National Submarine War Memorial

Coordinates: 51°30′39″N 0°06′40″W / 51.5109°N 0.1110°W / 51.5109; -0.1110
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The central relief on the Submarine War Memorial

The National Submariners' War Memorial[1] is a war memorial on the Victoria Embankment in London, England, between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge. The memorial is also referred to as the National Submarine War Memorial,[2] the National Submarine Memorial,[3] the Submarine War Memorial[4] and the Submariner Memorial.[5] It commemorates the Royal Navy submariners who died in the First and Second World Wars. The Royal Navy Submarine Service had 57 operational vessels at the start of the First World War in 1914, but expanded to 137 vessels by the time the war ended in 1918, with another 78 under construction. During the war, 54 of its submarines were sunk, and over 1,300 Royal Navy submariners were killed. The memorial is a Grade II* listed building,[4] and it is the focal point of a special memorial walk and laying of wreaths held each year by submariners on the Sunday preceding Remembrance Sunday.

The memorial was funded by public subscription. It was designed by the architect

Temple Pier
, a boat landing stage on the Victoria Embankment.

The memorial stands on granite steps, supporting a large bronze bas relief within an architectural frame. The bas relief shows the interior of a submarine and another with

Chaplain of the Fleet, Archdeacon Charles Ingles.[6]

Further panels commemorating the Second World War were unveiled on 15 November 1959 by Rear-Admiral Bertram Taylor. An additional plaque was added in 1992 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the unveiling of the original memorial. The 70th anniversary plaque reads: "National Submarine War Memorial (1922) This plaque commemorates the memorial’s seventieth anniversary and the contribution by the members of the submariners old comrades, London, in their devotion to the upkeep of this memorial, unveiled by Peter P. Rigby C.B.E.J.P.".[6]

It became a Grade II listed building in 1972, and was upgraded to Grade II* in January 2017.

Gallery

  • Wider view showing bronze prows
    Wider view showing bronze prows
  • Detail of the central relief
    Detail of the central relief
  • Detail of the central relief: swimming nereids
    Detail of the central relief: swimming nereids

See also

References

  1. ^ Historic England
  2. ^ "National Submarine War Memorial". Victorian Web. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  3. ^ "National Submarine Memorial". ww2museums.com. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  4. ^ a b Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1079109)". National Heritage List for England.
  5. ^ "Submariner Memorial". City of London. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  6. ^ a b The National Archive article on this War Memorial with reference to their file WORK 20/141 which gives background information on the work

51°30′39″N 0°06′40″W / 51.5109°N 0.1110°W / 51.5109; -0.1110