Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial

Last updated
Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial
United Kingdom
Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial profile.jpg
For
UnveiledMarch 9, 2017 (2017-03-09Tdf)
Location 51°30′12″N0°07′27″W / 51.5034°N 0.1243°W / 51.5034; -0.1243
Designed by Paul Day

The Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial in London commemorates British citizens, including both military personnel and civilians, who participated in the Gulf War, the Afghanistan War and the Iraq War. In these three conflicts, which took place between 1990 and 2015, 682 British service personnel died. [1] A work by the sculptor Paul Day, the memorial is situated in Victoria Embankment Gardens, between the River Thames and the headquarters of the Ministry of Defence, [2] in the vicinity of monuments commemorating the Second World War and the Korean War. [1]

Contents

Description

The memorial was designed by Paul Day. It consists of two large Portland stone monoliths, weighing 33 tonnes (32 long tons; 36 short tons). On one side, one stone is inscribed "Afghanistan" and the other "Iraq", and on the other side one bears the word "duty" and the other "service". A side of each stone is left in a rough condition as a reference to the rocky terrain of Afghanistan and Iraq. The stones are separated by a narrow gap and support between them a thick bronze medallion or tondo sculpted with reliefs that echo the memorial's theme of "duty and service", depicting members of the armed forces on one side and civilian workers on the other.

Unlike similar monuments the memorial carries no names, "to be inclusive of all those who contributed", [1] and commemorates all who served, civilian and military, not only casualties. [3]

Manufacture

The monument was manufactured by stoneCIRCLE, a stonemason based in Basingstoke. It consists of 10 Jordans Basebed Portland Stone blocks, the largest of which weighs 7000 kg each. The blocks were rough cut and then dry built round a stainless steel frame to allow the edges to be pitched by hand to match the artist's requirements. Once completed they were dismantled and taken to Victoria Embankment Gardens to be reassembled.

Background and fundraising

On Remembrance Sunday 2014, it was announced that Lord Stirrup, the former Chief of the Defence Staff, would lead the efforts to raise one million pounds to enable a national memorial to the British service personnel who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan to be erected in central London. [4] By March 2015 Stirrup was confident that the full amount needed could be raised [5] and by July 2016 work had begun on the memorial in the Victoria Embankment Gardens.

Unveiling

The memorial was unveiled on 9 March 2017 by Queen Elizabeth II in the presence of the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Prime Minister Theresa May and her predecessors John Major, Tony Blair and David Cameron, as well as the Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon. [2] [3] The unveiling ceremony was preceded by a drumhead service at Horse Guards Parade led by the Chaplain of the Fleet, the Venerable Ian Wheatley. [6] [7] The ceremony was criticised by some relatives of those who died, because they were not invited, and for the presence of Blair, who led Britain into the Iraq War. [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vimy</span> Commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Vimy is a commune in the French department of Pas-de-Calais. Located 3.8 kilometers (2.4 mi) east of Vimy is the Canadian National Vimy Memorial dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the Canadian soldiers who were killed during the First World War. The Memorial is also the site of two Canadian cemeteries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tower Hill Memorial</span> War memorial in Trinity Square Gardens, in London, England

The Tower Hill Memorial is a pair of Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorials in Trinity Square Gardens, on Tower Hill in London, England. The memorials, one for the First World War and one for the Second, commemorate civilian, merchant seafarers and fishermen who were killed as a result of enemy action and have no known grave. The first, the Mercantile Marine War Memorial, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and unveiled in 1928; the second, the Merchant Seamen's Memorial, was designed by Sir Edward Maufe and unveiled in 1955. A third memorial, commemorating merchant seamen who were killed in the 1982 Falklands War, was added to the site in 2005.

The National Memorial Arboretum is a British site of national remembrance at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire. Its objective is to honour the fallen, recognise service and sacrifice, and foster pride in the British Armed Forces and civilian community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Britain Monument, London</span> Memorial in London

The Battle of Britain Monument in London is a sculpture on the Victoria Embankment, overlooking the River Thames, which commemorates the individuals who took part in the Battle of Britain during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jock Stirrup</span> Senior commander in Britains Royal Air Force

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Graham Eric Stirrup, Baron Stirrup,, informally known as Jock Stirrup, is a former senior Royal Air Force commander who was the Chief of the Defence Staff from 2006 until his retirement in late 2010. He is now a Crossbench member of the House of Lords. In April 2013, he was appointed a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Day (sculptor)</span> British sculptor

Paul Day is a British sculptor. His high-relief sculptures in terracotta, resin, and bronze have been exhibited widely in Europe and his work is known for its unusual approach to perspective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleet Air Arm Memorial</span> War memorial in London

The Fleet Air Arm Memorial, sometimes known as Daedalus, is a war memorial in London, commemorating the service of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Fleet Air Arm from their establishments in 1914 and 1924 respectively, in the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the Falklands War and the Gulf War, including over 6,000 killed in all conflicts. The service of the Fleet Air Arm is also commemorated at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, at the former base of the Fleet Air Arm at HMS Daedalus in Lee-on-the-Solent, and at the Church of St Bartholomew, Yeovilton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand War Memorial, London</span> Memorial to New Zealanders killed in both World Wars in London, England

