- Type of Memorial
- Stone of remembrance
- WMR Reference Number
- 76513
- Description
- A piece of limestone taken from the Rock of Gibraltar which has been sculpted to represent Gibraltar as it may have looked in prehistoric times. The rock is fixed to a rectangular piece of black marble which forms the top of an altar-shaped plinth of white marble. Each face of the plinth has inscriptions in gold or black lettering. The 6 o'clock (front) face has an engraving of the coat of arms of Gibraltar; the 12 o'clock (back) face has a roll of honour of the Gibraltarian dead of both World Wars. One of the side faces includes a depiction of the map of the Mediterranean region illustrating the strategic significance of Gibraltar. The memorial is placed on a shallow base of grey granite which is in the middle of a rectangular pavement of grey granite stones. The memorial is situated within the garden dedicated to Mediterranean Campaigns of WW2.
- Inscription
- [6 o'clock face]: "NULLI EXPUGNABILIS HOSTI"/ NO ENEMY SHALL EXPEL US/ IN MEMORY OF ALL GIBRALTARIANS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE/ OF THEIR COUNTRY IN ARMED CONFLICTS AROUND THE WORLD/ (Coat of Arms)/ DEDICATED ON 13TH OCTOBER 2015 BY HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT OF GIBRALTAR/ TO THE PEOPLE FO GIBRALTAR WHO FOUGHT FOR FREEDOM/
[9 o'clock face]: [Map] THE MEMORIAL CARVED FROM A 3 TON BLOCK OF GIBRALTAR LIMESTONE/ WAS INSPIRED BY MR JOE BRUGADA AFTER A VISIT TO THE ARBORETUM/ AND REALISED BY THE ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE DESIGNER ANSELMO TORRES/STONEMASONS: PERFITTS DISS/
A MEETING POINT OF CONTINENTS/ GIBRALTAR: ROCK MONOLITH ON THE SOUTHERNMOST POINT/ OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA, WHERE EUROPE MEETS AFRICA, HAS/ BEEN OF STRATEGIC AND COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE SINCE THE/ DAYS OF THE PHOENICIANS IN THE 9TH CENTURY BC./ THE ROCK IS STEEPED IN MILITARY HISTORY. IT WAS CAPTURED IN/ 1704 BY AN ANGLO-DUTCH FORCE UNDER THE COMMAND OF/ ADMIRAL SIR GEORGE ROOKE./ AFTER THE BRITISH VICTORY AT THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR IN 1805/ THE BODY OF ADMIRAL LORD HORATIO NELSON WAS BROUGHT/ ASHORE AT GIBRALTAR BEFORE REPATRIATION TO ENGLAND./
[12 o'clock face]: "WE OWE TO SUCH LOYAL CITIZENS A DEBT OF HONOUR"/ FIELD MARSHAL SIR JOHN CHAPPLE GCB CBE/ GIBRALTARIANS WHO DIED IN THE WORLD WARS/ 1914-1918 (Names...)/ 1939-1945 (Names...)/ WE WILL REMEMBER THEM/
[3 o'clock face]: STRATEGIC FORTRESS/ DURING WORLD WAR II THE ROCK'S DEEP WATER HARBOUR PROVIDED THE ALLIES/ WITH A STRATEGIC NAVAL BASE. GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER/ PLANNED OPERATION TORCH, THE INVASION OF NORTH AFRICA, FROM HIS/ HQ DEEP INSIDE THE ROCK./ MORE RECENTLY, GIBRALTAR SUPPLIED BRITAIN'S FALKLAND TASK FORCE IN/ 1982 AND REMAINS A BRITISH AND NATO STRATEGIC FORWARD MOUNTING/ BASE FOR MILITARY AND HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS./ GIBRALTAR TODAY IS A BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY WITH A POPULATION/ OF 30,000 LIVING IN AN AREA OF 3SQ MILES. THIS MAKES IT THE FIFTH/ MOST DENSELY POPULATED AREA IN THE WORLD AND THE SECOND HIGHEST/ IN EUROPE.