Bench to honour Falklands veterans and sea crews

The bench has been unveiled in Pickering Park in Hull

A bench has been unveiled in a ceremony to remember Falklands veterans and shipping vessels from Hull.

The bench, in Pickering Park, is dedicated to nine vessels and their crews that supported the Falklands task force.

Veteran Keith Thompson, who funded and organised the event, said it was "a very important day".

April marked the 42nd anniversary of the start of the Falklands War which lasted for 74 days after Argentine forces invaded the Falklands in 1982.

Keith Thompson sailed to the Falklands with the crew of a North Sea ferry

Mr Thompson was working on The Norland, a North Sea Ferry, when the Ministry of Defence (MOD) requisitioned the ship.

Its crew was asked to volunteer to go on the 8,000 mile (12,900km) journey to the Falklands, picking up the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment from Portsmouth on the way.

Three deep-sea tugs and five Hull trawlers and their crews were also taken over by the MOD and sailed to the Falklands to help out in the conflict.

Mr Thompson said: “I think we should carry on and remember these men, particularly the Hull vessels, which did an amazing job.

"The trawlers doing the minesweeping, The Norland with the troops and the three tugs - The Irishman, The Salvageman and The Yorkshireman – they did a fantastic job."

'Forever grateful'

Falkland islander Diane Clune was at the event in Hull on Saturday. Diane lived on the island when Argentina invaded but has since moved to Hull to be near her family.

Ms Clune said: “We will always be forever grateful, and it should never be forgotten for the amount of sacrifice that was given, and the amount of miles that they travelled.

“It's 42 years, but sometimes it feels like two weeks ago,” she added.

Mr Thompson said it was important to remember.

"This is why we've done the bench, so when people visit the park they can see the ships' names and remember the crews," he explained.

"Remember those men who never came home."

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