A special opening ceremony for the HMBS Flamingo Memorial and Park took place in Hatchet Bay, on Saturday afternoon, May 16th, 2026.
The event was a culmination of four years of work towards a vision held by Mr. Cladwell Farrington, one of the remaining survivors of the fateful sinking of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) vessel, by Cuban fighter jets on May 10th, in 1980.
A number of RBDF officials, heroes and survivors family members, donors, pastors and clergy, residents from throughout Eleuthera, project committee members, and people from within the community of Hatchet Bay, came together in remembrance to pay tribute and to honour the legacy of those who served by keeping their memories alive.
Recollections:
Ahead of the start, Mr. Farrington, who served as an Able Seaman aboard the HMBS Flamingo Royal Bahamas Defence Force vessel, when it was attacked and sunk, expressed that the monument’s completion was a significant moment for him – having been involved since the inception of the idea many years ago – and acknowledged how grateful he was to see the project come to fruition after four years, since building on the monument structure got started.
Mr. Farrington, describing the envisioned purpose of the monument explained that the aim was to provide a focal point, where people stopping in could see the crew members, including those who died in service to the country, and learn about the event and its significance in The Bahamas’ relatively short history as an independent nation.
Early in the ceremony, Mrs. Carol Pinder, with the Hatchet Bay local government town council, sharing her recollections said, “News of the HMBS Flamingo was brought to light when a parent of one of the marine seamen alerted the town of the attack on the boat where some of our young men were shot at. We are honoured to know and have known some of these heroes here in Hatchet Bay… The late Mr. Oscar Maynard Miller, the late Mr. Leo Kirby of James’ Cistern, Mr. Dencil Clarke, and Mr. Cladwell Farrington Jr. are the names of just a few of those heroes in our country today.”
She went on to congratulate the monument committee on behalf of the Hatchet Bay township council, on the successful construction of the memorial on Hatchet Bay soil, marking the historic event in Bahamian history. Mrs. Pinder also remarked that the council would do its best to assist in the maintenance and upkeep of the grounds and its surroundings.
Remembrance:
One of the eleven remaining survivors, Mr. Peterson James, who was a Petty Officer on board during the 1980 sinking, made a special trip to Eleuthera to take part in the historic opening. During his tribute, he highlighted the need to preserve the memory of the event as well as the need to address the ongoing challenges faced by survivors and the families of those who died. He opined that the memory of the HMBS Flamingo incident had faded significantly over the years, and that younger generations, in particular, were often unaware.
Mr. James said that there was an urgent need to “cultivate and strengthen what remains” of this collective memory. Three areas he thought could be mended and strengthened, included; giving a voice to the families of the deceased – involving them more in public gatherings or giving them a platform to share their experiences; also educating and engaging future generations – emphasizing that without deliberate effort, memory of the incident’s significance would decline; and providing more assistance to both survivors and the families of the deceased.
A number of other special guests were invited to give tribute and share memories during the afternoon ceremony, including Bishop Daniel Nixon from Wemyss Bight; Pastor Philip Bethel, former Cabinet Minister; Mr. Keyron Smith, CEO of One Eleuthera Foundation; Commodore Clifford Scavella, former Commander of the RBDF; RBDF Officers; as well as visionary Mr. Cladwell Farrington Jr.
RBDF Lieutenant Sanchez Daniel, speaking in place of RBDF Commodore Floyd Moxey, described the HMBS Flamingo incident as the most grievous incident in the history of the RBDF and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, adding that despite significant progress since then, the nation still had a long way to go in addressing maritime security. Sharing some of the current dangers faced by maritime RBDF officers, he said that members operating on the high seas continue to encounter perilous situations, including being shot at and rammed by illegal fishing vessels – and asked that those present would keep RBDF officers at sea, and those deployed in Haiti in their prayers, acknowledging their difficult service.
Lt. Daniel strongly advocated for the “Flamingo incident” to be formally incorporated into the Social Studies curriculum in Bahamian schools, saying that he personally had a lack of knowledge about the incident until joining the Defence Force and stressed the importance of teaching about these national heroes and survivors, alongside political figures. He extended thanks to the survivors, and credited them with fostering a deep sense of pride within the RBDF as well as inspiring gratitude from the Bahamian people through their sacrifices.
Monuments:
The ceremony culminated with ribbon cuttings and unveilings of the various monuments engraved with the faces and names of the four heroic crew members who perished, including; Fenrick Sturrup; Austin Smith; David Tucker; and Edward Williams – as well as several of the surviving crew members hailing from Eleuthera, including; Whitfield Neely; Leo Kirby; Cladwell Farrington; Dencil Clarke; and Maynard Miller. A plaque with the names of the entire 19 membered HMBS Flamingo crew, as well as the signage for the new park were also unveiled.
Mrs. Edith Hanna, the eldest resident of Hatchet Bay, now a nonagenarian at 96 years of age, stepped along a red carpet to assist in the ribbon cutting of the monument. Representatives from the Corporate Social Initiative (CSI) of the Bahamas Gaming Board – a significant donor in getting the monument building to its current state, also took part in the ribbon cutting.
Mrs. Stella Randall, a senior member of the Flamingo monument committee, also stepped along the red carpet on site to assist with the unveiling of the park’s welcome signage, which reads, “HMBS FLAMINGO MEMORIAL Monument & Park. In Honour of the Officers and Marines of HMBS FLAMINGO, who served with courage and sacrifice on the 10th of May, 1980.”
