Memorial details

Memorial type
Sculptured / Cast figure
District
City Of Westminster
Town
Westminster
County
Greater London
Country
England
Commemoration
Second World War (1939-1945), Northern Ireland Conflict; The Troubles (1969-1998)
Ceremony
  • Dedicated
    Date: 2 November 1983
    Attended by: Bishop of London
  • Unveiled
    Date: 2 November 1983
    Attended by: HM QUEEN ELIZABETH II
  • Show More (1)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
14133

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Current location

Behind the Foreign Office
overlooking Horse Guards towards the Old Admiralty Building
Mountbatten Green
Horse Guards Road
Westminster
City Of Westminster
Greater London
SW1A 2AH
England

OS Grid Ref: TQ 29979 79957
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Bronze statue showing Lord Mountbatten in uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet wearing Garter star and Order of Merit, holding binoculars in right hand. Note that the content of the 2 tablets is repeated on 2 identical tablets either side of the entrance gates to both Horse Guards Road and Horse Guards. Although not stated on the memorial his death was due to assassination by the IRA during the Northern Ireland troubles.
Inscription
North side of plinth: ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET/ THE EARL MOUNTBATTEN OF BURMA/ KG PC GCB OM GCSI/ GCIE GCVO DSO FRS/ 1900-1979 West side of plinth: CHIEF OF COMBINED OPERATIONS/ 1941-1943/ SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER/ SOUTHEAST ASIA/ 1943-1946/LAST VICEROY OF INDIA/1947/GOVERNOR GENERAL OF INDIA/AFTER INDEPENDENCE/1947-1948/FIRST SEA LORD/1955-1959/CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE STAFF/1959-1965
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Mountbatten (of Burma), (earl)
See details
Commemorations
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 1
    Served and returned: 1
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Rank, title, surname, honours, decorations, year of birth, year of death, additional
    Order of information: Undefined
  • Northern Ireland Conflict; The Troubles (1969-1998)
    Total names on memorial: 1
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 1
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Rank, title, surname, honours, decorations, year of birth, year of death, additional
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Tablets
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Tablets
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Figure
    Measurements: height 2700mm
    Materials: Bronze
  • Steps
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Plinth
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
  • Fence/ Railing
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Wrought Iron
  • Gates
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Wrought Iron
Listing information
Condition
History
After 2001 the green was ringed with a security fence due to its proximity to Downing St, making it impossible to see statue up close.
Costs

Comments: The funds were raised by public subscription and administered by the Defence Services Secretary, MoD, at Old Admiralty Building. Sculptor £29,000;Moulding, casting and materials £11,000; Site and construction work £60,000 ('The Times' 7 Aug. 1985 p.11)
Memorial: £100,000

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Any money received in excess of the cost would be passed to the Mountbatten Memorial Fund.
Sponsorship
Public
Reference
  • The Times 6 July 1981 p.3 col.g and p.13 col.f; 2 Dec.1982 p.14 col.c;12 July 1983 p.12 col.c; 16 July 1983 p.10 col.c;8 Sep. 1983 p.12 col.c; 3 Nov 1983,p.14 col.a and p.28 col.a; 5 Nov.1983 p.9 col.g; 8 Nov. 1983 p.15 col. g; 3 Aug. 1985 p.13 col.c; 7 Aug. 1985 The Times 19 November 1979 Pg 13; Issue 60478; Col f; The Times 22 November 1979 Pg 15; Issue 60481; Col c; The Times 28 November 1979 Pg 15; Issue 60486; Col d; The Times 29 November 1979 Pg 17; Issue 60487; Col g; The Times 6 July 1981 Pg 3; Issue 60972; Col g; The Times 6 July 1981 Pg 13; Issue 60972; Col F; The Times 2 December 1982 Pg 14; Issue 61404; Col c; The Times 12 July 1983 Pg 12; Issue 61582; Col c; The Times 16 July 1983 Pg 10; Issue 61586; Col c; The Times 8 September 1983 Pg 12; Issue 61632; Col c; The Times 3 November 1983 Pg 14; Issue 61680; Col a; The Times 3 November 1983 Pg 28; Issue 61680; Col a; The Times 5 November 1983 Pg 9; Issue 61682; Col g; The Times 8 November 1983 Pg 15; Issue 61684; Col g; The Times 3 August 1985 Pg 13; Issue 62207; Col c; The Times 7 August 1985 Pg 11; Issue 62210; Col e; The Times 5 November 1985 Pg 9; Issue 61682; Col g; The Times 8 November 1985 Pg 16; Issue 61684; Col g;
  • docslib.org/doc/10896599/the-unveiling-of-the-statue-admiral-of-the-fleet-the-earl-mountbatten-of-burma-foreign-office-green-her-majesty-the-queen
  • SZ/MMT Mountbatten Memorial Trust 1979-1993 (Zukerman Archive, University of East Anglia) Contains 15 files - ACCESS RESTRICTED SZ/MMT/1 Correspondence, 1979-1984, 1987-1993 SZ/MMT/2 Trust Deed, 1979 SZ/MMT/3 Trustees Meetings - Agenda, Minutes, Papers, 1979-1985, 1988-1992 SZ.MMT/4 Committee of Management - Agenda, Minutes, Papers, 1981-82 SZ/MMT/5 Appeal Committee - Minutes and Miscellaneous Papers, 1981 SZ/MMT/6 Appeal Brochure, 1981 SZ/MMT/7 Progress Reports on the Appeal, 1981-84 SZ/MMT/8 Reports, 1981, 1983, 1990 SZ/MMT/9 Accounts, 1980, 1981, 1984 SZ/MMT/10 Press-cuttings, 1980 SZ/MMT/11 Royal National College for the Blind, 1981-83 SZ/MMT/12 Southampton University Department of Electronics, 1982-85 SZ/MMT/13 BIME (University of Bath Institute of Medical Engineering), 1981-82 SZ/MMT/14 United World Colleges, 1980-83 SZ MMT/15 Statue, 1981-82
  • Our Blog ukniwm.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/mountbattens-statue-prompted-an-exchange-of-fire-between-naval-officers/
  • Henry Moore Institute 2001.94/D/5 tinyurl.com/2uycsee
  • The Times Nov. 1979: 19th p.13 col.f;22nd p.15 col.c; 28th p.15 col.d; 29th p.17 col.g Suggestions for memorial
  • Unveiling Programme/ Order of Service 2 Nov 1983

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

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