HMS Excellent parade Ground in action

Remembrance troops put through their paces at HMS Excellent before Cenotaph role

5th November 2024 at 5:28pm

Watch: Remembrance troops put through their paces at HMS Excellent before Cenotaph role

Personnel at HMS Excellent have been practising to make sure they are ready to lead commemorations at the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday.

Forty-eight members of the Royal Marines Band Service lead 65 Royal Navy sailors and officers, 31 Royal Marines and eight members of Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service, in London.

But now, HMS Excellent resounded to the sound of boots and music, as sailors and Royal Marines prepared for their role.

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Warrant Officer Class 1 Glynn Moffet is State Ceremonial Training Officer for the Royal Navy and told BFBS Forces News talks start “within the state ceremonial training group around March” in preparation for the event.

“But actually, the culmination of training starts three weeks before delivery of the National Act of Remembrance,” he said.

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From ships and submarines to bases and barracks, all personnel want to be at the nation’s focal point of remembrance.

And many have very personal reasons for volunteering.

Marine Benjamin Dixon, 40 Commando, said his “great-grandfather served in World War Two so it’s a perfect opportunity to remember him”.

Meanwhile, Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer Adam Jamieson said his great-uncles were in the RAF.

He explained one of them was a prisoner of war, while another was shot down in the North Sea.

“He’s commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial, so straight away that’s one reason for wanting to do it,” he said.

Three weeks of hard training is almost at an end – but they’re more than ready for their role leading the nation in remembrance. 

Petty Officer naval nurse Soriana Mackie said personnel were “feeling and remembering about how important it is for us to be here”.

“To be marching, not just to be here as part of the Royal Navy, but to be representing the Queen Alexandra Royal Navy Nursing Service,” she said.

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