The New Zealand War Memorial in London is a memorial to the war dead of New Zealand in the First and Second World Wars, unveiled in 2006. Officially named "Southern Stand", the memorial was designed by architect John Hardwick-Smith and sculptor Paul Dibble, both from New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Cross</span> Award

The Elizabeth Cross is a form of recognition given to the recognised next of kin of members of the British Armed Forces killed in action or as a result of a terrorist attack after the Second World War. It bears the name of Queen Elizabeth II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City War Memorial, Nottingham</span> Triumphal arch and war memorial in Nottingham, England

The City War Memorial, Nottingham, also known as the Nottingham Municipal War Memorial and the City of Nottingham War Memorial, is the main war memorial for the city of Nottingham in England. It comprises a memorial arch of Portland stone with three openings and wrought iron gates, and stone flanking arcades. It was unveiled in 1927 beside a new park overlooking the River Trent, and became a Grade II listed building in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglo-Belgian Memorial, London</span> War memorial in London

The Anglo-Belgian Memorial, also known as the Belgian Gratitude Memorial, Belgian Refugees Memorial, or the Belgian Monument to the British Nation, is a war memorial on Victoria Embankment in London, opposite Cleopatra's Needle. It was a gift from Belgium, as a mark of thanks for assistance given by the UK during the First World War, and in particular for sheltering thousands of Belgian refugees who fled from the war. It is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korean War Memorial, London</span> War memorial in London

A memorial to the British soldiers in the Korean War was unveiled in Victoria Embankment Gardens, between the River Thames and the Ministry of Defence headquarters in London, England, on 3 December 2014. The memorial, a bronze statue of a British soldier by the sculptor Philip Jackson, with a Portland stone obelisk on a Welsh slate base, was a gift from the Government of South Korea and was unveiled in a ceremony led by Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chindit Memorial</span> War memorial in London

The Chindit Memorial is a war memorial in London, England, that commemorates the Chindit special forces, which served in Burma under Major General Orde Wingate in the Second World War. The memorial was erected in Victoria Embankment Gardens in 1990, near the Ministry of Defence headquarters, and also commemorates Wingate, who died on active service in Burma in 1944. It became a Grade II listed building in August 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African and Caribbean War Memorial</span> War memorial in Brixton, London

The African and Caribbean War Memorial in Brixton, London, is the United Kingdom's national memorial to African and Caribbean service personnel who fought in the First and Second World Wars. It originated with a project for a memorial to Caribbean Royal Air Force veterans of World War II who arrived in Britain in 1948 on the MV Empire Windrush; this was an extension of the commemorative plaque and sculpture scheme run by the Nubian Jak Community Trust to highlight the historic contributions of Black and minority ethnic people in Britain. The memorial was originally to have been placed at Tilbury Docks, as part of the commemoration for the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. However, as the project began to evolve into a larger tribute that included both World Wars and commemorated servicemen and women from both Africa and the Caribbean, it was agreed by the memorial recipient – the Port of Tilbury – and the project organisers that a new, more accessible location needed to found. The memorial was ultimately permanently installed and unveiled on 22 June 2017 in Windrush Square, Brixton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malta George Cross Memorial</span> War memorial in the City of London

The Malta George Cross Memorial, also known as the Maltese Memorial, is a war memorial in London. It was erected to commemorate the Siege of Malta in the Second World War, which led to the island's being collectively awarded the George Cross in April 1942. Unveiled in 2005, it stands near the church of All Hallows-by-the-Tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of General Gordon</span> Statue by Hamo Thornycroft in London

A bronze statue of General Charles George Gordon by Hamo Thornycroft stands on a stone plinth in the Victoria Embankment Gardens in London. It has been Grade II listed since 1970. A similar statue stands at Gordon Reserve, near Parliament House in Melbourne, Australia, on its original tall plinth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jubilee Memorial, Harrogate</span> 1887 memorial in North Yorkshire, England

The Jubilee Memorial, Harrogate, is a Grade II listed building. It is a Gothic Revival stone memorial in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, commemorating the 1887 golden jubilee of Queen Victoria. It was donated to Harrogate by its mayor, Richard Ellis, designed by architect Arthur Bown, and unveiled by the Marquis of Ripon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial unveiled in London". GOV.UK. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Davies, Caroline (9 March 2017). "Queen unveils Iraq and Afghanistan war memorial amid fury at Blair presence". The Guardian . Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 "Iraq and Afghanistan wars memorial unveiled". BBC Online . 9 March 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  4. "Afghan and Iraq war memorial plan announced". BBC News. 9 November 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  5. "Fundraising Call for Memorial to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans". 24 March 2015. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  6. "Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial to be unveiled in London". GOV.UK. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  7. Queen thanks military who helped bring 'peace' to Iraq and Afghanistan at national memorial service, The Telegraph, 9 March 2017