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This page was updated on: Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Salute to War Dead

War heroes were remembered by the Ventures at one of the two poignant memorial events in the New Forest over the bank holiday Monday 29th May 2006.

US airmen killed in action, from among the 30,000 Americans based at airfields in the New Forest between 1942 and 1944, were honoured on Monday's Memorial Day while a church congregation gathered to recall the sinking of HMS Hood 65 years ago.

In US tradition the Stars and Stripes was flown at half mast at the New Forest Airfields Memorial in South Holmsley until noon, when it was raised to the top of the flag pole in a simple act of remembrance for about 100 people, including family and friends of ex-servicemen.

Wreaths, poppies and floral tributes were laid.

The previous day an annual commemoration service for HMS Hood was held at St John the Baptist Church in Boldre.

HMS Hood, which was the pride of Britain's fleet in its heyday, was sunk in May 1941 by the German ship Bismarck, killing 1,415 men.

Its remains were found 3,000 metres under the sea in the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland.

A spokesman for St John's Church said the sense of loss was felt not only by the families of those who died, but by the whole nation.

He said added that among those who died was Vice-Admiral Holland, who, with his wife and family, had been a regular worshipper at Boldre for many years and it was through them a scheme was carried through to bring the Hood Commemoration to Boldre.