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HUNDREDS of mourners attended a memorial service today for 16 men who died when their helicopter crashed in the North Sea.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond were joined by the Prince of Wales at the service in Aberdeen this afternoon.

Relatives and friends of the victims of the crash, which took place exactly two weeks ago, attended the service in the Kirk of St Nicholas Uniting.

The 14 passengers and two crew were returning from BP's Miller platform when the Super Puma went down 11 miles north east of Peterhead.

Half the victims were from the north east of Scotland, seven from the rest of the UK and one from Latvia.

More than 200 members of the public gathered outside St Nicholas Kirk an hour before the service, many of them dressed in black.

They watched mourners, including city dignitaries and members of the RNLI, enter the church on a large screen erected in a cordoned-off stretch of Union Street.

Floral tributes were laid on Back Wynd next to the church.

Yellow flowers spelling out the word "Brothers" came with a tribute which read: "In memory of absent friends and colleagues, from the Lindsey Oil Refinery shop stewards' committee."

Other wreaths had cards attached reading "Our 16 colleagues, never forgotten, from all at OILC/RMT" and "To all who perished and to the friends and families".

A card accompanying a bunch of lilies said: "Words seem inadequate to express the sadness we feel for the lives that were lost in this tragedy."

Opening the service, the Rev Andrew Jolly, chaplain to the UK Oil and Gas Industry, said: "This occasion must be for us all today a time of great sadness and sorrow.

"Those of us here in this kirk and those who join us outside and offshore and around the world cannot begin to imagine the pain and sorrow the relatives of those who perished on April 1, 2009 must be feeling at this time.

"But as we gather here today, representatives of the oil and gas industry, the Miller installation, the wider community of Aberdeen and the nation as a whole, we want all of you to know that your loss is our loss, that your sorrow is our sorrow too and as we share that with you we want you to know that you can look to us in the days, months and years ahead for comfort, for love but most of all for support."

The service also recognised David Stephenson, who died on board the oil rig support vessel Wellservicer on the same day as the helicopter tragedy.

In his address, Mr Jolly assured the relatives of the dead men they would never be forgotten.

He said: "The day was Wednesday April 1 2009. A day that will go down in the history of exploration and production in the North Sea.

"A day that will be forever remembered as a day when tragedy struck 16 people on flight 85 November.

"And, before a few hours had passed, a second incident occurred offshore resulting in a death on the Wellservicer; 17 deaths on a beautiful, sunny, April afternoon.

"I am sure that all of you will remember where you were and what you were doing when you became aware of those dreadful events.

"For those of you who are the families of those who perished – that day, that date, will be forever indelibly imprinted in your memory.

"Those of us gathered here this afternoon to show our care and concern and support for you who mourn the loss of your loved ones, be assured that we will never forget Wednesday April 1 2009 either."

Speaking to the congregation two weeks to the day, almost to the hour, since Flight 85N went down, Mr Jolly said: "I wonder what your reaction was to the news. I don't doubt it was stunned disbelief. Hoping it would be OK.

"Remembering that other incident only a few weeks previously when they all got out and were safely rescued. But it wasn't to be. And so we find ourselves here today mourning their loss."

Mr Jolly said he would fly out to the Miller Platform tomorrow to conduct a memorial service for those who could not attend today in person

He said: "We will all go back to the routines of life at some point. But life cannot be the same because of what we have shared in here today and experienced with those who perished in the awful events of Wednesday April 1 2009."

The names of the 16 victims of the crash were read out by Mr Jolly as a white candle was lit for each of them in the church. A candle was also lit for Mr Stephenson before a minute's silence was observed.

Numbers in the street outside the church gates swelled as the memorial service got under way.

All 700 orders of service printed for the occasion had been distributed, an Aberdeen City Council employee said.

Members of the public joined mourners in singing hymns and wiped tears from their eyes as prayers were said.

Local residents watched the service on the large screen from their windows and shop workers stopped to listen to the memorial.

The Prince of Wales, whose official title in Scotland is the Duke of Rothesay, was accompanied by his wife, Camilla.

The royal couple sat in the front row alongside Mr Brown and Mr Salmond and his wife Moira.

Other dignitaries attending included Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy, Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and senior figures from main Scottish political parties.

The full article contains 944 words and appears in scotsman.com newspaper.

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