Special Service Marks 80th Anniversary at St John’s Church
Exactly 80 years on from its original dedication, a special service will be held at St John’s Church, Pembroke Dock, on Sunday October 26th to mark the return to the town of the RAF Pembroke Dock Memorial Window.
The Chaplain-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force, the Venerable Giles Legood, will lead the service, alongside the Vicar of Pembroke Dock, the Rev Alexandra Grace.
The magnificent stained glass window was originally dedicated in the former Royal Dockyard Chapel - then the RAF Pembroke Dock Church - on Sunday October 28th 1945, just weeks after the end of World War II. Today the Dockyard Chapel is the home of the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre and last month the window went on view there.
In the intervening decades following the closure of the RAF Station in the late 1950s, the window was displayed at Plymouth before becoming a feature at the RAF Museum in London for 30 years. Now it has returned ‘home’ and is on loan to the Heritage Centre from the RAF Museum.
The St John’s service begins at 1pm with distinguished and service guests headed by the Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed, Miss Sara Edwards, and music is provided by the RAF’s Central Band Brass Quintet.
Later there will be a short ceremony at the Heritage Centre when the window will be re-dedicated by the Chaplain-in-Chief. Due to space constraints this ceremony has had to be restricted to invited guests, service personnel and those directly connected with the Heritage Centre.