Illustrious sails in to remember war dead

Published on Saturday 11 November 2006 01:19

THE Royal Navy flagship, HMS Illustrious, steamed up the Thames in London yesterday for a weekend of Remembrance Day events.

Just before the 22,500-tonne Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier reached the Thames Barrier - with just 49ft clearance at either side - the ship's 600-strong company manned the decks.

When it approached the Millennium Dome, a lone Gurkha piper from an affiliated regiment began to play.

As the warship - 689ft long, 118ft wide and powered by four Concorde engines - passed the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, it dwarfed the Cutty Sark, moored nearby.

Scores of people lined the water's edge to see the ship, which helped evacuate British citizens from Lebanon earlier this year and is known affectionately to her crew as "Lusty".

Captain Tim Fraser, the ship's commanding officer, said it was a "great honour" to support the City of London in its act of remembrance.

Illustrious will provide a 50-sailor honour guard at the Lord Mayor's Show today and hold an evening reception for up to 750 guests, including the First Sea Lord, Sir Jonathon Band.

Some 250 of the ship's company and their families will then attend the Remembrance Service at St Paul's Cathedral tomorrow.