- National Memorial Arboretum
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National Memorial Arboretum 
View looking towards the Armed Forces Memorial.Location Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire, England Coordinates 52°43′34″N 1°43′41″W / 52.726°N 1.728°WCoordinates: 52°43′34″N 1°43′41″W / 52.726°N 1.728°W Area 150 acres (0.61 km2; 0.23 sq mi) Created 16 May 2001 Operated by The Royal British Legion Website thenma.org.uk The National Memorial Arboretum (grid reference SK185144) is a national site of remembrance at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It gives its purpose as:
The National Memorial Arboretum honours the fallen, recognises sacrifice and fosters pride in our country. It is a spiritually uplifting place and is emerging as a world-renowned centre for remembrance.[1]Contents
Origins
The idea for the Arboretum was conceived by David Childs in 1988. He believed that it would form a living tribute to service men and women for future generations to reflect upon and enjoy. The Arboretum was officially opened on 16 May 2001. It is a registered charity[2] and is managed by The Royal British Legion.
Location
The Arboretum is situated just south of the village of Alrewas on approximately 150 acres (0.61 km2; 0.23 sq mi) of old gravel workings, 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Lichfield, Staffordshire. It is adjacent to the confluence of the River Tame with the River Trent, and directly neighbouring Croxall Lakes. It is situated at the western end of the National Forest, just off the A38 road.
Features
Aerial view
The Arboretum contains over 50,000 trees, with more being added each year.[3]
There are over 150 memorials and plots for the armed forces, civilian organisations and voluntary bodies who have played a part in serving the country; and even HMS Amethyst's cat. A number of corporate war memorials - from British banks, building societies, and insurance companies - are also located in the grounds.[4] At the heart of the Arboretum is the Armed Forces Memorial, which is a tribute to almost 16,000 service personnel who have lost their lives in conflict or as a result of terrorism since the end of the Second World War.[5] At 11am on 11 November each year the sun shines through two slits in the outer and inner walls of the memorial, casting a shaft of light across a wreath in the centre.[6]
Within the Arboretum is the Millennium Chapel of Peace and Forgiveness where, at 11am each day, an act of remembrance takes place. Following the two minutes silence, accompanied by the Last Post and Reveille, there is an introductory talk about the Arboretum.[7]
The Armed Forces Memorial was dedicated in October 2007 by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the presence of the Queen.
In 2010, the Volunteers of the National Memorial Arboretum were awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service,[8] the highest award that any voluntary group can received, equivalent to the MBE.
Descriptions of memorials
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A general view of the memorial, which remembers service men and women killed since 1945.
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View across the memorial.
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Names on the wall and one of two sculptures by Ian Rank-Broadley.
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One of the sculptures silhouetted in the sun.
Some of the other features of the National Memorial Arboretum are described below.
Features Description 
Association of Jewish Ex-Service Men and Women Made from Chinese granite and designed to give a different perspective when viewed from different angles, the Star of David memorial is dedicated to all members of the Jewish community who over the years have served Crown and country, and to the many who lost their lives in that service.
Berlin Airlift Monument The memorial is erected in tribute to those who took part in the Berlin Airlift, the operation to deliver food and supplies to a besieged Berlin, between June 1948 and May 1949. 
Boys' Brigade The elements of this garden represent all parts of the UK and Ireland. The Boys’ Brigade Garden is designed as a place of quiet reflection and contemplation. Members and friends can remember those who have gone before, and who have served in the Brigade since 1883. Some 16 Victoria Crosses have been awarded to former and serving Brigade members.
Burma Railway The memorial is constructed from 30 metres of the original rails and sleepers used on the Burma Railway, which were brought to the Arboretum from Thailand in HMS Northumberland in 2002. The memorial is a permanent tribute to those who were forced to construct the infamous ‘Railway of Death’ and the benches and trees around the railway track have relevant dedications. The memorial was dedicated on 15 August 2002.[9]
Commandos The Commandos were formed by the Army in June 1940 as a well-armed but non-regimental raider force employing unconventional and irregular tactics to assault, disrupt and reconnoitre the enemy.
