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Remembered Today:

Faslane Cemetery - HM Submarine K13


mbriscoe

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I took some pictures of the HM Submarine K13 War Memorial in Faslane cemetery a few years ago but it was a wet miserable day so not ideal conditions.

 

I had a request from a relative of one for a picture of their grave so I went back down today and took some more in better conditions so many of the headstone were in shadow and quite dark so still not ideal pictures.  I will post a link later though the above should show them when I have edited them.

One thing that puzzled me is that many of the headstones have ""KNOWN TO BE BURIED IN THIS PLOT" at the top of the headstone.  I have never seen this before, anyone know the reason?

 

 

 

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the wording  known to be buried in this plot/cemetery  is quite common in some of the CWG cemeteries in France/Belgium where the original cemetery was destroyed by shelling etc. and then rebuilt.  the original named  graves sites have being destroyed  but the named/unnamed soldier was known to be buried there.  the replacement headstones are usually placed near the outer edge of the cemeteries.  was Faslane cemetery damaged/moved  at any time??

 

regards

 

Bob R.

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This sub went down on a trial dive somewhere near Faslane.

When I was stationed there from 1968 to 1971, there was a story in the local newspaper that every anniversary of the sinking, a flower wreath was mysteriously found on the memorial.

No one had bothered to ask or tell the RN about this, so when the anniversary was coming up they stationed a sailor there, and he found an oldish man who came in on the day, very early, and laid his wreath.

It turned out that he was the one who survived. He was Captain's steward and was in Helensburgh shopping when it all happened. He had been laying a wreath at his own expense every year for decades.

Naturally, once this was known the Navy offered him hospitality in the Base (which is just across the road) whenever he came, and even thereafter paid his rail fare.

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More than one person survived.

 

The K13 memorial in Australia was erected by the family of a survivor

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Were the men buried side by side in one large grave. Once filled in it was not possible to say exactly where individual men were buried. As a result it was not possible to place a gravestone over an individual body, but it was certain that he had been buried in the plot.

 

I think I remember that the civilian casualties are buried in a different plot in the cemetery. Are there individual gravestones there?

 

RM

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17 minutes ago, rolt968 said:

Were the men buried side by side in one large grave. Once filled in it was not possible to say exactly where individual men were buried. As a result it was not possible to place a gravestone over an individual body, but it was certain that he had been buried in the plot.

 

I think I remember that the civilian casualties are buried in a different plot in the cemetery. Are there individual gravestones there?

 

RM

 

You can see the layout if you click on FLICKR.  The RN graves are in two lines by the War Memorial.  The shipyard workers are nearer to the gate, around the curve and edge of the grassed area, they are all in individual graves.  Not all the RN graves have the inscription on them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by mbriscoe
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51 minutes ago, rolt968 said:

Were the men buried side by side in one large grave. Once filled in it was not possible to say exactly where individual men were buried. As a result it was not possible to place a gravestone over an individual body, but it was certain that he had been buried in the plot.

 

I think I remember that the civilian casualties are buried in a different plot in the cemetery. Are there individual gravestones there?

 

RM

in the posted photo there are CWGC style head stones but in black and grey with gold lettering, could be the civilian casualties??

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The ones at the front and a few nearer the War Memorial are the civilians, they can be spotted because they do not have the crest on them.

 

Memorial to H M Submarine K13, Faslane Cemetery

 

Memorial to H M Submarine K13, Faslane Cemetery

 

 

Edited by mbriscoe
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  • 3 weeks later...

Sobering tale but ultimately the rescue was successful (almost despite itself).  I have the photographs taken at the time of the rescue.  It all makes for an enlightening contrast with the 1939 Thetis disaster. 

Edited by Hyacinth1326
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