KUANTAN: It was a poignant moment for Henrietta Wood when she attended the unveiling of a memorial for two sunken British warships – HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales – at Teluk Cempedak here today.
Eighty-two years ago today, her grandfather Captain John Leach, who was the Commanding Officer of HMS Prince of Wales, went down with his ship along with 840 others between both the British warships.
The mother of two described the memorial as being built at the "best" location which is some 61 nautical miles off the coast of Kuantan where both the warships sunk on Dec 10, 1941.
"It is extremely honoured to be here (for the unveiling event) to witness the stunning memorial. We are at the most appropriate place to have the memorial which is not far away from the sea (South China Sea)... my grandfather was on that ship (HMS Prince of Wales).
"Being part of this unveiling of a memorial to those brave men is a huge privilege and a very moving experience for me. I cannot thank Your Majesty (Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah) enough for making today happen.
"While it is, therefore, a very personal occasion for me, I hope that I can also be here for the families of both those who died and those who survived," she said in her speech after the unveiling ceremony.
Al-Sultan Abdullah had earlier graced the unveiling of a memorial stone overlooking the South China Sea which is dedicated to the sailors of two sunken British warships.
When met, Wood said she had never been to the site where the ship sank but had seen the photographs of wreaths laid over the war graves of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.
"We are lucky to have salvaged the auxiliary anchor (taken from one of the warships) as I was told that some parts of the ship were damaged.
"This memorial is a reminder of the sacrifices made in war and is also a symbol of the bond between both our countries. It will be special to come back here during the anniversary every year," she said.
In her heartfelt speech earlier, Wood said exactly 82 years ago today, two British ships were attacked and sunk just off the coast from here.
"Eight-hundred forty men lost their lives… 513 from HMS Repulse and 327 from HMS Prince of Wales. My grandfather was among those who did not survive," she said.
Reminiscing the past, Wood said her father Henry Leach (later known as Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Leach) was a midshipman based in Singapore in December 1941 where he had met up with his father (John Leach).
"My father had (then) recently celebrated his 18th birthday. They met each other several hours before the incident and that was the last they met. On the evening of Dec 10, after the sinking of the two warships, my father went to the quayside in Singapore to try to get news of his father.
"After much frustration, he went back to the wardroom where he was told about his father's death by an exhausted first lieutenant of Prince of Wales who had miraculously survived the ordeal. Losing his father at such a young age and such devastating circumstances, I believe contributed to my father's determination to do his absolute best in the Royal Navy," she said, adding that her father ended his career in the Royal Navy as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff.
Prince of Wales, the pride of the British Royal Navy, and Repulse sank on Dec 10, 1941, two days after the Japanese invasion of Malaya.
Both were tasked with intercepting a Japanese invasion fleet at sea. Sailing without air escort, the ships were vulnerable to attacks from Japanese bombers and torpedo aircraft.