Whilst heading down to a street art festival in Leicester I passed some sign posts pointing me to the National Memorial Arboretum, which was a place that had been high on my “to visit” list for far too long, so I made a note to call in if I had time at the end of my weekend.
As it turned out, the last day ended quite early and as I was not rushing home decided to pop in for a quick visit.
Well, I say a quick visit, I did not want to spend too long there as I did not want to get stuck in traffic, however in the end I spent a good five hours walking round and even then only touched the surface as that did not include reading each and every inscription I saw.
The place is absolutely massive and so very well done, with monuments being placed in certain areas to represent the historical moment in time they are referencing, such as the “shot at dawn” memorial, which is placed where it is as that is where the sun first rises on the site, or the Armed Forces memorial who’s walls have a gap deliberately left to allow the sun to hit the central wreath on the 11th hour 11th day of the 11th month.
I had so many mixed feelings whilst wandering around and looking through the guide book after I returned home, seemed to miss quite a few monuments that I would have liked to have seen.
A return trip is certainly on the cards.
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This memorial is specifically designed to allow sunlight to penetrate through on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
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This memorial is specifically designed to allow sunlight to penetrate through on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
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This memorial is specifically designed to allow sunlight to penetrate through on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
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This memorial is specifically designed to allow sunlight to penetrate through on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
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The memorial shows the figure of a RMS which was brought to the arboretum from the old barracks in Chichester and is known as ‘Foxy’ after Corporal Fox, the model.
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On the brick plinth is a model of a Mark v Heavy Tank (Male) which took part in the Battle of Amiens on the 8th August 1918.
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The Grove with it’s memorial stone of Belfast black and Mourne granites commemorates all the members of the Irish Infantry Regiments who have served the crown since the raising of the original Royal Irish Regiment (18th Royal Irish) in 1684
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This Memorial commemorates the Polish men and women who gave their lives in the Second World War.
The Four figures represent their Army, Navy, Air force and Underground movement
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This Memorial commemorates the Polish men and women who gave their lives in the Second World War.
The Four figures represent their Army, Navy, Air force and Underground movement
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This Memorial commemorates the Polish men and women who gave their lives in the Second World War.
The Four figures represent their Army, Navy, Air force and Underground movement
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This statue by Alan Beattie Herriot depicts a member of the Corps bringing a wounded soldier back from the battlefield.
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During the First World War, 309 British and Commonwealth soldiers were shot for desertion, cowardice, striking a senior officer, disobeying a lawful order, casting away arms or sleeping at post.
Today it is recognised that several of them were underage when they signed up and were suffering from PTSD.
The Statue is modelled on Private Herbert Burden of the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, who was shot at Ypres in 1915, aged just 17.
The six trees facing the posts represent the firing squad, all aiming for the medallion around the statue’s neck.
Many of the Posts say “Age Unknown” as a lot of the young men lied about t heir age in order to enlist and were often underage.
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During the First World War, 309 British and Commonwealth soldiers were shot for desertion, cowardice, striking a senior officer, disobeying a lawful order, casting away arms or sleeping at post.
Today it is recognised that several of them were underage when they signed up and were suffering from PTSD.
The Statue is modelled on Private Herbert Burden of the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, who was shot at Ypres in 1915, aged just 17.
The six trees facing the posts represent the firing squad, all aiming for the medallion around the statue’s neck.
Many of the Posts say “Age Unknown” as a lot of the young men lied about t heir age in order to enlist and were often underage.
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The three sided memorial stands over seven feet tall and is made of solid granite with a perfectly sculptured elephant’s head on top.
The Elephant and Sword form the basis of the emblem for the association.
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The GCHQ memorial, a planet-like sphere of pink granite, is a tribute to all those who served and continue to serve, in the vital departments gathering information to support the British Government in overseas and domestic operations.
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The GCHQ memorial, a planet-like sphere of pink granite, is a tribute to all those who served and continue to serve, in the vital departments gathering information to support the British Government in overseas and domestic operations.
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The memorial, created by Alan Beattie Herriot, depicts a larger than life statue of a Durham Light Infantry bugler dressed in the combat uniform of the Korean War
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This memorial, commissioned as a national memorial to all those who have served, plays a focal role in Remembrance and the grieving of bereaved families.
The emblem of the Airborne forces is Bellerophon mounted on the winged horse Pegasus. The first recorded instance of an airborne warrior, his exploits recounted in Greek mythology, where he is chiefly famous for slaying the fire-breathing monster Chimera.
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This memorial, commissioned as a national memorial to all those who have served, plays a focal role in Remembrance and the grieving of bereaved families.
The emblem of the Airborne forces is Bellerophon mounted on the winged horse Pegasus. The first recorded instance of an airborne warrior, his exploits recounted in Greek mythology, where he is chiefly famous for slaying the fire-breathing monster Chimera.
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The Portland stone monolith and adjacent benches are “in proud memory of all those who served in the Light Infantry”.
