- Type of Memorial
- Wall
- WMR Reference Number
- 49514
- Description
- Brick wall in three sections. Two side sections are squares while centre section rises in a tall tapering shape that ends with a slightly rounded top edge. A kite shaped plaque on the lefthand wall is cast with an image in relief of soldiers and a latin cross. Rectangular centre plaque has an inscription and list of names and above it is a metal cross (the Virtuti Militari, the highest Polish gallantry medal which is equivalent to the Victoria Cross). Plaque on the righthand wall has an inscription and a cast image in relief of people arriving by boat. In front of the main structure is a flower bed set into the pavement.
- Inscription
- Righthand plaque (Polish): OBY PAMIEC NIE ZAGINELA O TYCH 212 BOHATERACH/ POWSTANIA LISTOPADOWEGO KTORZY PO STOCZONYCH/ BOJACH Z ROSYJSKIM NAJEZDZCA I 3-LETNIM POBYCLE/ W PRUSKIEJ NIEWOLL-PRZYBYLI DO PORTSMOUTH W/ LUTYM 1834./ ZADEN Z TYCH POWSTANCOW NIE DOCZEKAL SIE/ POWROTU DO WOLNEJ POLSKI, A WIEKSZOSC Z NICH W/ TYM MIEJSECU, WE WSPOLNYM GROBIE SPOCZYWA./
Righthand plaque (English): Lest we forget the kindness shown and the help/given by the people of Britain's Premier naval/port - Portsmouth to 212 Polish Soldiers, members/of the first Polish community in Britain, who/arrived in Portsmouth in February 1834, after/ having taken part in the November uprising/against Tzarist Russian oppression, which took/place in Warsaw in 1830 - 1831./The majority of those soldiers were laid to rest/in this very place in a common grave.
At a time when merchants of human rights joined forces/in order to destroy liberty - the people of Portsmouth/rallied to the aid of those, who fought for that liberty.
Centre plaque (Polish): LISTA IMIENNA ZOLNIERZY POLISKICH PRZYBYLYCH/ Z GDANSKA DO PORTSMOUTH NA OKRECIE/ "MARIANNE" W ROKU 1834:
(English) Polish soldiers, who arrived in Portsmouth/from Gdansk aboard the Battleship/"Marianne" in 1834:/(NAMES)