TRIBUTES were paid to more than 250,000 allied troops at an emotional memorial ceremony in Inveraray last Thursday.
nes from Faslane and members of the 29th Royal Artillery from Plymouth joined members of the public to remember the men and women who were stationed at the local combined operations base during World War II.
The crowd listened as the Duke of Argyll spoke of the ‘invaluable and immeasurable’ role the area played during those ‘dark days.’
The Duke added that he was honoured to unveil the stone memorial and said it was a fitting and permanent reminder of those who never returned home.
The idea for a permanent memorial came from Jim Jepson, general secretary of the Combined Operations Association.
Mr Jepson ran the Argyll Estate Combined Operations Museum in Inveraray for 20 years until its closure.
He said: ‘There was nothing left to remind people of the base here at Inveraray and I felt there should be.
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‘I would like to thank Argyll Holiday Park manager Jim McCulloch and his staff, Bonnar Quarry for donating the stone and Midton Acrylics of Lochgilphead for saving the ceremony by restoring the badge which was storm damaged.’
Army, Navy and RAF personnel undertook training from the base during World War Two, which is now Argyll Holiday Park.
May Beattie of Inveraray was among the crowd of people who paid their respects at the memorial. She recalled working in the NAFFI canteen as a teenager and said she could ‘still see the young men and women from all over the world’ who were based at Inveraray.
Reverend Rod MacLeod dedicated the memorial and piper Graham Renton played a lament before a minute’s silence took place.
Also attending the ceremony was Mr and Mrs Wright from Hamilton, who met each other at the base all those years ago.