The eight regiments whose names are carved on the seats all served as Light Infantry after the formation of the Light Infantry Group in 2946, although they were all granted the honour of the title Light Infantry in the 19th Century.
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The memorial he links between the Household Division and Airborne and Special Forces.
The memorial comprises a magnificent, larger than life-size, bronze statue by Jemma Pearson of a Guards Parachute Company non-commissioned officer in full battle order striding off a drop zone.
It is mounted on a Scoutmore Yorkstone plinth carved with explanatory script and parachuting depictions. In turn, the plinth stands on a stone base engraved with all Household Division regimental cap badges as well as the Household Division star and the Airborne Forces Pegasus.
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The Royal Welsh and Welsh Infantry Regiment, consisting of one regular and one reserve battalion.
The memorial is made from a large piece of grey Welsh slate weighing approximately 8 tonnes, which displays a representation of the Prince of Wales’s feathers.
A semi-circular slate wall to the rear displays six roundels bearing the badges of the ancestor regiments.
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The RAF Boy Entrants memorial was dedicated on 11th September 2004 in memory of the many thousands of Boy Entrants who trained between 1934 and 1965 and to record their singular contribution to the Royal Airforce.
The names of the 10 RAF stations where boy entrants trained are mounted on the Staffordshire blue brick plinths.
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This memorial is in celebration of the magnificent achievements of the railway family which has served the United Kingdom with great distinction.
A class8f locomotive carved from black granite rests on top of the plinth, it was originally designed in 1935 by William Stanier for the LSMR (London, Midland and Scottish Railway.
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This memorial has been designed to reflect the work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) crews and the relationship between crew members, a rescued person and all their families who’s lives become interwoven during a rescue.
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No. 47 Squadron Flying Corps was formed on 1st March 1916 at Beverley as a home defence unit to protect Hull and East Yorkshire against attacks from German Zeplins.
The Memorial’s five figures represent two airmen from the First World War and Second World War and the other three figures represent a modern air crew.
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No. 47 Squadron Flying Corps was formed on 1st March 1916 at Beverley as a home defence unit to protect Hull and East Yorkshire against attacks from German Zeplins.
The Memorial’s five figures represent two airmen from the First World War and Second World War and the other three figures represent a modern air crew.
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The bronze memorial which was created by sculptor George Welch depicts a British soldier’s hand shaking a German soldier’s hand within the framework of a football to remember the men who played football during the Christmas truce of 1914.
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A memorial statue to commemorate horses which died during World War One designed by Georgie Welch
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The memorial remembers the service given by Scouts across communities and throughout the Armed Forces and recognises the difference Scouting has made.
The sculpture is a combination of pieces by Graeme Mitcheson, with the central fire by Angela Connor.
The Memorial has been created as a tactile, structural instillation to be interacted with. From above the memorial forms the shape of the ‘Gone Home’ trail symbol which appears on the grave of Scouting founder Lord Baden-Powell.
The complex design also features stone seating circling a roaring fire that moves and flickers. Three young scouts, carved from solid stone rest around the fire as if tired from a long and active day, while the adult leader keeps watch over them. A lone neckerchief next to them represents all the missing scouts.
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The memorial remembers the service given by Scouts across communities and throughout the Armed Forces and recognises the difference Scouting has made.
The sculpture is a combination of pieces by Graeme Mitcheson, with the central fire by Angela Connor.
The Memorial has been created as a tactile, structural instillation to be interacted with. From above the memorial forms the shape of the ‘Gone Home’ trail symbol which appears on the grave of Scouting founder Lord Baden-Powell.
The complex design also features stone seating circling a roaring fire that moves and flickers. Three young scouts, carved from solid stone rest around the fire as if tired from a long and active day, while the adult leader keeps watch over them. A lone neckerchief next to them represents all the missing scouts.
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The memorial remembers the service given by Scouts across communities and throughout the Armed Forces and recognises the difference Scouting has made.
The sculpture is a combination of pieces by Graeme Mitcheson, with the central fire by Angela Connor.
The Memorial has been created as a tactile, structural instillation to be interacted with. From above the memorial forms the shape of the ‘Gone Home’ trail symbol which appears on the grave of Scouting founder Lord Baden-Powell.
The complex design also features stone seating circling a roaring fire that moves and flickers. Three young scouts, carved from solid stone rest around the fire as if tired from a long and active day, while the adult leader keeps watch over them. A lone neckerchief next to them represents all the missing scouts.
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The memorial is 4m long and 3.5m high, cast in bronze with a quote on the left-hand side from Sir Winston Churchill: “Of all the branches of men in the forces, there is none which shows more devotion and faces grimmer perils than the submariner.”
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The life-size statue of an Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) woman wearing basic Khaki uniform was sponsored by the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a tribute to it’s members who played an important role in the Second World War from 1939 – 1945.
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A study of a moment in time. The young man, his life fleeting as a gust, sees the whole world in a glance.
