In February 1943 the townspeople of Newbury raised the money to sponsor a submarine, HMS Tigris. Just a week or so later, the submarine was lost, and her entire crew of 60 were drowned.
The Newbury and District branch of the Royal Naval Association commemorate the loss every year on the Sunday nearest the 27 February, with a procession of standard bearers, veterans, association members, sea cadets and the Mayor from the Town Hall to St Nicolas's church for a service. Relatives of the crew are also invited to attend, though none of the crew came from Newbury. Despite the distance of time, it is still a moving service, as we pause to think of those men, in such cramped and damp conditions, living in the submarine. I learnt that submariners only had a one in three chance of surviving each mission - appalling odds.
Afterwards we retired to the RAFA club for buffet and refreshments.
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