Hello,
Four members of The Bridgend & District Branch R.W.F.C.A. attended the opening of the Armed Forces Memorial. A few items on this wonderful concept and the location of it.
The memorial names all members of the three sevices who were killed in action out side of the two world wars.The lottery at first turned down an appeal for money to help finance this monument the reason given was it did not fit in with the criteria as laid down in their rules. This was later rejected after the government stepped in and the Daily Mail amongst others contributed.The lottery donated over 2 Million pounds, the list of contributors number over 52 as listed in the official programme.The cost to date is about 7 million pound and another £1 million is needed for new names to be added and maintenance costs in the future. The site is in Arlrewas Staffordshire, which is nearly the centre of the U.K.The memorial has about 16,000 names on. Room is available for between 10,000 and 16,000 names to be added as and when the need occurs.It is set in about 160 acres. the monument draws inspiration from prehistoric Britain, and classical forms of ancient Rome and Greece.The monument is 100 metres across, To the north a wounded serviceman is raised aloft on a stretcher while a mother clasped by a child looks on, an older couple clutch each other in anguish. Behind this scene are echoes of Homers Illiad and the Trojan War where the body of Patroclus was carried on a shield by fellow Greek Warriors back to the grieving Achilles whose armour he had borrowed.The second group shows the wounded and dying body of the warrior being gathered up by a female and Gurkha soldiers, while the figure before the double doors points to a world beyond where the warrior will rest.The alignment and axis of the memorial portray a greater meaning in as much as on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the sun's rays will stream through the doors of the sculpture illuminating the centre piece of the memorial which is a bronze wreath set on a dais. The order of names appear in service and date order.with out rank or regimental numbers. How ever where members of the same service were killed in the same action their names appear together in alphabetical order.In addition the names of members killed in Palestine are also engraved because that particular campaign started before the 1st of January 1948, but continued thereafter. As stated a most wonderful concept to remember the fallen of Guerilla wars and other emergencies and campaigns.Notes taken from the official programme. I hoppe to post photos soon.
Regards to all RBDaka "Don"
