The men and women of our Armed and Merchant Services who have lost their lives in conflict, as a result of terrorist action or on training exercises since the end of World War II are remembered here. Unlike the World War memorials in towns and villages across the Nation, there is nowhere else that records almost 16,000 names of those who have been killed on active duty in recent times.
Since 1945 the men and women of the Armed and Merchant Services have taken part in more that 50 operations and conflicts across the world, often as part of United Nations, NATO or other international coalitions. These actions have ranged from hot war to peacekeeping; from humanitarian assistance to fighting terrorism; from the jungles of Malaysia to the storms of the South Atlantic; from the seaport of Aden to the streets of Northern Ireland.
It is not just service men and women who have made sacrifices. Behind every name on the Memorial there are the wives, husbands, partners, parents, children and colleagues who loved them and who will live with the pain and consequences of their loss every day.*
The Memorial is a stunning piece of architecture designed by Liam O’Connor which draws its inspiration from the ancient landscapes of prehistoric Britain and the classical forms of Ancient Rome. It consists of a six metre high earth mound, 100 metres wide at the base reducing to just 50 metes wide at the top, which is based on early British barrows or tumuli. The spiral walkway up the grassy, tree-planted slopes provides accessibility to people of all ages and mobility. At the top of the mound stands a 43 metre diameter stone structure, comprising two curved walls and trow straight walls which are constructed of 200.000 bricks faced with Portland stone panels.
The Memorial is particularly important for the many families and friends who have no grave to visit, or who remember those graves in far-off places. The Memorial plays a valuable role in helping all who grieve for a Service person to come to terms with their loss, by providing focus for their grief as they pass through the different stages of their lives.*
At the centrepiece of the memorial two evocative bronze sculptures, the embodiment of loss and sacrifice. Created by Ian Rank-Broadley, best known for his image of HM Queen Elizabeth II which has appeared on all UK and Commonwealth coinage since 1988, the sculptures bear silent witness to the cost of the armed conflict.*
*From the National Memorial Arboretum Guidebook Edition 4
