFORE DAWN AT 0404./
RESCUE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE BY KANDAHAR AND LIVELY BUT, AT 0318 WHEN KANDAHAR HERSELF/ STRUCK A MINE WHICH WRECKED HER ENTIRE STERN SECTION, ALL SHIPS WERE ORDERED BY NEPTUNE TO/ WITHDRAW FROM FURTHER RESCUE ATTEMPTS./
AURORA AND PENELOPE, THEMSELEVES TEMPORARILY DAMAGED BY CLOSE MINE EXPLOSIONS, HAD FOR/ THEIR OWN SAFETY, TO CLEAR THE COAST BEFORE DAWN SO RELUCTANTLY WITHDREW, ESCORTED BY THE/ REMAINING DESTROYERS./
AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF SURVIVORS TRIED TO SWIM TO THE RELATIVE SAFETY OF THE KANDAHAR BUT DUE TO/ ROUGH SEAS AND DARKNESS NONE WERE SUCCESSFUL. ONLY ONE, ABLE SEAMAN NORMAN WALTON,/ REMAINED ALIVE ON A CARLEY FLOAT TO BE RESCUED BY CALLIOPE, AN ITALIAN TORPEDO BOAT FIVE DAYS/ LATER./
THE DESTROYER JAGUAR, SENT FROM MALTA, RESCUED THE REMAINDER OF KANDAHAR'S SHIP'S/ COMPANY BEFORE DEAWN ON THE 20TH DECEMBER THEN SANK THE SERIOUSLY DAMAGED DESTROYER./ NO SURVIVORS FROM NEPTUNE WERE SEEN./
THIS MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED TO THE VERY BRAVE 763 OFFICERS AND MEN FROM NEPTUNE, INCLUDING/ 150 FROM THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND NAVY, 37 FROM SOUTH AFRICA AND 75 ROYAL MARINES, AND THE/ 73 FROM KANDAHAR WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN OUR DEFENCE./
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM/
BATTLE HONOURS/
HMS NEPTUNE/
ATLANTIC 1939/ CALABRIA 1940/ MEDITERRANEAN 1940/ BISMARCK 1941/ MALTA CONVOYS 1941/
HMS KANDAHAR/
EAST INDIES 1940/ LIBYA 1941/ GREECE 1941/ MEDITERRANEAN 1941/ CRETE 1941/ MALTA CONVOYS 1941/
THIS MEMORIAL IS SET JUST SOUTH OF SOUTH-EAST TO ALIGN WITH WHERE THE WRECK OF NEPTUNE LIES/ ERECTED BY THE NEPTUNE ASSOCIATION - 2005
Plaque 2: HMS NEPTUNE - SUNK 19TH DECEMBER 1941/ THOSE WHO WERE LOST THAT WE MAY HAVE OUR TODAY/ ROYAL NAVY (Names...)/ WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
Plaque 3: HMS NEPTUNE - SUNK 19TH DECEMBER 1941/ THOSE WHO WERE LOST THAT WE MAY HAVE OUR TODAY/ ROYAL NAVY (Names...)/ ROYAL MARINES (Names...)/ SOUTH AFRICAN NAVAL FORCES (Names...)/ ROYAL NEW ZEALAND NAVY (Names...)/ WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
Plaque 4: HMS KANADAHAR - SUNK 20TH DECEMBER 1941/ THOSE WHO WERE LOST THAT WE MAY HAVE OUR TODAY/ ROYAL NAVY/ (Names...)/ WE WILL REMEMBER THEM/ "THERE ARE NO FLOWERS ON A SAILOR'S GRAVE/ NO LILLIES ON AN OCEAN WAVE/ THE ONLY TRIBUTE IS THE SEAGULL'S SWEEP/ AND THE TEARDROP ON A LOVED ONE'S CHEEK."/ ANON/