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Dedication of the Armed Forces Memorial

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE News Release (240/2007) issued by The Government News Network on 12 October 2007

Earlier today HM The Queen dedicated the Armed Forces Memorial (AFM) in Staffordshire. The memorial contains the names of almost 16,000 service men and women, regular and reserve, killed on duty since the end of WWII.

HRH The Prince of Wales, Patron of the Armed Forces Memorial Trust, said:

"We sometimes take for granted the expectation that our Armed Forces are professional, loyal and dedicated. In reality our expectation is far exceeded. These men and women are prepared to give their lives defending our Nation's interests and the freedom of others and yet their sacrifice all too often goes without recognition. I personally believe we owe them all an enormous debt of gratitude for all they do."

Des Browne, the Secretary of State for Defence said:

"I hope that for many generations to come people will visit this memorial to remember and pay tribute to the bravery, courage and sacrifice made by our Armed forces to protect our liberty."

Vice Admiral Sir John Dunt, Chairman of the AFM Board of Trustees said:

"Today is the culmination of many months of hard work, which for those involved, has been a labour of love. Many of us involved in this project have lost family or friends, whose names are now on the Memorial.

"It will undoubtedly be a moving event, and a fitting tribute to the memory of all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice"

Air Chief Marshall Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of Defence Staff said:

"Over the last six decades the men and women of our Armed Services have faced unceasing challenges. In diverse, difficult and often dangerous circumstances, they have operated across the full spectrum of conflict: high-intensity war fighting, peacekeeping, reconstruction and development, humanitarian assistance, and much else besides. And they have done this with great success. They have an unmatched reputation, and the nation is rightly proud of them.

"But such success does not come without cost, and in military operations the price can be very high indeed. For some it involves the ultimate sacrifice.

"But there are others who also pay a heavy price, and who bear a lasting burden. The families and loved ones of those we have lost must be no less in our thoughts. The nation owes them a debt of thanks that can never adequately be met. But I hope that this new Memorial offers them a place of solace, and a sense that at last we have a tangible reflection of and focus for the nation's remembrance and gratitude."

A striking and emotive creation, the AFM will become an iconic structure of national significance, a focus for remembrance that will provide appropriate recognition for those who have given their lives in the service of their country since the end of WWII, and to the enduring sacrifice of those who mourn their loss.

For further information on the Armed Forces Memorial or to make a donation, visit http://www.forcesmemorial.org.uk or contact the Armed Forces Memorial Trust, First Floor, Zone A, St Georges Court, 2-12 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2SH. Registered charity No: 1100521.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Memorial project is managed by a registered charity called the Armed Forces Memorial Trust.

2. The AFM will open to the public at 0900 on 29 October 2007.

3. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission pays tribute to those who died during the two World Wars; until the formation of the AFM Trust, there was no national memorial for those who have lost their lives from 1948 onwards.

4. The AFM remembers all those killed on duty and includes members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and the Merchant Navy (MN) killed while serving in direct support of HM Forces. It includes those killed in conflicts or on training exercises, by terrorist action or on peacekeeping missions.

5. The sculptor, Ian Rank-Broadley, is best known for the effigy of HM The Queen, as seen on coinage since 1998.

6. The AFM was funded through public subscription. Funds in excess of £6 million have been raised, with substantial contributions from the Millennium Commission (£2.4 million), a Treasury grant (£1.5 million revenue from the Trafalgar coin) and private donations, including many from readers of the Daily Mail and The Sun.

7. The Memorial is independent. It is not Government funded, nor is it controlled or managed by a veterans' or other organisation. Non-denominational and inclusive, access and use of the Memorial will be administered by the AFM Board of Trustees, who will safeguard equal access to all.

8. The location, chosen to allow easy access from all corners of the United Kingdom, is within the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA), Alrewas, nr Lichfield, Staffordshire which is managed by the Royal British Legion. The NMA covers 60 hectares of woodland; it hosts memorials from a range of organisations both military and civilian, charities, local and overseas groups.

9. The Royal British Legion is providing significant funding for the dedication ceremony, and is working closely with the Armed Forces Memorial Trust planning today's event.

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