A service commemorated the 80th anniversary of the sinking of a war vessel.

HMCS Alberni, a Canadian warship, was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat 20 miles south of St Lawrence on August 21, 1944.

All 59 sailors lost their lives.

The ceremony was conducted by the Vicar of St Lawrence, the Reverend Rob Marsh, and the address was given by the Archdeacon, the Venerable Steve Daughtery.

The Venerable Steve Daughtery, Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight, giving the address The Venerable Steve Daughtery, Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight, giving the address (Image: Michael Dunkason)

The names of the 59 sailors were read by Captain Bob Peschke, Naval Attache from the High Commission in London and Mr Bob Sackett, from the Alberni project in Canada.

Captain Peschke reading the names of the lost sailors Captain Peschke reading the names of the lost sailors (Image: Michael Dunkason)

HMCS AlberniHMCS Alberni (Image: Government of Canada)

During the ceremony, the Canadian National Anthem was sung by Karis Wygiera, a music student from the University of Surrey.

Karis Wygiera singing the Canadian National Anthem Karis Wygiera singing the Canadian National Anthem (Image: Michael Dunkason)

A plaque was unveiled by Diana McGreachen, the cousin of one of the sailors who lost their lives, and a memorial bench was blessed.

Left to right: The Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Susie Sheldon, Mrs Diana McGrechen, Captain Christopher Peschke, Mr Bob Sackett Left to right: The Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Susie Sheldon, Mrs Diana McGrechen, Captain Christopher Peschke, Mr Bob Sackett (Image: Michael Dunkason)

The event came about from a meeting between Diana and David Garton, who leads a team of volunteers to maintain the peace garden.

Commissioned at Esquimalt, British Columbia, on February 4, 1941, the Flower Class corvette HMCS Alberni arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on April 13 and left on May 23 for St John’s, Newfoundland, to join the recently formed Newfoundland Escort Force.

HMCS Alberni left the following month with a convoy for Iceland, serving as a mid-ocean escort until May 1942.

Assigned to duties in connection with the invasion of North Africa, she sailed for the UK in October with convoy HX.212, and until February 1943 escorted convoys between the UK and the Mediterranean.

She returned to Halifax in March 1943 before transferring to Québec Force in May. For the next five months, she escorted Québec-Labrador convoys, proceeded to Bermuda, and on her return to Halifax joined Escort Group W-4.

On April 24, she sailed for the UK for duties connected with the upcoming invasion, and was still engaged in these when she was torpedoed and sunk.