Chatham Naval Memorial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chatham Naval Memorial |
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| Commonwealth War Graves Commission | |
Chatham Naval Memorial
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| For members of the Royal Navy who died during the First and Second World War and have no known grave | |
| Unveiled | 15 October 1924 |
| Designed by | Robert Lorimer |
| Commemorated | 18,621 |
| Statistics source: Cemetery details. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. | |
The Chatham Naval Memorial is a tall, pointed stone pillar, called an obelisk. You can find it in Chatham, Kent, a town in the Medway Towns. It's part of the Great Lines Heritage Park, a big open space that once helped protect the nearby Chatham Dockyard. This special memorial remembers thousands of brave sailors, airmen, and marines from the Royal Navy who died in the two World Wars and have no known grave.
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Why Chatham Was Chosen
Chatham was a very important port for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Many sailors started their journeys from here. Because of its importance, Chatham was chosen as one of three places for a memorial to those who died at sea. The other two memorials are in Portsmouth and Plymouth.
The First World War Memorial
The original memorial, built after the First World War, was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer. It was a large obelisk made of Portland stone with bronze plaques. When it was first built, it had the names of 8,515 people.
Some of the people remembered from the First World War include:
- Skipper Thomas Crisp, who received the Victoria Cross for his bravery. The Victoria Cross is the highest award for courage in the British armed forces.
- Major Francis John William Harvey, also a Victoria Cross recipient from the Royal Marines Light Infantry.
- Poet Flight Commander Jeffery Day from the Royal Naval Air Service.
- England rugby player Surgeon James (Bungy) Watson.
The Chatham memorial is special because it's the only one of the three obelisks built on a hill. This means you can see it from far away.
The Second World War Extension
After the Second World War, many more service members had lost their lives. So, it was decided to make the memorials bigger. The Chatham Naval Memorial was expanded from its original obelisk.
Sir Edward Maufe designed the new parts, which were added around the obelisk. This new section also uses Portland stone and bronze plaques. It includes the names of 10,098 more people from the Second World War.
The extension has two small buildings, called pavilions, that face towards Chatham. Along the memorial, there are also four stone statues of sailors. The expanded memorial was officially opened by the Duke of Edinburgh on October 15, 1952.
Among those remembered from the Second World War are:
- Captain Edward Fegen, who was awarded the Victoria Cross after his death.
- War artist Eric Ravilious.
Looking After the Memorial
The Chatham Naval Memorial is cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. This organization looks after war memorials and graves around the world. The memorial became a protected historic building in 1996. Its importance was recognized even more in May 2016 when it was given the highest protection status, Grade I. This happened for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Jutland.
Further Information
If you want to learn more, you can visit the Commonwealth War Graves database page.
