Remembrance Day: Armed Forces

Jessica Morden Excerpts

Tuesday 11th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab)]

Like all hon. Members, I had the honour this weekend of being part of a local remembrance service. As always, Newport cenotaph was hugely well attended by veterans, service personnel and residents from across our city, who all came together to pay our respects to those who have served our country, and to those who serve today to keep us safe. We thank them deeply.

Thanks are also due to the Royal British Legion. With the support of the local community in Caerleon, it has adorned every lamp post and school railing with beautiful red poppies. I thank the Redwick History Group, which, along with community members and representatives of The Rifles, has today unveiled a grave marker for a Crimean war veteran, Henry Davies, who has lain for 118 years in an unmarked grave in the churchyard in Redwick.

As well as honouring sacrifices, remembrance means listening to those who are still seeking justice. Ministers will be aware that in Newport and across Wales, veterans of the Falklands war from the Welsh Guards continue to campaign for the release of papers relating to the board of inquiry’s investigation into the bombing of the Sir Galahad in 1982. It is 43 years since the attack, in which 56 people died and many more were injured. Ever since, survivors and their families have sought transparency about what happened, but they need those documents declassified. Some of them are scheduled to remain closed until 2065, which is a long time to wait.

My constituent Mike Hermanis, formerly of the Welsh Guards, first brought this issue to me in a surgery in St Julians around three years ago. On his behalf, and on behalf of others, including Kevin Edwards, may I urge the Department to help speed up the process? The previous Minister, the right hon. Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison), made it clear from the Dispatch Box that no blame is attached to the Welsh Guards, who conducted themselves heroically on that day. I acknowledge his work, but Ministers will understand the desire to get to the truth for those who have lived with this for so many years. For more context, I refer Ministers to Crispin Black’s excellent book, “Too Thin for a Shroud”. Seven documents have been released so far, but there are dozens and dozens to go, and it is taking a long time. I press the Minister to agree to meet us urgently, so that we can finally resolve this, and so that veterans and their families can get to the truth and find the peace that they deserve.

This weekend, our city will remember those who served in the merchant navy at a service organised by the Merchant Navy Association, which is ably chaired by my excellent constituent Allan Speight. The vital role of the merchant navy in conflict is sometimes a little overshadowed and under-appreciated. Over both world wars, more than 54,000 seafarers lost their life as they maintained vital supply lines, while under constant threat from enemy submarines and aircraft, and their sacrifice is never forgotten in Newport.

Newport’s port was recognised as one of the most important in the UK, and during world war two, merchant ships sailing from Newport joined Atlantic and Arctic convoys. More than 430 seamen from Newport were lost in the war, including those on the SS Llanwern; just 11 of the 60-strong crew made it back. We also remember Raymond Steed, the second youngest to die, aged just 14, when the SS Empire Morn was blown up by a U-boat. Such sacrifices are not forgotten by our Doorkeeper Paul, whose uncle Jimmy Kehoe died in 1941 when his ship, too, was sunk by a U-boat.

Finally, I thank all those who provide services for veterans in Newport. I regularly meet Newport veterans, and I thank them for their service in many conflicts. Some of our conversations are more robust than others, but it is always good to hear their views and have their reflections, and I acknowledge that there is always more to do.

As we mark Armistice Day, we should reflect on today’s unstable world. Old threats are resurfacing, fear and anxiety are common feelings, and there are new threats from emerging technologies. Trust, truth and values of honesty and reliability are under attack. Remembrance is about the loss of brave lives, but it is also a living example of our resistance and our determination to defend our values, to demand truth, and not to give in to hostile forces. In these difficult times, we thank all those who have served, and all those who serve today.