Stone honouring seafarers unveiled
VETERANS and Sea Cadets were among dozens of people who turned out to honour the legacy of Runcorn’s seafarers.
The Mayor of Halton Cllr Christopher Rowe officially unveiled a new memorial garden and commemorative stone at Runcorn Cemetery on Friday afternoon (September 3) to coincide with Merchant Navy Day.
The stone honours those from the town who served in the Merchant fleet during both world wars, with the garden honouring seamen from all over the world who are buried there.
A guard of honour was formed by sea cadets from Runcorn’s Ts Ashanti, with the Mayor then officially cutting the ribbon.
Speaking at the ceremony, Cllr Rowe said: “We are an island nation. The sea has shaped who we are for hundreds if not thousands of years
“The contribution of seafarers and mariners has been hugely important in our history. In opening this garden, we remember the perils of their existence.”
A dedication ceremony was then led by Reverend Karen Brady St Michaels and all Angels Church.
Runcorn veteran George Blackburn, 95, served as a bomb disposal expert in the army and had many family members who served at sea.
He welcomed the fact merchant navy sailors were getting the recognition they deserved.
“I was invited today and I’m proud. My dad was a prisoner of war in Germany for five years.
“This is deserved. When you think of what they went through.”
While the stone specifically pays tribute to Runcorn merchant sailors who served during both wars, the memorial garden honours all merchant sailors, including those from other parts of the world who died in the town and are buried there.
If a sailor died in the town, through accident or illness, and there was no family to organise a burial, the local authority had to perform that task. They came from all over the world and no one knew their true identity.
An area of the cemetery was set aside for such burials in unmarked graves which are now marked by the new garden.
The project was the brainchild of local historian Tony Miller in collaboration with Halton Council.
He said: “It took about 10 months, it was delayed due to Covid and bad weather but I can’t express how honoured I am.
“There’s still some work to finish. They’ll be planting trees from around the world to honour the fact the sailors were from different countries.”