A wreath has been laid over the wreck of the third Ark Royal by one of the old carrier’s successors.

The flagship of Naval Task Group 2003 – the fifth ship to bear the name Ark Royal – staged the ceremony while in transit in the Eastern Mediterranean yesterday.

The ceremony, conducted by the Ark’s Chaplain, Rev John Green, was held on the ship’s quarterdeck, and featured a guard of 12 sailors, led by S/Lt Martin Walker from Doncaster, who said: “It is an honour to be chosen to be Officer of the Guard for such an important ceremony.

“It is good that the ship’s company of the third Ark Royal’s modern-day successor can pay its respects.”

The wreath was presented to the ship by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr Bryan North, on behalf of the people of the city when he learnt that the Ark would be sailing over the site during the deployment.

Many of the people involved in the ceremony have strong links with Leeds and Yorkshire, and some have a direct link with the third Ark itself.

None more so than one of the wreath-bearers, LSA Lucy Brown, whose late grandfather served in the third Ark when it was sunk 18 miles off the coast of Spain while returning to Gibraltar on a Malta Convoy run in November 1941.

Mne Thomas Brown was officially a member of the Gangway Staff, and LSA Brown recalled her grandfather saying that when he had been in trouble, he was employed as a potato peeler.

LSA Brown said: “I am really proud to be a wreath-bearer for this ceremony, and my grandfather would have been proud of me too.”

Mne Brown, who did not like to talk about the sinking, was the first man to be rescued.

The ceremony was also attended by Commodore Jamie Miller, the Commander of the Amphibious Task Group, the Commanding Officer of HMS Ark Royal, Capt Alan Massey – who read the citation – and many of the ship’s company and embarked commandos.