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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