Tower Hill Memorial

Tower Hill Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Tower Hill Memorial, corridor
For men and women of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who died in both World Wars and who have no known grave
Unveiled 12 December 1928
Location Coordinates: 51°30′35″N 0°4′40″W / 51.50972°N 0.07778°W / 51.50972; -0.07778
near Trinity Square Garden, London, England
Designed by Edwin Lutyens
Total commemorated
 35749
THE TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND OF THE MERCHANT NAVY AND FISHING FLEETS WHOSE NAMES ARE HONOURED ON THE WALLS OF THIS GARDEN GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY AND HAVE NO GRAVE BUT THE SEA
Statistics source: Cemetery Details. Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The Tower Hill Memorial is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission war memorial on the south side of Trinity Square Gardens, in London, England. The memorial commemorates those from the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets who died during both world wars and have "no grave but the sea". The memorial was designed by Edwin Lutyens with sculpture work by William Reid Dick, the Second World War extension was designed by Edward Maufe with sculpture work by Charles Wheeler.[1]

The First World War memorial takes the form of a vaulted corridor, 21.5 metres (71 ft) long, 7 metres (23 ft) wide and 7 to 10 metres (23 to 33 ft) high. Inside are 12 bronze plaques engraved with 12,000 names. Those commemorated include Victoria Cross recipient, Archibald Bisset Smith.[2]

The Second World War memorial takes the form of a semi-circular sunken garden located behind the corridor, to its north. It contains the names of 24,000 British seamen and 50 Australian seamen, listed on the walls of the sunken garden. In the centre of the garden is a pool of bronze, engraved with a compass pointing north. Between the two memorials are two columns with statues representing an officer (western column) and a seaman (eastern).

Not all Merchant Seamen who died during wartime, and have no known grave, are commemorated here – they may be commemorated elsewhere, for example, the Liverpool Naval Memorial.

The Mercantile Marine First World War Memorial was unveiled by Queen Mary on 12 December 1928 and the adjacent Second World War extension by Queen Elizabeth II on 5 November 1955.

Lutyens' First World War Memorial became a listed building in 1973, upgraded to Grade I status in October 2015.[3] The adjacent Merchant Seamen's Memorial was separately given a Grade II* listing in 1998.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Tower Hill Memorial". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  2. ↑ "Vc Burials – At Sea". Victoriacross.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  3. ↑ "The Mercantile Marine First World War Memorial – 1260087". Historic England. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  4. ↑ "MERCHANT SEAMENS MEMORIAL – 1031597". Historic England. Retrieved 2016-10-19.


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