Honouring AB(EW) Stephen Heyes at HMS Collingwood
Staff from HMS Collingwood place the names badges of the Falklands Fallen
This month at HMS Collingwood, a quiet but poignant ceremony took place—a tree planting that not only marks environmental renewal but also stands as a living tribute to three young Electronic Warfare sailors who trained there (actually HMS Dryad) before deploying to war and making the ultimate sacrifice, in particular AB(EW) Stephen Heyes on HMS Ardent.
During the recent redevelopment works and demolition of the Vivian Building, three mature trees were lost. In their place, six new native trees have been planted across the site, each with its own significance. Most movingly for our Association, one tree was planted specifically outside the Lewin Building, honouring the memory of AB(EW) Stephen Heyes and two other Electronic Warfare specialists—former Collingwood trainees who served and died in 1982 during the Falklands Conflict.
Led by the Commanding Officer Captain Tim Davey and Royal Navy Chaplain Rev Joshua Bell, the service brought together Collingwood staff, trainees, and veterans in quiet reflection. Personnel gathered to witness the planting, the setting of memorial plaques, and to remember the courage of those who left the shore to serve—never to return.
Mark “Cozy” Powell, Energy and Conservation Manager at the base, noted:
“Let these new trees stand as living legacies and remind us of a building that once existed, and in time, even if forgotten, six trees will exist as a collective reminder of the stewardship of our environmental commitment.”
But for us, the Lewin tree holds deeper meaning. It’s not only a marker of environmental renewal—it is a place of remembrance. In years to come, young sailors will walk past its growing branches, perhaps unaware of its quiet significance. But we will remember.
Our Association is deeply grateful to those at HMS Collingwood who ensured our fallen shipmates was honoured in this way. The tree now joins the collective memory of Ardent’s story—rooted in service, loss, and legacy.
We will remember them.
