Conservationists have upgraded the protected status of Britain’s national memorial to submariners to safeguard its preservation for future generations.
Historic England describes the monument, unveiled after the First World War, as an ‘eloquent’ memorial to the many lives lost on active service.
A third of the Royal Navy Submarine Service’s total personnel perished during WW1, it points out, the highest proportion of any branch of the British armed forces.
Historic England has also released previously unseen photos of U-boat wrecks on the Cornish coast as part of its commemorations marking the centenary of Germany declaring unrestricted submarine warfare in February 1917.
Sculptor Frederick Hitch depicted the cross-section of a submarine, ensnared by watery allegorical figures (Photo: Centenary News)
The National Submarine Memorial was inaugurated in 1922 at Temple Pier, a stretch of the Thames associated with the emergence of underwater warfare.
A German U-boat captured off the Suffolk coast was moored here as a visitor attraction in August 1916.
And there are records of British submarines anchored near Temple Pier dating back to 1907.
The memorial was subsequently dedicated to Royal Navy submariners lost in both world wars. Following Historic England’s advice, its conservation listing has been raised to grade II* by the UK Government.
Source: Historic England
Images: Centenary News
Posted by: CN Editorial Team