Naval Service Memorial

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Reference WMO/176995

Address:

National Memorial Arboretum

Naval Review

Croxall Road

Alrewas

DE13 7AR

England

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War Memorials Trust case: War Memorials Trust needs to avoid Contributors changing location/description details as we help to protect and conserve this war memorial through our casework. You can still add photographs, update condition and use the tabs below. If you believe any of the information you cannot edit is wrong or information is missing, please make a note of the reference number and include it in your email when you contact us.

Status: On original site
Type: Freestanding
Location: External
Setting: Within a garden/park/churchyard/enclosure/Marketplace
Description: Other monolith
Materials:
  • Glass Glass
  • Stone Granite
  • Stone Limestone
Conflicts:
  • Non-Specific Conflict
About the memorial: Memorial is in the Naval Review section off Millennium Avenue and directly behind the South Atlantic Medal Association Memorial. A series of thirteen panels of curved shape, and of differently-coloured glass, fixed to a pavement of white granite. The colour of the glass panels represent the colours of each of the five oceans (grey, turquoise, ultramarine and white) with the rising and setting suns depicted in yellow and red. There are flecks of red in the panels depicting blood spilt at sea and on land and in the air. To the left (facing) side of the glass is a sculpture of a figure representing a sailor, with head bowed and cap held in the "at ease" position. The sculpture of the sailor is carved of Kilkenny limestone. When looked at from the position of the sailor, the shadows cast by the panels can be imagined to be a warship. The pavement is edged in with a carved inscription of "Crossing the Bar" by Tennyson (a phrase used when sailors die). A blue glass information panel, set on the grass alongside the memorial, explains the origins and rationale of the Memorial. The panel is decorated with a picture of the Naval Ensign above the inscription in white lettering. A series of 13 coloured glass panels representing Atlantic Ocean - Grey Indian Ocean - Turquoise Pacific - Ultramarine Arctic - White Southern Ocean - White Rising sun - Yellow Setting sun - Red Blood shed at sea - Red This stands on a paved, white granite platform with a solitary figure of a sailor facin west (where the sun sets) in KIlkenny limestone and with head bowed in respect for fallen colleagues. On the edge of the pavement is an inscription of Tennyson's poem "Crossing the Bar" (a euphemism for dying used by the Naval Service). Officially opened in June 2014.
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[First Glass Panel]: THE NAVAL/ SERVICE/ MEMORIAL/ FOR THOSE WHO/ HAVE SERVED/ SERVE TODAY/ AND WILL SERVE/ TOMORROW./SPONSORED BY/ THE ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION/ THE ROYAL NAVY AND/ ROYAL MARINES CHARITY/ THE GOSLING FOUNDATION [Glass information panel]:THE NAVAL SERVICE MEMORIAL/ THIS MEMORIAL WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE/ ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION/ TO MARK THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GRANT OF ITS/ ROYAL CHARTER./ THE NAVAL SERVICE COMMEMORATED HERE/ INCLUDES:/ ROYAL NAVY/ ROYAL MARINES/ ROYAL NAVAL RESERVES/ ROYAL MARINES RESERVES/ ROYAL FLEET AUXILIARY/ WOMEN'S ROYAL NAVAL SERVICE/ QUEEN ALEXANDRA'S ROYAL NAVAL NURSING/ SERVICE/ ROYAL NAVAL AUXILIARY SERVICE/ THE CORE THEME OF THE MEMORIAL IS,/ 'AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.'/ THE MEMORIAL SHOWS A SINGLE FIGURE FACING TOWARDS THE/ SETTING SUN, HEAD BOWED IN RESPECT TO SHIPMATES. THE/ FIGURE'S CAP IS HELD IN THE 'AT EASE' POSITION./ COLOURED GLASS SAILS DIFFUSE LIGHT ONTO A LIGHT GRANITE/ PAVEMENT, THEIR COLOURS TAKE INSPIRATION FROM THE FIVE/ OCEANS. FLASHES OF RED REPRESENT BLOOD SPILLED AT SEA,/ ON LAND AND IN THE AIR IN DEFENCE OF OUR NATION./ IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT AND FOR A TIME EVERY DAY, THE GLASS/ PANELS CAST A SHADOW, SUGGESTING THE SHAPE OF A/ WARSHIP, WHICH IS IN THE DIRECT GAZE OF THE FIGURE; THE/ SHAPE CHANGING AS THE SUN MOVES ACROSS THE SKY./ THE FIGURE AND PANELS WERE DESIGNED AND CARVED BY/ GRAEME MITCHESON ARBS,/ GLASS PANELS BY PROTO STUDIOS LTD,/ BASED ON A CONCEPT BY LT. CDR. NIGEL HUXTABLE RN./ THE MEMORIAL WAS DEDICATED BY HIS ROYAL/ HIGHNESS PRINCE MICHAEL OF KENT GCVO/ ON 15 JUNE 2014./ FURTHER DETAILS AND DONORS FOR THIS MEMORIAL CAN/ BE FOUND BY SCANNING THIS CODE. [QR code] [Pavement]: SUNSET AND EVENING STAR, AND ONE CLEAR CALL FOR ME! AND MAY THERE BE NO MOANING OF THE BAR, WHEN I PUT OUT TO SEA,. BUT SUCH A TIDE AS MOVING SEEMS ASLEEP, TOO FULL FOR SOUND AND FOAM, WHEN THAT WHICH DREW FROM OUT THE BOUNDLESS DEEP TURNS AGAIN HOME. TWILIGHT AND EVENING BELL, AND AFTER THAT THE DARK! AND MAY THERE BE NO SADNESS OF FAREWELL WHEN I EMBARK. FOR THO FROM OUT OUR BOURNE OF TIME AND PLACE THE FLOOD MAY BEAR ME FAR,/ I HOPE TO SEE MY PILOT FACE TO FACE WHEN I HAVE CROSSED THE BAR. ALFRED LORD TENNYSON

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