Chatham Naval Memorial

Chatham Naval Memorial is a large obelisk situated in the town of Chatham, Kent, which is in the Medway Towns.

Chatham was a principal manning port of the Royal Navy during the First World War and thus was dedicated as the site of one of three memorials to sailors of the Royal Navy killed during the conflict but who have no grave.

The other memorials were situated at Portsmouth and Plymouth. The obelisks were designed by Sir Robert Lorimer^[1] and the one at Chatham originally contained 8,515 names.

After the Second World War and its consequent loss of life, the decision was made to expand the three memorials and so the Chatham Naval Memorial was created from the 'Chatham Obelisk' and was given a surround designed by Sir Edward Maufe which contains 10,098 additional names from the later conflict.

The memorial is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The memorial featured prominently in the novel Last Orders by British author Graham Swift, as did the Medway Towns . The novel was adapted into a film and directed by Australasian director Fred Schepisi and starred inter alia Sir Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone and Helen Mirren. The memorial featured in a number of scenes.

References

1. ^ Stephen's Study Room: British Military & Criminal History in the period 1900 to 1999

Further information

Further information see Commonwealth War Graves database page

External links

• Photos of the Chatham Naval Memorial at geograph.org.uk

Coordinates: 51°23′01″N 0°31′56″E / 51.38361°N 0.53222°E / 51.38361; 0.53222