CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

Overlooking the town of Chatham in Kent is the Chatham Naval Memorial. It commemorates more than 8,500 Royal Navy personnel of the First World War and over 10,000 of the Second World War who were lost or buried at sea. There are 18,656 names listed on the memorial.

More than 45,000 men and women lost their lives while serving with the Royal Navy during the First World War. After the Armistice, the naval authorities and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission were determined to find an appropriate way to commemorate naval personnel who had no grave.

• Chatham Naval Memorial is one of three naval memorials in the UK. The others are at Plymouth and Portsmouth
  
• All three memorials were designed by Sir Robert Lorimer with sculpture by Henry Poole. Each design is the same with an obelisk of Portland stone surmounted by a copper sphere
  
• The memorial commemorates more than 8,500 Royal Navy personnel of the First World War and over 10,000 of the Second World War
  
• The Second World War extension was designed by Sir Edward Maufe
  
• It is made of Portland stone with bronze plaques
  
• The memorial was unveiled on 26 April 1924 by the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII). The extension was unveiled by the Duke of Edinburgh on 15 October 1952

Photographs Copyright © Chris Comber 2005

See the Commonwealth War Graves commisison website for the 18,656 names that are listed.

Last updated 21 July, 2018