An air accident investigation is still being carried out into the crash

The service personnel from RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, died when two Sea King surveillance helicopters collided over the sea in the Gulf.

A board of inquiry has not been able to find out what caused the accident.

But the Navy says both pilots knew other helicopters were in the area at the time of the crash.

The seven men from 849 Naval Air Squadron, one of them an American, were killed on 22 March over the northern Arabian Gulf when one helicopter approaching HMS Ark Royal was in collision with another one as it left the ship.

Almost every month there seems to be a new story in the press and many things contrive to make it that no-one lets go of it Reverend David Miller, vicar of Helston

Lieutenants Philip Green, 31, from Caythorpe, Lincolnshire; Tony King, 35, of Congresbury, Somerset; Marc Lawrence, 26, of Westgate, Kent; Philip West, 32, originally of Hoylake, Wirral; James Williams, 28, of Winchester, Hampshire; Andrew Wilson, 36, of Devon, and Tom Adams from the US Navy, all died.

An air accident investigation is still being carried out by the Ministry of Defence.

Technicians are trying to reconstruct the aircraft to find out what state they were in before they collided.

St Ives MP Andrew George said the process was too slow, but he had been promised answers to a number of questions soon.

He said the families and the public needed to know what happened.

"The important thing for the families is to look forward and move through the work of dealing with their grief." Simon Springett, RNAS Culdrose chaplaincy team leader

The vicar of Helston, Reverend David Miller, who is close to the families of the men who died, said there were constant reminders of the events of 12 months ago.

"Almost every month there seems to be a new story in the press and many things contrive to make it that no-one lets go of it," he said.

RNAS Culdrose chaplaincy team leader Simon Springett said the anniversary provided a day for reflection.

"I know that a number of families who lost relatives have very good friends within the squadron, and they, in return, give them that support of friendship.

"We look back on the last year with an enormous sense of loss, of the men and their talents and skills, and we have a great deal of pride in all that they have achieved.

"We continue to give support to their families, recognising that loss and recognising the dignity the families have shown in all that has gone on."

He added: "The sad truth is we will never know all that happened in any event and in any loss