PROUD survivors of the longest continuous military campaign of World War Two remembered fallen comrades at a special service held at Christchurch Priory.

They were commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Atlantic, which was at its height from mid 1940 to the end of 1943.

Convoys of cargo ships carrying raw materials, munitions and men, escorted by Royal Navy ships were hunted across the Atlantic by “wolf packs” of U-boats.

The battle was pivotal to the success of the Allies, but it came at a huge cost. The Allies lost 30,000 seamen and 2,500 merchant ships were sunk. The Germans lost more than 28,000 submariners and 781 U-boats.

Christchurch Royal Naval Association arranged the service at which 14 standards were paraded into the Priory and it was attended by Royal Naval Association members and veterans of the Royal Navy, Merchant Navy and other services.

Around 15 veterans and widows of the battle were present including Maurice Smithers, 87, who was born in Bournemouth, and served on the cruiser HMS Royalist.

“I did two goes at the Tirpitz,” he said. “We escorted the aircraft carriers to north Norway, to Kaa Fjord, to attack the battleship.”

At the service with wife Doreen, he said it was nice to be able to reminisce with old comrades and remember those who did not return.

Others who survived the Battle of the Atlantic and were there to remember included Ton Fradley, 96, who read the lesson, Bernard Sellers, 88, who served on the minesweeper HMS Cynthia and Ron Cunningham, 89, from Bear Cross who served on three ships.

Christchurch RNA chairman Dennis Morris, 89, another holder of the Atlantic Medal, served on the destroyer HMS Winchester.

“You went to attack stations with all your clothes and your life jacket on and that’s how you stayed for four or eight hours or however long it lasted,” he recalled.

The service was attended by Christchurch mayor, Cllr John Lofts, a master mariner in the merchant fleet, and it was taken by the Rev Christopher Mann, priest in charge and chaplain to Christchurch RNA.