4th December 2009
I thought you might like to know the reason why the St
Albans Sea Cadets are privileged to stand sentry at the War Memorial on the
Celebration of Remembrance.
HMS Verulam was commissioned in 1943 as a destroyer of
the Home Fleet, she sailed in support of arctic convoys to Russia and later
saw service in the Far East. With the coming of peace the ship was laid up
in Portsmouth and eventually broken up. The ships bell was bought by members
of the crew and presented to the City. Originally it was hung in the Town
Hall but is now in the District Council Offices.
When the new Civic Centre was opened, the council asked us
to look after HMS VERULAM's Ships Bell, then located in the old Town Hall.
The notice under Bell said, "To be held by the City of St. Albans for safe
keeping", so we said it should stay with the new City Civic Centre.
The Abbey were also asked but said, as there wasn't any of the crew killed
in action, it was felt that it's place was not the Abbey. Needless to
say, it is now in the new Civic Centre and is used as the Council division
bell.
During the research, it was discovered that eight of
the names on the memorial were in fact Sea Cadets who left the unit between
1943 and 1945 who lost their lives during WW2. As a result, the then
Mayor, suggested two Sea Cadets should stand sentry in honour of those eight
ex-cadets who died.
(Research curtsey of Ian Cowell 1 Dec 2009)