Ground Broken for Erection of an ‘HMBS Flamingo Incident’ Memorial Monument in Hatchet Bay

A survivor of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force vessel, HMBS Flamingo, which was shot upon and sunk by Cuban fighter jets in 1980, Mr. Cladwell Farrington Jr. of Hatchet Bay, Central Eleuthera - not only wrote a book about the incident, through the eyes of a surviving crew member, but has also been an advocate for the building of a memorial monument in Hatchet, to both preserve the historical significance of the event, and to honour the memories of the fallen, as well as the survivors who served, a number of whom hailed from the settlement of Hatchet Bay.

During recent months, Mr. Farrington and his team of committee members, were successful in approaching the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC), about securing a space of land for the erection of the monument, as well as garnering the support of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and many others connected to the event, for the building of the memorial monument in Hatchet Bay.

BAIC Executive Chairman, Mr. Leroy Major, MP for Central and South Eleuthera, Minister Clay Sweeting, as well as former Commodore Clifford ‘Butch’ Scavella were all present in support of the groundbreaking ceremony which was held on Friday morning, January 27th, 2023, for ‘The Flamingo Memorial Monument’, which is planned for the park space at the entrance of Hatchet Bay, located opposite the township’s homecoming site.

The ceremony brought together members of the Hatchet community and those connected with survivors and with Mr. Farrington’s undaunted efforts to keep the memories of the incident alive.

Minister Clay Sweeting in remarks during the ceremony, shared, “It’s amazing how tragedy has a way of bringing us all together, in unfortunate situations. It has a way of exposing our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. When the former Prime Minister