The annual dinner to commemorate the sinking of HMS Monmouth in 1915 had an air of sadness this year as it had been learned in July that the seventh ship to bear the name had been decommissioned, writes Des Pugh.

In June 2021, the type 23 frigate, F235, HMS Monmouth, affectionately known as the Black Duke and carried the most battle honours of any ship name that was serving in the Royal Navy, was unceremoniously decommissioned and has become an organ donor for other Royal Navy ships.Members of the Royal Naval association (RNA), former crew of hms monmouth civic guests and friends toasted to ’absent friends’ at the event held at the Hitchcock Pavilion and heard from RNA President Captain Alun Jones of the Royal Navy told of how the first ship had met her end at the battle of coronel with all hands lost."This is not a wake for the last HMS Monmouth, it’s a Coronel Dinner which is why it falls to me to say a few words" he said and recounted the 1915 action at Coronel in which the battle-damaged Monmouth met her fate and capsized with all 734 hands.He explained Monmouth was named after Monmouthshire and not the Black Duke but was still the only ship in the navy to have its name painted in black and flew a plain black flag alongside the ensign.Mary Shipton then read out a message from Lady Sheena Eaton, the ship’s sponsor, who recalled the launch of the Black Duke in 1991 and the many visits by the crew to Monmouth, which included the granting of the Freedom of the town in April 2003.She was also present when the screen in St Mary’s Priory Church was dedicated in 1996 to the men who lost their lives in the Battle of Coronel.Then Captain Tim Stockings, Royal Navy and captain of HMS Monmouth between 2000 and 2002 said that the spirit of ’Monmouth’ does live on, "a ship is about the people who served in her, the people that were touched by her and the people whose lives were saved by her"He took her into Iraq and how, in 2011, the shop was berthed alongside the World Trade Centre in Barcelona when the news of the disaster at the twin towers altered their itinery. He recalled the crew and proceeded under new orders from the Commander-in-Chief Fleet and carried on to do "some very interesting stuff!".The point about Monmouth and the Royal Navy is you go with what you’ve got when you’re there" he added "and what you’ve got is the people, the men and the women and I was very fortunate to have both". He then went on to recount an amusing story about his female doctor’s first open case with the crew, a tale that will stay with those who attended the dinner."The Black Duke drew sailors to her who wanted to be part of something really really special" he added.There might not be another Black Duke but you have young sailors who represent the absolute epitomy of the best of British" and asked those present to rise, celebrate the memories and toast to F235 the Black Duke, HMS Monmouth.