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    © Imperial War Museums 2026

    Memorial

    Armed Forces Memorial

    Ian Rank-Broadley

    Source: Copyright Ian Rank-Broadley

    1/5

    Current Location

    Off Millennium Avenue, close to the main Arboretum buildings, National Memorial Arboretum, Croxall Road, Alrewas, Lichfield, Staffordshire, DE13 7AR, England

    OS Grid Reference

    SK 18472 14457

    View location on Google Maps

    Names listed on this memorial

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    © WMR-55449

    To share information or photographs, contact us.

    Type of Memorial
    Composite
    WMR Reference Number
    55449
    Description
    Inspired by the landscapes of prehistoric Britain and the classical architectural forms of Ancient Rome, the memorial comprises a six metre high earth mound, 100 metres wide at the base reducing to 50 metres at the top, in the form of an early British barrow/tumulus on top of which is a 43 metre diameter circular structure made up of two curved walls and two straight walls, constructed of 200,000 bricks faced with over 1,000 tonnes of Portland stone panels. The names of all service personnel who have been killed on duty since the end of WWII are inscribed on the walls, ordered by Service within date. Service men and women who died in the same incident are thus grouped. There are more than fifty individual conflicts represented on the walls. At the eastern end is an obelisk. Within the circle are two bronze sculptures. The north wall sculpture depicts a groups of servicemen carrying a wounded comrade while grieving family look on from either side. The south wall sculpture depicts the soul of the dead serviceman preparing to depart through a symbolic door as another figure chisels the name on the memorial. A gap in the two southern walls has been positioned so that a shaft of sunlight can shine directly through the wall at 11am on the 11 November onto a bronze laurel wreath which is placed on a low sone plinth in the centre of the memorial area. The memorial is approached by a spiral walkway taking walkers up the grassed slopes of the barrow. The area is landscaped with trees evocative of a Roman landscape.
    Inscription
    [Obelisk]: THEY DIED/ SERVING/ THEIR/ COUNTRY/ WE WILL/ REMEMBER/ THEM [Walls]: (Names...) [Dedication Stone]: THE ARMED FORCES MEMORIAL WAS DEDICATED BY/ HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN/ 12 OCTOBER 2007
    War
    Malayan Emergency (1948-1960)
    Number Commemorated
    1443
    Died
    1443
    Information shown
    surname,year died,decorations
    Order of names
    year died,surname
    War
    Korean War (1950-1953)
    Number Commemorated
    1086
    Died
    1086
    Information shown
    surname,year died,decorations
    Order of names
    year died,surname
    War
    Egypt and the Suez Crisis (1951-1956)
    Number Commemorated
    417
    Died
    417
    War
    Cyprus Dispute (1955-1974)
    Number Commemorated
    357
    Died
    357
    Information shown
    surname,year died,decorations
    Order of names
    year died,surname,decorations
    War
    Indonesian Confrontation (1963-1966)
    Number Commemorated
    176
    Died
    176
    War
    Falklands Conflict (1982)
    Number Commemorated
    255
    Died
    255
    Information shown
    surname,year died,decorations
    Order of names
    year died,surname,decorations
    War
    Yugoslav Wars (1991-2001)
    Number Commemorated
    65
    Died
    65
    Information shown
    surname,year died,decorations
    Order of names
    year died,surname,decorations
    War
    Gulf War (1990-1991)
    Number Commemorated
    49
    Died
    49
    Information shown
    surname,year died,decorations
    Order of names
    year died,surname,decorations
    War
    Iraq (2003-2011)
    Number Commemorated
    171
    Died
    171
    Information shown
    surname,year died,decorations
    Order of names
    year died,surname,decorations
    War
    Aden Emergency (1963-1967)
    Number Commemorated
    83
    Died
    83
    War
    Northern Ireland Conflict; The Troubles (1969-1998)
    Number Commemorated
    1400
    Died
    1400
    Information shown
    surname,year died,decorations
    Order of names
    year died,surname,decorations
    War
    Palestine (1918-1948)
    Number Commemorated
    747
    Died
    747
    Information shown
    surname,year died,decorations
    Order of names
    year died,surname,decorations
    War
    Afghanistan (2001-2014)
    Number Commemorated
    82
    Died
    82
    Information shown
    surname,year died,decorations
    Order of names
    year died,surname,decorations
    War
    Military Service
    Information shown
    surname,year died,decorations
    Order of names
    year died,surname,decorations
    Additional Information
    Total is combined number for multiple wars listed together on the memorial
    War
    20th Century Conflict (1900-1999)
    Information shown
    0
    Additional Information
    Unknown numbers recorded
    Maker(s)
    • LIAM O'CONNOR, Architect

    • Ian Rank-Broadley, Sculptor

    Costs
    c £6million
    Sponsor Type
    public
    Sponsored By
    Funded by public subscription under the overall sponsorship of the MOD and the Amred Forces Memorial Trust (no longer active)
    Additional Cost/Sponsorship Information
    Funds were raised by public subscription, the Millennium Commission, the sale of Trafalgar Coin.
    Maintenance History
    Ongoing engraving of names.

    Ceremonies

    Foundation Stone

    23 January 2007

    LORD LIEUTENANT OF STAFFORDSHIRE,RELATIVES/FRIENDS OF THE FALLEN

    Unveiled

    12 October 2007

    HRH Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

    Dedicated

    12 October 2007

    HRH Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Archbishop of Canterbury

    Components

    Wall

    Made from: Stone - Portland


    Condition: Good


    Sculpture

    Made from: Bronze


    Condition: Good


    Obelisk

    Height: c12000mm


    Made from: Stone - Portland


    Condition: Good


    Sculpture

    Made from: Bronze


    Condition: Good


    Sculpture

    Made from: Bronze


    Condition: Good


    Plinth

    Made from: Stone - Portland


    Condition: Good


    Tree

    Made from: Plant Material


    Condition: Good


    • The Daily Mail 5 / 7 April 2005; 1 and 7 / 4 November 2006; 11 November 2006; 25 November 2006; 23 January 2007; 13 October 2007 pp 2-3
    • BBC News Online http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7040801.stm
    • The Times 11 November 2000; 20 / 7 April 2005; 8 / 20 November 2006; undated
    • Other website http://www.forcesmemorial.org.uk
    • Daily Telegraph 10 / undated; 1 and 4 / 13 Oct 2007; 7 June 2010
    • National Memorial Arboretum http://www.thenma.org.uk/content/Armed-Forces-Memorial-1167.shtml
    • Soldier 37 / June 2005
    • BBC News Online http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6289679.stm
    • Fundraising Literature 6 April 2005 Press Release from Armed Forces Memorial Appeal
    • Our Blog http://ukniwm.wordpress.com/2008/02/01/if-i-should-die/
    • Derby Evening Telegraph 5 / 30 June 2008
    • Metro 4/ 12 April 2011
    • “Search the Armed Forces Memorial Roll of Honour.” GOV.UK, 24 November 2014, www.gov.uk/search-armed-forces-memorial-roll-of-honour.