Righting a Wrong
A mistake with the spelling of a fallen Falklands veteran on the Plymouth Maritime Memorial on Plymouth Hoe has now been corrected after a project led by Association committee member Stephen “Wyatt” Earp.
The memorial will be rededicated on Tuesday 9 July 2024 at 15:00, all welcome.
The journey began in 1985/86 when Tony Ray MBE and Len Yeatman MBE, the founders of the HMS Ardent Association, were moved by a similar memorial in Portsmouth. Despite an initial setback, where their proposal was rejected by the Plymouth City Council due to an existing general memorial by the Chamber of Commerce, they remained undeterred.
Undeterred by the rejection, the HMS Ardent Association rallied the community, approaching West Country service messes and corporate bodies for financial support. Their collective efforts bore fruit, as they successfully gathered the required funds. Using the facilities at RNEC Manadon, Tony Ray meticulously designed the memorial, ensuring the names and badges of the represented units, including the Royal Navy, Merchant Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and Royal Marine units, were accurately represented.
After commissioning the construction of the memorial, they again lobbied the City Council for a suitable site. The Council proposed a spot in the Garden of Remembrance on Plymouth Hoe. However, a mix-up led to the Chamber of Commerce memorial being placed in the intended location for the Ardent Memorial. Upon realising the mistake, the Council provided an alternate site, extending the surrounding wall to accommodate the new memorial.
The HMS Ardent Association dedicated the memorial in 1988 with a ceremony attended by military representatives, families of the fallen, and other associations. In 1997, due to issues with the original engraving, they raised additional funds to refurbish the memorial, completing the work in 1998.
The memorial lists the names of those from maritime forces who died in the Falklands War and continues to be a site of annual remembrance events organised by the HMS Ardent Association, the Type 21 Club, and other Falkland veterans. This highlights the HMS Ardent Association's central role in the establishment and maintenance of the memorial.
In 2023, a disheartening discovery was made: the name of Royal Marine, L/CPL B P Giffin, who was killed in action on 21 May 1982, was misspelt on the Plymouth Falklands Maritime Memorial. Instead of 'Giffin,' 'Griffin' was engraved.
This error was not taken lightly by the committee, led by Stephen' Wyatt' Earp, a series of actions were promptly initiated to rectify the mistake.
On 15 May 2024, the new plaque was installed.
This correction underscores the ongoing commitment of the HMS Ardent Association to honour the fallen accurately and respectfully. Despite the challenges and lengthy process involving multiple emails and visits to the memorial, the necessary funds were raised, and plans for the new plaque were confirmed. The Royal Marines Association, South Atlantic Medal Association, and Falkland Islands Association played crucial roles in funding this project.
A new unveiling and dedication ceremony will be planned and will serve as a testament to the dedication and persistence of the HMS Ardent Association in preserving the memory of the Falklands fallen accurately.
LCpl. Brett Patrick Giffin was killed in action on 21 May 1982 during the initial landings at Port San Carlos on East Falklands Island when the Gazelle in which he was flying as an observer was shot down killing him and Lt Ken Francis the pilot. “Giff, as he was known to his friends throughout the Corps, was one of our great characters. He brought to us an irrepressible sense of humour and a high degree of professionalism so that any task he was given was undertaken both cheerfully and competently.”
Also killed that day was Sergeant Andy Evans who was the pilot of the second Gazelle helicopter shot down on the 21 May 1982. His Observer, Sergeant Eddy Candlish, survived the action.
