- Type of Memorial
- Stone of remembrance
- WMR Reference Number
- 75701
- Description
- An upright granite stone of predominantly circular shape in the centre of a stone base. The stone has a polished black granite centre with an outer border of grey granite. The front of the memorial is engraved in gold lettering with the crests of HMS Ajax, Achilles and Exeter above drawings of the ships. Below is a commemoration and description of the battle. The reverse of the memorial has an engraving depicting the battle area and the crest of the Admiral Graf Spee above a drawing of the battleship.
The stone is fixed to a hexagonal stone base of two shades of grey granite, divided into segments with gold inlay. The sections depict compass points and there is a strip of granite inlay which details the compass bearing and distance to the battle area. On a short, attached section of granite leading to the base are three weapon shell shaped strips of granite which depict, at full size, the size of shells fired by Admiral Graf Spee, HMS Exeter, Ajax and Achilles respectively.
At the rear of the stone there is a small rectangular granite tablet set into the ground with an inscription which explains the contents of a "time capsule" placed in the ground and which serves as a commemoration of all those who served on the ships.
Four granite commemorative benches are placed in an outer circle around the memorial.
- Inscription
- [Front face, outer circle]: THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE/ 13TH DECEMBER 1939/
[Inner circle]: Insignia, motto and drawing of each British ship, MOTTO below the White Ensign]
HMS AJAX/ NEC QUISQUAM NISI AJAX/ 'NONE BUT AJAX CAN OVERCOME AJAX'/
HMS ACHILLES/ FORTITER IN RE/ 'BRAVELY IN ACTION'/
HMS EXETER/ SEMPER FIDELIS/ 'EVER FAITHFUL'/
IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC CAPTAIN LANGSDORFF IN POCKET BATTLESHIP ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE WAS SINKING BRITISH/ MERCHANT SHIPS. COMMODORE HARWOOD, COMMANDING HUNTING GROUP G, ORDERED THE CRUISERS/ HMS AJAX, ACHILLES AND EXETER TO THE RIVER PLATE. ON THE MORNING OF 13TH DECEMBER EXETER INVESTIGATED/ SMOKE AND SIGNALLED "I THINK IT IS A POCKET BATTLESHIP." GRAF SPEE INITIALLY CONCENTRATED HER FIRE/ ON EXETER. AJAX AND ACHILLES CLOSED ON GRAF SPEE CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. EXETER RETIRED FROM/ THE BATTLE BADLY DAMAGED. AJAX AND ACHILLES SHADOWED GRAF SPEE INTO MONTEVIDEO IN NEUTRAL URUGUAY./ LANGSDORFF REQUESTED 14 DAYS TO REPAIR HER DAMAGE BUT URUGUAY ONLY ALLOWED 72 HOURS. KNOWING/ THAT ESCAPE WAS NO LONGER AN OPTION GRAF SPEE SCUTTLED IN THE RIVER PLATE ON 17TH DECEMBER./ TWO DAYS LATER CAPTAIN LANGSDORFF SHOT HIMSELF./ THE BATTLE BROUGHT THE FIRST VISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND LIFTED THE COUNTRY'S MORALE./ "THIS BRILLIANT SEA FIGHT TAKES ITS PLACE IN OUR NAVAL ANNALS AND IN A LONG COLD DARK/ WINTER IT WARMED THE COCKLES OF THE BRITISH HEARTS." WINSTON CHURCHILL
[Front face lower section]: THIS MEMORIAL WAS UNVEILED BY SURVIVORS AND COMMEMORATES THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY/ OF THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE. IT IS DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO SERVED IN THE SHIPS/ AT THE BATTLE AND IN SUBSEQUENT ACTION, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES./ HMS AJAX AND RIVER PLATE VETERANS ASSOCIATION/ HMS EXETER RIVER PLATE VETERANS AND FAMILIES ASSOCIATION/ HMS ACHILLES RIVER PLATE VETERANS NEW ZEALAND/
[Reverse face, outer circle]: THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE/ 13TH DECEMBER 1939/
[Reverse face lower section]: "THIS GREAT BATTLE WILL LONG BE TOLD IN SONG AND STORY..." WINSTON CHURCHILL/
[Tablet]: SEALED HERE ARE THE NAMES OF THOSE/ WHO SERVED IN HMS AJAX, HMS ACHILLES/ HMS EXETER AND ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE AND/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES WHILST SERVING/ THEIR COUNTRY/ ALSO THOSE WHO 75 YEARS LATER SUPPORRTED/ THE COMMISSIONING AND DEDICATION OF THIS/ MEMORIAL ON 12TH APRIL 2014.