Presiding Officer to join veterans to mark Merchant Navy Day
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM, Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales will attend the annual Merchant Navy Day service at the Merchant Navy Memorial in Cardiff Bay, on Saturday May 24th and then host a reception in the Senedd for those who attend the service.
Strong links exist between the Assembly and the Merchant Navy Association. The Merchant Navy Memorial, which forms the focal point for remembrance of the sacrifices made by the Merchant Navy sailing from Welsh ports in two World Wars, is sited on the Senedd’s slate plinth. The Presiding Officer has regularly supported the Merchant Navy Association’s annual service of remembrance at the memorial.
Lord Elis-Thomas said: “The National Assembly is enormously proud that the merchant navy memorial is so close to our home in Cardiff Bay. The Pierhead building, part of the Assembly’s estate, was also a welcoming site for thousands of merchant seamen as they returned to the port of Cardiff after months at sea. It is vitally important that the Assembly has close links with the Merchant Navy Association, as we recognise and honour the vital contribution made by merchant seamen from this area during the Second World War.”