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Remembrance 21st November 2026 – 85th Anniversary

Message to HMS Dunedin Society Members

Preparations are well underway for the 85th anniversary HMS Dunedin Remembrance Service on 21st November. Below you will find details of the day’s arrangements, but first I would like to ask you to tell me the following if you are planning to attend:

  • Names: Your name and the names of your party;
  • Who you are representing: The name of the member of the ship’s company you are representing;
  • Your attendance plans: Whether you will be attending the service at the Royal Naval Memorial on Southsea Common and the gathering at the Royal Maritime Hotel, Portsmouth, afterwards (or just one of these, in which case, which one?)
  • Wreath laying: If children or grandchildren in your party would like to lay a wreath, please include their names so we can accommodate them.

It would be great if you could answer these questions by Saturday 7th November.

The Day’s Arrangements

  1. The Service of Remembrance (12:00 PM)

The service will begin at Noon on Saturday 21st November at the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Southsea Common. An order of service will be available to everyone on the day. The service will be slightly longer than usual and will be led by Rev Dr Richard Warden, a former Army Padre.

An important theme of this year’s anniversary is the role of the younger generations in preserving the memory of the men of Dunedin. We no longer have the privilege of being with any of the survivors, and the next generation down is not exactly a bunch of spring chickens, so we look to our children and our children’s children to carry the torch. With this in mind, we encourage you to bring your children and grandchildren to lay their own wreaths at the memorial or simply to be there to see the service. If you would like to do this, please tell us in your replies.

  1. Important information regarding access to the memorial

We are hoping that this will not affect members’ ability to gain easy access to the memorial, but you need to be aware of the changes caused by the substantial adjustments to the coastal sea defences:

  • Road Layout & Parking: Clarence Esplanade (i.e. the promenade) is now a one-way road, running east to west from the aquarium to the hoverport. A few car park spaces are available on Clarence Esplanade, either side of the memorial, but more spaces are available in the car park by the hoverport and near the D-Day Museum. If you are not familiar with the new layout, I recommend you look at it through Google Street View to give you a sense of where everything is.
  • Mobility & Wheelchair Access: These changes mean it is now less easy for disabled people and others with mobility difficulties to get down to the World War II part of the memorial where we hold our service. This is because of the construction of high grass banks on either side of the memorial which prevent access for people in wheelchairs, for example, who cannot get down the steps.

Clearly, this is not acceptable, but we have expressed our concerns to Portsmouth City Council in the hope that they might yet make appropriate alterations. I am not confident that this will happen in time for our service – if at all – but I shall be attending the 11th November service there (led by the HMS Hood Association) to see for myself how access has been affected. I will report back to you after that.  

  1. The Gathering at the Royal Maritime Hotel (RMA) (2:30 PM)

Location: 75-80 Queen St, Portsmouth PO1 3HS

Given the significance of this year’s anniversary, we shall meet in the Nelson Lounge of the RMA at 2.30 pm for a presentation on HMS Dunedin. It will be a chance for further reflection and for members to ask any questions about Dunedin or the HMS Dunedin Society. The presentation and discussion will take no more than one hour, but I hope you will find it helpful and informative.

  • Refreshments: Those of you who have been before will know that hot lunch can be bought at the RMA’s Victory Bar.
  • Parking & Accessibility: Some parking bays are available at the RMA, but these can be hard to come by. Your best bet is to park in the (pay) car park on the opposite side of the road. I am happy to say that access to the RMA on foot or in a wheelchair is very good.

…….and finally

Membership of the HMS Dunedin Society is free, so we rely on the generosity of our members making voluntary payments to cover our basic running costs. Please go to the “Donate” button on the home page of our website if you would like to contribute.

Thank you,

 

Stuart Gill and the team

HMS Dunedin Society