Coral Harbour Base, Bahamas –
The
Royal Bahamas Defence Force partnered with the British Legion-Bahamas Branch
(BLBB) on Friday November 1st for a Pre-Remembrance Day Military Wreath Laying
Ceremony at Rawson Square in commemoration of the ending of world war II, which
took place in June of 1944.
Also
on Saturday November 2, 2019, the Honourable Mark Humes, Member of Parliament
of Fort Charlotte along with the Acting Commander Defence Force, Captain
Raymond King, officers and marines participated in wreath-laying ceremonies at
the Veterans War Cemetery, Infant View Road.
Wreaths
were laid near the Queen Victoria statue as a tribute to Bahamian military
veterans, who served in both World Wars I and II. Special recognition was also
given to several World War II Bahamian Royal Air Force pilots and World War I
contributors. These included the first Gallant Five (5) Bahamian men to volunteer
for the war.
The
event was organized by the BLBB in collaboration with the RBDF. The Master and
Mistress of the ceremony were Commander Shonedel Pinder, RBDF liaison to the
BLBB, and Woman Marine Reservist Adina Munroe-Charlow, Chairman/Treasurer of
the BLBB, who also gave a colorful history of the Bahamian pilots involvement
during the war.
Attending
the ceremony were the Governor General His Excellency The Most Honorable
Cornelius Smith, the Minister of National Security, the Honorable Marvin Dames,
Executive Officers of the British Legion–Bahamas Branch, Captain Raymond King, Acting
Commander Defence Force, Mrs Sarah Dickson, British High Commissioner to The Bahamas, representatives
from the Diplomatic Corps, representatives from the Police Force and The
Department of Correctional Services, families of the fallen veterans, senior
officials from the Ministry of Education and faculties and students from the
R.M Bailey Senior High School, C.R. Walker Senior High School and T.G. Glover
School.
Following the ceremony, His Excellency was given a brief tour of the exhibition displaying the Bahamian Royal Air Force pilots.
Release: RBDF