Defence munitions staff in Kineton pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Andrew Holloway and Darren Coleborn from the Engineering, Design and Prototyping team at Defence Munition site Kineton, who created the plaques in their workshop

Ahead of this year’s national period of remembrance, staff at Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) at DM Kineton have been manufacturing and engraving memorial plaques to accompany 15 memorial trees, which are being planted across defence equipment and support sites.

Major Jo Marples, who came up with the initiative, said: “With Her late Majesty’s passing, I noticed that the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative had been extended by his Majesty the King and I thought it would be a wonderful way for us to mark the memory of the late Queen.

“The fact that it has been picked up across all DE&S sites is fantastic.”

Defence Munitions Kineton have been creating specially designed plaques as part of remembrance of Her late Majesty the Queen.

Darren Coleborn is a lead engineer on the DM Kineton team who is creating the memorial plaques. He said: “Each member of the team came with their own input on the design and finished product.

"As part of a mixed civilian and military site, the death of the Queen hit us all hard. So many of us had sworn allegiance to her on joining up, and wear medals bearing her face.

“So, it was important that we could do our bit to mark her memory and, with the tools of our trade, use our engineering skills to do her justice.”

Andy Start, chief executive at DE&S, said: “This year will be particularly poignant for us in defence as we reflect on the passing of Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

"She was the longest serving Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces so to be able to plant these trees in her memory is a fitting tribute.”