Culdrose helicopter delivers Remembrance wreath to Helston Railway

The first wreath of the poignant Routes of Remembrance campaign last week began its journey in Cornwall after it was delivered by Royal Navy helicopter to Helston Preservation Railway.

The helicopter crew from the Fleet Air Arm’s 824 Naval Air Squadron took the opportunity during a training sortie to drop off the wreath, which was dubbed the ‘first of the many,’ to start a very eventful journey.

The Merlin before the wreath was delivered to the team at Helston Railway (Image: The Veterans Charity)

The wreath was presented to train driver and railway general manager Colin Savage, who is also a former pilot.

The wreath’s onward journey was taken to the Isles of Scilly, then back to Cornwall where it travelled by train to London on Armistice Day.

It was the second year for the charity’s Routes of Remembrance campaign and the third year for Poppies to Paddington in conjunction with Great Western Railway.

Last year a Merlin from Culdrose took the Cornish wreath to Lands End for an iconic image before flying it to the Scillies.

And this year it was the turn of Helston’s heritage railway to play a part.

Lieutenant Commander Steve Ivill oversaw both aircraft sorties. Steve is also the Truthall Half Stationmaster and a longstanding volunteer at the railway, which is currently working to reinstate a three-mile section of the old Helston branch line, which closed in the 1960s.

He said: “We were so pleased to help The Veterans Charity launch its Routes of Remembrance campaign last year and when discussing it this year, the Helston railway seemed a great way to start the wreath on its journey.

“The flight was a training sortie for one of our crew members, but it made it possible for us to drop the wreath off en route.

“I think everyone can relate to the Routes of Remembrance campaign, whether they served in the military or not, and the need to support our veterans should they fall on hard times.

“It’s just a brilliant charity to be involved with and we greatly appreciate all the hard work they do, so this was just a token of something we could do to help launch this year’s campaign.”

The Royal Navy pilots and the volunteers at Helston Railway (Image: The Veterans Charity)

Iain Henderson, a charity trustee based in Cornwall worked with Lt Cdr Ivill and the railway to organise the launch and said they were genuinely grateful for the efforts of the Culdrose Crew.

He said: “Once again the team as RNAS Culdrose has come up trumps and given us an amazing opportunity to launch the campaign in style, we cannot thank them enough.

“The volunteers at the railway have also been tremendous and it is a very fitting place to launch a remembrance campaign because during the Second World War the line was a key link moving troops, armaments, cargo, and evacuees.”

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