A memorial service to commemorate the crew of HMS Triumph (N18) was held on Sunday the 7^thof January 2024 in St. Pauls Church, Newton Abbot. 

HMS Triumph (N18) was laid down by Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness and launched in 1938. The boat was lost in transit in 1942, with a crew of 64, and its fate was unknown until the sunken boat was rediscovered in June 2023. 

Triumph was used for covert operations, such as landing agents in German-occupied areas.  

She undertook one such mission in December 1941, in which she successfully landed agents at Antiparos, Greece on the 30th. She failed to pick up the agents as scheduled on 9th January and was lost probably to a collision with a mine.  All sixty-four crew were lost.  

In June 2023 Greek researchers discovered the lost submarine in the Aegean Sea at a depth of 203 metres. The submarine rests on the seabed of the open sea with an 8-degree starboard list. The lowered periscopes and sealed hatches testify that the Triumph was in a deep dive during its last moments. The diving planes and rudder are in a straight position, indicating that it was at a steady depth when sunk.  

With news of the discovery reached the Newton Abbot Branch of the Royal British Legion the committee pledged to honour those lost especially as HMS Triumph was awarded the freedom of Newton Abbot in 2019, a freedom they exercised last April with a parade, with fixed bayonets, through the town streets.  In addition, Triumph is the Newton Abbot Branch adopted boat.

A very well attended service was taken by Rev. Gareth Regan and was attended by some of the crew of the current HMS Triumph, members of the Submariners Association, the Royal British Legion, with the County Chair in attendance as well as Officers from Newton Abbot Branch RBL, Royal Naval Association, Town Councillors, and other military associations. 

There were 16 Standards paraded in total (RBL County Standard, Submariners Standards from Exeter and Plymouth, RNA Standards from Brixham and Torbay, RBL Standards from Newton Abbot, Plympton, Brixham, Totnes, Paignton, and the RBL Youth Standard, there were four Standards from Devon and Dorset regiment associations, and even the Royal Air Force Association). 

The service included readings by Lieutenant Peter Reynolds, HMS Triumph, and Councillor Louise Cooke.  A brief history of the boat was given by Brian Hall MBE of the Submariners Association and prior to the Last Post being sounded Ian Hurst read a roll call of those lost in the sinking. 

On completion of the church service wreaths were laid at the town War Memorial led by a representative of HMS Triumph.