Prince Charles performed a task close to his heart in Alrewas on Tuesday. He planted a tree at the National Memorial Arboretum to honour his uncle, the late Lord Louis Mountbatten. The memorial is also a commemoration of the lives of all who served alongside him when he captained HMS Kelly, a World War II destroyer sunk off Crete on May 23 1941 with the loss of nine officers and 121 ratings. It was a moving visit during which the Prince talked with veterans and surviving families. The Prince spent half an hour chatting to nine veterans, including 'Tug' Wilson, and 60 members of the Kelly Association. He was interested in their personal memories of the ship and their comrades. After inspecting a guard of honour, the Prince met with Countess Mountbatten and attended a private service of dedication in the Arboretum Chapel.

The service was conducted by Canon Roger Royle, a friend of the Association who also blessed the Kelly Tree, an English Oak, planted by the Prince. "He showed a great interest in veterans' memories of his uncle and the ship and in the whole Arboretum project," said a spokesman. The Prince signed the visitors' book before touring the 150-acre site accompanied by Arboretum director David Childs. Over 40,000 trees have been planted on the site by organisations and individuals since the first plantings at the Arboretum in 1997. HMS Kelly was built at Hawthorn Leslies' shipyard on South Tyneside and commissioned in August 1939. It helped to sink a German U-boat on the second day of the war and shortly after was chosen to sail to Le Havre for a secret mission to bring the Duke and Duchess of Windsor back to Britain. A year before she was sunk, the ship was badly damaged by a German E-Boat off the coast of Holland when 27 ratings were killed. Lord Mountbatten was the only captain of HMS Kelly, being appointed at the time of its commissioning in 1939. The ship was immortalised in the film In Which We Serve. To see larger versions of the pictures (31kb - 79kb) just click on the appropriate picture