REPRESENTATIVES from the British Armed Forces gathered at Pendennis Castle in Falmouth this morning to celebrate the countdown to Armed Forces Day.
Despite the wet and windy weather, crowds of current and former servicemen and women gathered on the grounds of Pendennis Castle to celebrate the beginning of the countdown to Armed Forces Day 2023, taking place on June 24 and 25.
First up was a flyover by a military helicopter which took place over the castle itself and saw a flag raised from within the building itself.
After a few fly-overs, the helicopter flew off back to base and canon salute took place which saw a gun fired across Falmouth bay.
Once the first gun had been fired, two abseilers descended down from the top of Pendennis Castle, stopping half-way for the unfurling of an Armed Forces Day flag.
Chief Petty Officer Paul Bryant, who is based at RNAS Culdrose, told The Packet: “I was born and bred in Falmouth and have spent 42 years now in the navy, 32 years as a regular and the last 10 years as a reservist.
“Armed forces day is very important, not only to the armed forces themselves but the communities that support them. It’s very prevalent in Falmouth, I’ve sailed many ships from the docks in Falmouth.
“Without a doubt, Falmouth is unique, especially for the Navy. My family worked in the docks and worked on HMS Campbeltown during the St Nazaire Raid, so joining the Navy for me was a natural progression.
“My first ship was HMS Victory, now a lot of people say ‘that’s not a real ship, but yes it is a commissioned war ship, I was guide on their for my first year at the age of 16 or 17, and that really projected by career. From there I’ve been on so many ships, to numerous to recount. It’s been fantastic from the age of 16.”
Air Engineering Technician, Kieran Ashley, another local boy hailing from Helston, told The Packet: “I think Armed Forces Day is really important, not only to the Navy, but to the wider collective. It gives us an opportunity to get together and celebrate everything we’ve achieved this year and get some recognition for the hard work we do, mainly behind closed doors.
“Being from Helston, the Royal Navy air station is right on your doorstep, so seeing the Merlin Mk IIs flying around, it’s kind of a no-brainer, it gets you excited and you kind of want a bit of the action.
“I joined up as an air engineer and haven’t looked back since.”
Pendennis Castle has been chosen for the 100-day milestone. Now in the care of English Heritage, the Tudor fortress has defended Cornwall for hundreds of years and saw service during the World Wars. It is a key landmark in the town of Falmouth - which will be the centre point for Armed Forces Day celebrations for the UK on 24 and 25 June.
The unveiling of the flag starts its 100-day special tour around the length and breadth of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly culminating in ‘Top Gun’ style stunts from the Red Arrows with other military aerial displays planned at the National Event in June. Along with the parades and service drills there’s a chance to see a range of military vehicles up close. The whole event is free and includes a tour of a naval ship if you book via the website in advance.
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