80th Battle of the Atlantic Commemorations - Part 1

THE Battle of the Atlantic, was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, running from:- 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in:- 1945. During the campaign 5,000 British and Allied ships were sunk, with the loss of over 65,000 Allied and merchant seaman, and even at times children. For example City of Benares was torpedoed as She was being used as an evacuee ship, to transport 90 children from Britain to Canada. This campaign was intended to foil Germany's strategy, which was to starve Britain into submission, by simply destroying merchant ships and their cargoes faster than they could be replaced. The idea being that without raw materials such as ores, cotton, jute, oil and rubber, as well as food, Britain would be forced into submission and ultimately to surrender. Over 26 May to 28 May 2023, Liverpool again played host national and international formal and personal commemorations.

Many people think of the South Coast when it comes to World War 2, but Liverpool was Britain's main transatlantic convoy port during the Second World War. Also, Liverpool was the home of Western Approaches Tactical Unit (WATU), a massive war bunker that sprawls over 30,000 square feet under Exchange Flags.

This Command Centre was built in secret just before the outbreak of war, and was pivotal to the overall success of the allied forces. The location of this extremely important building only came to light when it was declassified in the mid 1990s, and turned into a museum, that has been run by a social enterprise group, Big Heritage, since September 2017. Lots of the major operational command centre's history is still hidden, but without this Head Quarters and the many man and women who served thought Would War 2, the World would not be what it is today.

This is why at the start of the 3 day long event, the Admiral and Chief Commandant for Women in the Royal Navy HRH Princess Anne not only visited Western Approaches, but also unveiled a new national memorial to the battle, at Our Lady and St Nicholas Church.

On the Friday, at the start of the events, Commodore Phil Waterhouse, the Royal Navy’s Regional Commander for Northern England, based at HMS Eaglet, Liverpool, said:- "This will probably be our final chance to say:- 'thank you' to that wonderful wartime generation who fought the battle; serving in the ships, in the docks, in the shipyards, in the homes. No City is more connected with the Battle of the Atlantic than Liverpool, it felt its effects, suffered the loss of men, suffered under the bombs, waved U-boat hunters off to sea and celebrated their return. So there can be no more fitting a setting for these 80th Anniversary commemorations. It is also a chance to remind people that the sea remains the lifeblood of Britain’s prosperity; as 95% of our trade and 97% of the UK’s gas supply comes by sea, mostly through pipelines, while 99% of our data passes through undersea cables. The Royal Navy is out there, in home waters and beyond, every day safeguarding those routes and the shipping using them."

Leading the weekend of commemorations was the Royal Navy state-of-the-art T45 Destroyer, HMS Defender, and Her Crew. She was joined on the Liverpool Cruise Terminal by the French Navy's FS Bretagne (D655) Other shipping taking part in the commemorations where Trinity House Vessel Patricia and the American Navy Destroyer USS Ramage. One of the Royal Navy’s smallest ships also joined in the activities, the Patrol boat HMS Biter, was open to the public, like HMS Defender, berthed adjacent to the Tate Modern within the Royal Albert Dock.

Other activities over the weekend included a Military Village, located on the Pier Head, fly pasts, a:- 'Drumhead Service,' and a 'Parade of Medals.' Not only that, but also a small flotilla of merchant ships sailed down the the River Mersey to close the commemorations as a Fairy Swordfish - 'String Bag' flew overhead.

Despite being the Royal Navy's greatest victory, we must remember all those who lost their lives, on all sides, to the Second World War's incomprehensible savagery, perhaps more than any other war.

Events like this help to remind future generations the futility of war. It also shows how a collective defence means that an attack against one ally can easily move to an attack against all allies. It is also a reminder that aggression can be defeated, despite overwhelming odds, through the bravery and resilience of the ordinary, yet extraordinary, men and women. This is a principle we must be mindful off, especially the current political climate, regarding Ukraine reminds us.

Please note that we will be adding more photos and video from these proceedings within our next weekly edition of Southport Reporter, but you will be able to see even more on the next few pages within this edition...

More information can be found on:- BattleOfTheAtlantic.Org, and LiverpoolWarMuseum.Co.UK  Let us know your thoughts on this news topic... Email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:- Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter.

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