The Fleet Air Arm Memorial Church

14/06/2026

Today on the 44th anniversary of the Falklands Islands Liberation Day we commemorate all the lives lost during the 74 day conflict. We particularly remember the 19 Fleet Air Arm men who never came home from the South Atlantic in 1982.
View the Fleet Air Arm Operation Corporate Roll of Honour: https://1drv.ms/b/c/f341076283df2070/IQBwIN-DYgdBIIDzbwUAAAAAAWqOAbvsIL8nJKhQAN1fl4A?e=FNFAdP

05/06/2026

Our thoughts and prayers are for the families, friends and colleagues of Lieutenant Commander Chris Gayson, Lieutenant Lily-Mae Fisher and Petty Officer Aircrewman Owen Green.

28/05/2026

14/05/2026

Remembering the nine men of HMS BRILLIANT killed 37 years ago in Lynx Mk3, Serial No. XZ244 of 829 Naval Air Squadron, when it crashed into the Indian Ocean north of Mombasa in Kenya;
Lieutenant Commander Christopher Fessey (Flight Commander)
Lieutenant Jonathan Williams (Observer)
Chief Petty Officer Simon Banks-Popple
Chief Petty Officer Paul James
Chief Communications Yeoman Mark Potter
Chief Petty Officer Colin Simpson
Leading Seaman Colin Roy
Leading Regulator Philip Stevenson
Able Seaman John Savage

13/05/2026

By the time the Royal Naval Air Service (officially formed on 1 July 1914) merged with the Royal Flying Corps almost four years later, its strength had risen from 720 to 55,000 men, its aircraft numbers increased from 93 to 3,000 and gone from operating just six airships to 103.

I am grateful to David Reid and Andrew Berry for both sending me the story of WO Herbert Cook, who served on RNAS Airships in WWI... and forwarded on this press cutting from the Daily Telegraph. VMT

07/05/2026

06/05/2026

Today, 6 May, the Fleet Air Arm lost 29 men. Among them Sea Harrier pilots Lieutenant Commander John ‘E.J’ Eyton-Jones and Lieutenant William 'Al' Curtis both listed ‘Missing in Action’ during the Falklands Conflict. Also in 2006 during Op TELIC, Lieutenant Commander Darren Chapman, Captain David Dobson, Marine Paul Collins and the two Royal Air Force passengers killed in Lynx AH Mk7 XZ614. RIP.

28/04/2026

Today we hosted staff from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission southwest region for a tour of the church and Royal Naval Cemetery. They were joined by several volunteers from the Eyes On, Hands On programme who help the Commission monitor the condition of scattered WWI and WWII graves countrywide.
The Royal Naval Cemetery was looking splendid as always thanks to our Commonwealth War Graves Commission Head Gardener, Mark, and his temporary assistants for this week Ben and Callum. Thank you guys!
The picture shows the staff by the grave of Honorary Vice Admiral Sir Donald Gosling KCVO.

23/04/2026

Our gift this April, Month of the Military Child, is something special for our little troopers 💛

We’re giving away an A6 magnet featuring the Dandelion Poem, perfect for popping on the fridge at home as a daily reminder of those powerful words and what it means to be a dandelion.

We have 200 magnets available and you can enter the ballot now!

Entries close at the end of April, when the ballot will be drawn and magnets sent out.

All terms and details, along with the application form, can be found on our website. Link in the comments to get yours! 👇

21/04/2026