The MERCANTILE MARINE MEMORIAL
commemorates men and women of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who died in
both World Wars.
The First World War section of
the Tower Hill Memorial commemorates almost 12,000 Mercantile Marine
casualties, the memorial in Portland Stone was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick. It was unveiled by Queen Mary on 12 December
1928.
The Second World War extension, which
commemorates almost 24,000 casualties, was designed by Sir Edward Maufe, with sculpture by Sir Charles Wheeler. It was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II on 5
November 1955.
The WW11 Memorial takes the form
of a sunken garden and has, in addition to a sea of bronze plaques, a set of
sculptural panels by Wheeler
representing the Seven Seas. I find these sculptures really good with their
images of Mermaids, Neptune, Dolphins, fish and shells – quite lively for a war
memorial!
Charles Wheeler was
also the sculptor for the bronze Mermen sculpture of the Western Fountain in
Trafalgar Square.
