National Firefighters Memorial
Encyclopedia
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
figures depicting firefighters in action at the height of the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
. It is located on the new Jubilee Walkway
Jubilee Walkway
The Jubilee Walkway is one of the official walkways in London, England. It was originally opened as The Silver Jubilee Walkway to commemorate that event of Queen Elizabeth II's accession; the Queen herself opened it on 9 June 1977...
to the south of St. Paul's Cathedral and is approachable from the south bank of the Thames via the new Millennium Pedestrian Bridge
Millennium Bridge (London)
The Millennium Bridge, officially known as the London Millennium Footbridge, is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames in London, England, linking Bankside with the City. It is located between Southwark Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The Memorial, originally the concept of Cyril Demarne
Cyril Demarne
Cyril Thomas Demarne OBE was a British firefighter. He served in London during the Second World War, throughout the Blitz. He was later involved in establishing aviation firefighting units in Australasia and in Beirut. In retirement, he wrote several books based on his wartime...
OBE, was commissioned by The Firefighters Memorial Charitable Trust set up in 1990. It was sculpted by John W Mills.
The monument
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
was first a tribute to those men and women who fought so gallantly against fire on the streets of London during the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
, when the capital was struck by bombs on 57 consecutive nights in a sustained campaign of bombing that was to strike terror into the hearts of the population. It also served as a monument to commemorate the service of firefighters throughout the Second World War. It was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
on May 4, 1991.
It was decided in 1998 to make the Blitz memorial into a national monument that would commemorate the lives of all firefighters throughout the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
who have lost their lives during active duty. The Memorial was moved from its original site in Old Change Court and the plinth elevated by a little over one metre and the names of all those killed in peacetime were added.
The Princess Royal
Princess Royal
Princess Royal is a style customarily awarded by a British monarch to his or her eldest daughter. The style is held for life, so a princess cannot be given the style during the lifetime of another Princess Royal...
Patron of the Firefighters' Memorial Charitable Trust, attended a service and ceremony of rededication on September 16, 2003. A total of some 1,192 names were added in bronze to the Memorial.
A Service of Remembrance is held at the memorial annually on the Sunday closest to September 7 the anniversary of the outbreak of the blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
.
External links
- The Firefighters Memorial Charitable Trust
- The Princess Royal attends the rededication ceremony
- Memorial on original site.
- London Fire Brigade Museum
- Museum of London recording of Cyril Demarne recalling VE Day.
- London Fire Brigade Museum to record Blitz Firefighters' memories.
- Memorial Construction on John W Mills website