The men of Arbroath’s 45 Commando opened the door on a special corner of their home at the weekend.
In a first for the Condor base, the Woodland Memorial Garden was the setting for an open event as the unit showed off the beautiful facility in a thank you to those whose contributions helped create it.
Superb weather helped display the tranquil setting at its early summer best as a steady stream of Saturday visitors enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the garden and the thought which has gone into every aspect of its creation as a memorial to the men who have died in the service of 45 Commando since they took up home in Angus more than four decades ago.
The groups of guests were welcomed by Woodland Garden manager Captain Keith Robertson and his predecessor, Captain Keith Lewis, along with the Arbroath man Gavin Broomhall, the head gardener who oversees the upkeep of the special plot.
Visitors heard all about the thinking behind the project, leading up to its opening in November 2011, whilst Mr Broomhall enlightened green-fingered guests about the choices of plants and trees.
Capt Lewis said it was a delight to realise the ambition of creating the garden and allowing public access to those from many and varied community groups who had helped make it a reality.
“I was given the brief by the then CO to create the garden and have it open on 11/11/11 and within eight months that was what we did,” he said.
“To build it was £250,000 but if you were doing it as a private project you would probably be looking at more than £1 million.
“We were able to do it through the hard work and generosity of not only the men of the Commando, but the community and industry, and without them it wouldn’t have happened,” he added.
Capt Lewis said: “We have seen the rehabilitation and reflection that it can bring to marines and the families of men who have served with 45 Commando.”
At its heart stands the woodland garden memorial stone to those 45 Commando has lost, in conflict and peacetime.
Poignantly, the name of Marine Ralph Hebden is newly etched on the granite block following the 32-year-old’s tragic death earlier this year after he went missing on a clifftop run just days before his wife was due to give birth to their first child.
Capt Robertson said: “We have seen how important this has become to the men of the corps who, if they have had a tough day or are going through a hard time, will come in here for a few minutes.”
He said the confines of a military base made it difficult to allow open-door access to the public, but was delighted to be able to set up the thank you event.
“Today we are able to welcome people who have lived with 45 Commando all their lives and have supported the unit particularly this project. We wanted to repay them for that support and generosity by inviting them to see the garden as it has developed,” he said.
Alongside the memorial and pink poppies chosen to signify gratitude in a break from the traditional red are stones from countries linked to 45 Commando, including Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq and the Falkland Islands.