Yesterday we witnessed the Trooping of the Colour for her majesty the Queen's official birthday...
Being ex-military I always get a certain amount of pleasure from these occasions; we Brits do the pomp pretty well don't we. 
While yesterday's performance was primarily a happy occasion, I always find myself reflecting on the ones who can never return... the fallen... so I also find myself feeling somewhat humbled too.
I guess being an ex-sailor it's not surprising it is those sailors lost at sea that spring first to my mind; particularly those I knew who died during the Falklands Campaign... 
This year I found myself draw in a particular direction; that of the world of the submariner. I never served on one of these hideous beasts, but I do have the greatest respect for those who did.
The idea of spending my life beneath the waves never appealed to me... not even the extra pay was an incentive as far as I was concerned... somehow 'boats' never seemed safe to me.
There's a memorial in Portsmouth listing those RN submarines lost at sea... I dread to think how many men lost their lives when all these boats sank...
(click both images for larger views)
