Royal Marines band concert to honour Falklands heroes

A spectacular concert to commemorate the dedication and sacrifice of those who took part in the Falklands War thirty-five years ago will be held at Hereford cathedral next month.

The concert, by the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Plymouth, will also honour the loss in the conflict by Hereford’s affiliated ship, HMS ANTELOPE.

A total of 28 men with links to the county lost their lives in the conflict, including 19 members of the Special Forces, 18 of whom who were killed in a helicopter crash.

Private Tim Jenkins, from Ross on Wye, who was nineteen years old and a member of 3^rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, died in battle on Mount Longdon.

In addition, Staff Sergeant Jim Prescott was killed on board HMS ANTELOPE while he was trying to defuse an Argentinean bomb.

Organising committee chairman, Rear Admiral Philip Wilcocks, who also fought in the conflict, said: “This concert is an opportunity for the people of Herefordshire to remember those brave men who served in the Falklands, and the part played by HMS ANTELOPE, which was sunk on May 24^th 1982 while defending shipping in San Carlos water.”

“The concert will also mark the strong relationship between the county and the Royal Navy and I am sure the evening will be a truly memorable event.”

A Royal Navy White Ensign will be presented to the cathedral during the concert to mark the county’s links with the Roya Navy which include two HMS LEDBURY’S as well as HMS ANTELOPE and go back to Admiral Nelson’s visit to the county before the Battle of Trafalgar.

Proceeds from the evening will be donated to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and SSAFA - the Armed Forces Charity.

Herefordshire’s SSAFA chairman, Air Commodore Tim Howson, said: “The county has a very proud tradition of supporting its military connections and this event will give people the chance to show their appreciation and affection for those who put themselves, unselfishly, in mortal danger for the sake of the freedom of others. Injuries in conflict are both physical and mental and don’t always appear until many years after war is over. Supporting these charities gives those suffering the opportunity to get the help they so badly need.”

The concert is being held on Saturday May 20^th and starts at 7:30pm. Tickets are on sale from the Courtyard Theatre www.courtyard.co.uk. Tel: 01432 340555.