Portsmouth Naval Memorial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Portsmouth Naval Memorial |
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| Commonwealth War Graves Commission | |
Portsmouth 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 | 24,591 |
| Statistics source: Cemetery details. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. | |
The Portsmouth Naval Memorial is a special monument in Portsmouth, England. It's also sometimes called the Southsea Naval Memorial. You can find it on Southsea Common, right by the sea.
This memorial remembers about 25,000 British and Commonwealth sailors. These brave sailors were lost at sea during the First World War and the Second World War. They have no known grave, so this memorial helps us remember them. About 10,000 sailors from the First World War and 15,000 from the Second World War are honored here.
The memorial has a tall, central stone pillar called an obelisk. Around it, you'll see bronze plaques. These plaques have the names of the sailors who were lost, listed by the year they died.
Contents
Why the Memorial Was Built
After the First World War, many sailors died at sea and their bodies were never found. To make sure these brave people were not forgotten, a special committee decided to build memorials. They chose three main naval ports in Great Britain for these monuments: Chatham, Plymouth, and Portsmouth.
Design and Construction
The memorials at all three locations were designed to look the same. Sir Robert Lorimer was the architect who created the design. The sculptures were made by Henry Poole.
The Portsmouth Naval Memorial is made from Portland stone. This is a type of white limestone. The tall central obelisk has a metal decoration at its very top. Steps lead up to a base where the bronze plaques with names are attached. At each corner of the base, there's a statue of a lion lying down.
Unveiling the First Memorial
The memorial was officially opened on 15 October 1924. It was unveiled by Albert, Duke of York. He later became King George VI. This was a very important day to honor the sailors from the First World War.
Extending the Memorial
After the Second World War, even more sailors were lost at sea. So, the memorial needed to be made bigger to remember them too. Sir Edward Maufe designed the new parts.
New Sections Added
The names of those lost in the Second World War are written on panels. These panels are set into low walls that were added to the north side of the memorial. There are also two barrel-vaulted pavilions, which are like small, arched buildings, on each side.
New Sculptures and Unveiling
New sculptures were created for the expanded memorial by artists like Charles Wheeler, William McMillan, and Esmond Burton. The additions were officially opened on 29 April 1953. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who was the mother of Queen Elizabeth II, unveiled these new sections.
Care and Recognition
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission takes care of the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. This organization looks after war memorials and graves around the world.
The memorial was recognized as a special historic building in 1972. In May 2016, it was given an even higher status, called Grade I listed. This happened for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Jutland, a very important naval battle in the First World War.
