The Unveiling and Dedication Ceremony

The loss of 11,000 lives commemorated by the Unveiling and Dedication of The National Destroyer Memorial in the presence of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh

Destroyer Memorial

A bronze monument, part of the National Destroyer Memorial 1939-1945 was unveiled on Wednesday 14th November 2007 at The Historic Dockyard Chatham by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh KG, KT. The Duke unveiled the specially commissioned bronze monument alongside HMS CAVALIER, the officially designated memorial to the 142 Royal Navy destroyers sunk during the Second World War and over 11,000 men who lost their lives as a result. This was followed by a moving service of dedication during which HMS Cavalier was dedicated the The National Destroyer Memorial.

Unveiling Ceremony

Admiral Sir Ian Garnett, Chairman of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, said "We are delighted that not only HRH The Duke of Edinburgh attended to unveil the monument today, but also that nearly 400 guests who lost close relatives serving, or served themselves, in destroyers during the Second World War, were amongst the 900 attending. We must never forget the men who served in these destroyers, who made an enormous contribution to the war effort and many of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice. Their contribution is now tangibly recognised for the first time in over 60 years by this "The National Destroyer Memorial 1949-1945".

In his address, The Duke noted that he thought it particularly appropriate that the Memorial had been placed at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, being a Royal Dockyard for some 400 years, and the home port of many of the Royal Navy's smaller ships.

The Monument

The Monument, which forms part of the Memorial, is a unique piece of bronze artwork, created by the eminent British sculptor Kenneth Potts and marks the very special contribution made by these ships and the men who served in them. Its size - 3.8m (12'6") long and just over 3m (10'6") tall and resting on a granite plinth of recycled dock stone - also makes it a major piece of public art.

Of particular interest to those who served in destroyers and their relatives, is the Roll of Honour that occupies a prominent position one side of the document. Listing by name the 142 Royal Navy destroyers lost during the war, it also records the sacrifice of the other British, Dominion and Allied destroyers that were lost between 1939 and 1945. The other side of the moment features an evocative high relief sculptured panel designed to place the memorial in context of time and place and show something of what it was like to be engaged in battle aboard a fragile fighting vessel of the mid 20th Century. This will be increasingly relevant to future generations who will have llittle or no direct links with the Second World War.

The Monument

Kenneth Potts, the sculptor said; "My research revealed the moving story of ordinary men engaged in a titanic battle against an implacable enemy and the unrelenting elements. My design concept centres on a destroyer in action, with a graphic depiction of the lives of the men who served in her. HMS Cavalier on display at The Historic Dockyard is inspirational. Yet I was conscious of the fact that although the ship is afloat, she is dry dock and therefore removed from the two elements that gave her life, the men and the sea. I have tried to incorporate both and to convey the spirit of the ship in action".

"The scene is set during an imaginary action on convoy protection duty. The ship is engaged in rescuing survivors from a ship sunk by enemy action, a hazardous procedure that could result in the rescuer becoming a victim of torpedo attack. Beyond the destroyer an expanse of sea graphically portraits the harsh environment of the Atlantic and Arctic wastes in which the convoys operated. The gunners are training their guns on a U boat".

"The inscription describes the significance of the memorial listing the 142 Royal Navy destroyers lost. The text also makes reference to the 11,000 men who died while operating those destroyers in all theatres of battle during the Second World War and to the contribution made by the destroyers of Dominion and allied navies. This panel continues the sea theme with the lettering super-imposed over the sculpted sea."

The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TZ, England
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