On the 22nd September 2018 – Snettisham 45 conducted its 40th personal remembrance service to Harold Meek. Harold’s death was unique amongst our 45 fallen in that it occurred at sea, in one of the worst U-boat attack’s of WW1. In the space of just 15 minutes he and 609 allied soldiers lost their lives when the requisitioned troop carrier, HMS Aragon and its escort HMS Attack were ambushed and torpedoed off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt. To this day, the bodies of Harold and 327 of his comrades remain lost to the sea.

We felt it was befitting to conduct an ‘at sea’ remembrance service to these brave men without a land grave and with the assistance of Snettisham Sailing Club, conducted a moving one in the presence of the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk (representing HM the Queen) and representatives of the Army and Navy.

A two minute silence was observed and prayers were said and hymns sung by villagers. A wreath of West Norfolk Lavender was laid from the Commodore’s launch escorted by yachts along with a civic letter and one from Callum Yates a pupil from Snettisham Primary School and one from Harold’s family descendants -traced through the project.

This event was positively reported in the EDP.