Newbury remembers the sinking of HMS Tigris 68 years on

A service is to be held at a Newbury Church for the town's adopted submarine and its crew, sunk by a German submarine chaser in 1943.

The service which will take place this Sunday at St Nicholas church is held every year in the same month that HMS Tigris sank with all 63 crew on board.

The memorial event attracts up to 100 people a year, including relatives of the 63 crew members.

Newbury adopted the Tigris as part of a national scheme.

Towns all over the UK adopted ships and submarines to raise money for the Navy during World War II.

Councillors, members of the Royal British Legion and Royal Naval Association and young members of the Sea Cadets are expected at the service at St Nicholas Church.

Annual event

Bob McGuinness, chairman of the local Royal Naval Association and local Submariners Association in Newbury said a former submariner who served on HMS Tigris would also attend the service.

"Vernon Coles, 91, is a World War II veteran living in Newbury, who served on the Tigris," he said.

"He left the submarine to go and do what was considered a more dangerous job, working on the X Class submarines. These were also known as midgets, very small submarines with a four man crew.

"He knew those on board the Tigris when it sank," he said.

Mr McGuinness said it was common for towns and cities across the UK to 'adopt' submarines and ships during the World War II.

After HMS Tigris was sunk, the town continued to remember the submarine on significant anniversaries of the event.

However, a decade ago, Mr McGuinness began organising the commemoration as an annual event.

"There's a lot of support from the Royal British Legion, and from the Submariners Association," he said.

In recent years, Ann Gristwood, whose father William G Lincoln DSM was on board HMS Tigris when it sank, has also attended the service.

The Reverend Sarah Alexander will take the service at St Nicholas Church.

Before the service a procession will take place in Newbury ending at the war memorial where Mr Coles will lay a wreath.

Mr McGuinness said the war in Afghanistan had made people remember the loss of lives in previous conflicts.

"The loss of servicemen and women is in the forefront of people's minds, and that means the older losses are better remembered," he said.

"Submarines are still used to protect supply ships going out to Afghanistan."