At noon today, the Princess Royal, accompanied by her husband Vice Admiral Timothy Lawrence, attended a ceremony in Westminster Abbey to unveil a new memorial in remembrance of the 16,000 servicemen and women from the regular and auxiliary forces who have died in conflict since the Second World War. The memorial is situated in the Abbey’s south cloister and consists of a metal plaque inscribed with the words:
Remember the men and women of the Armed and Auxiliary Forces who have lost their
lives in times and places of conflict since the Second World War.
Surrounding the plaque is inscribed the phrase “Remember them Today-Tomorrow-Forever”.
The plaque was dedicated by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall.
‘To the greater glory of God, in gratitude for the men and women who showed
courage in the air, fortitude on the ground, and heroism on the seas, and that
their sacrifice in the safeguarding of freedom may always be remembered, we
dedicate this Memorial in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.’
The memorial is part of the National Armed Forces Memorial in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire dedicated to those who have been killed since the Second World War in battle or through terrorist action. It was inaugurated by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen in October 2007.
The final element of the Memorial is the Rolls of Honour for members of the Armed Forces who have died in service since the Second World War. The Rolls for the Royal Navy will be placed in the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields; those for the Army will be in the Chapel of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
No comments:
Post a Comment