This memorial consists of a reproduction of part of the Association badge – the wreath in copper and the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife in stainless steel. The impressive piece was created at Anwick Forge in Lincolnshire.
Polar Bear Memorial The Polar Bear Association Memorial was the first monument and sculpture to be erected at the National Memorial Arboretum. It is a tribute to the 49th Infantry West Riding Division and was dedicated on 7 June 1998. Inheriting the fine reputation forged by its predecessor in The Great War, the Second World War found the 49th Infantry stationed in Iceland and because they were snowed in under 20-foot (6.1 m) of snow for most of the campaign, their commanding officer called the men ‘his Polar Bears’ and the Polar Bear on a block of ice was soon adopted as their mascot and shoulder flash. Made from yellow hardwood, the bear is 9 ft long (2.7 m) and 5 ft high (1.5 m) and weighs 2.5 tonnes; it was created by the Essex Woodcarvers and took six men a year to carve. Inside the bear is a capsule containing the names of all the members of the 49th Division who did not come home, together with relevant letters and documents.
Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) The RNLI memorial has been landscaped as pebble, shingle and sand beach. The dramatic figure of a lifeboat man in his 19th-century oilskins and cork lifejacket was sculpted by Andrew Fitchett.
Shot at Dawn During the First World War some 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers were shot for desertion or cowardice; the real usual cause for their offences was post-traumatic stress syndrome and combat stress reaction. Most of them were sentenced after a short trial at which no real opportunity for defence was allowed. ‘Shot at Dawn’ is modelled on Private Herbert Burden, of the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, who was shot at Ypres in 1915 aged 17.
Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (SANDS) Garden The SANDS Garden reflects the emotional journey that many parents face in trying to come to terms with their bereavement. At the heart of the garden is a sculpture of the SANDS tear drop logo which was created by John Roberts and the Portland Sculpture Trust to encourage people to sit and touch the central carved figure of the baby.
The Polish Service Men and Women Memorial A dedicated memorial has been erected in recognition of the contribution made by Polish service men and women to the Allied Forces during the Second World War. The centre monument sculptured by Robert Sobocinski was unveiled by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent on the 19th September 2009.[10]
The Beat It is a memorial to all British policemen who have died on duty. Its trees are horse chestnut, because old-type British policemen's truncheons were made of horse chestnut wood.
Anne Frank memorial In memory of Anne Frank. Its centerpiece is an elder tree; each year in April its flowers and flower buds are removed, to symbolize that Anne Frank was not allowed to grow to adulthood and achieve her full life.
The Irish Mercantile Marine Plinth This plinth was unveiled on 1 September 2001. The plaque on the plinth has an Irish Tricolour and the words "Dedicated to all those who were serving on the following Neutral Irish Registered Vessels lost as a result of German action 1939-1945", followed by a list of ships lost. The front of the plinth has a plaque dedicated to Irish seamen captured while serving in the British Merchant Navy. They were not accorded POW status, but were treated as slave labourers. This plaque names the five (of 32) who died from ill-treatment.
Nearby
- Lichfield
- Whitemoor Haye
- Croxall Lakes
- Alrewas
- The Staffordshire Regiment Museum
References
- ^ NMA Guidebook (2009) introduction
- ^ THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM COMPANY LIMITED, Registered Charity no. 1043992 at the Charity Commission
- ^ National Memorial Arboretum - Trees
- ^ Gough, P.J., (2004) Corporations and commemoration – First World War Remembrance, Lloyds TSB and the National Memorial Arboretum, International Journal of Heritage Studies, Winter 2004, pp. 435 – 455, ISSN 1352-7258
- ^ National Memorial Arboretum - Armed Forces Memorial
- ^ Inscription on memorial
- ^ National Memorial Arboretum - Chapel
- ^ "The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2010" (PDF). Cabinet Office. 2 June 2010. http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_188086.pdf. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ^ Memorial for 'Railway of Death' veterans
- ^ Memorial statue for Polish servicemen and women unveiled
External links
Categories:- Monuments and memorials in England
- Arboreta in England
- Charities based in England
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