Heroes of Zeebrugge honoured

Apr 21 2008 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

March to Seacombe from the Wallasey Town Hall for rememberance service to honour Zeebrugge action _320

A ROYAL Marine veteran travelled from Canada to join 200 other ex-servicemen in Wirral yesterday for a ceremony to mark the 90th anniversary of a heroic First World War raid in which the Mersey Ferries played a key role.

The annual Zeebrugge Remembrance service, organised by the Merseyside branch of the Royal Marines Association, was held at Seacombe ferry terminal and aboard one of the ferries.

It started with a march by the ex-marines from Wallasey Town Hall to board the Royal Daffodil at Seacombe. This was followed by the casting of memorial wreathes into the River Mersey, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Zeebrugge Memorial at Seacombe and a VIP inspection of the veterans.

Among the ex-servicemen was former Royal Marine Jim Stowell Smith, who travelled 3,000 miles to attend.

Jim emigrated to Oshewa, in Ontario, Canada, from the UK 36 years ago.

He said: “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I flew over specially last year for the service, and I was determined not to miss this year, the 90th anniversary.

“It was an extremely moving occasion and we should never forget the heroism of those lads. It is our duty to keep the memory of their sacrifice alive for future generations.”

The Zeebrugge landing of April 23, 1918, saw vicious hand-to-hand fighting and the award of 200 medals for gallantry, including eight Victoria Crosses, the highest military honour for bravery.

The original Daffodil and Iris acted both as landing craft for the marines and tugboats to the cruiser HMS Vindictive. They came under heavy fire but both ferries returned battered but intact.

As a result of their action, King George V awarded them the title of “Royal” ferries, a unique distinction that remains to this day.

Neil Scales, chief executive and director general of Merseytravel, which owns and operates the ferries, said: “We should never forget those who lost their lives at Zeebrugge nor the bravery of the crews of our own ferries who took part.

“The Mersey Ferries and the Royal Marines forged an historic link at Zeebrugge that should never be forgotten.”

The Zeebrugge raid aimed to block an outlet for German U-boats and destroyers by sinking three old cruisers in the channel. However, only two of the cruisers were sunk, and the Germans made a new channel round the two ships.

alanweston@dailypost.co.uk