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Memorial details

Memorial type
Stone of remembrance
District
Carrick
Town
Falmouth
County
Cornwall
Country
England
Commemoration
VC or GC Recipients, Second World War (1939-1945)
Ceremony
  • Rededicated
    Date: 11 July 2008
    Attended by: HRH Prince of Wales KG
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
26100

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Current location

Prince Of Wales Pier
Falmouth
Carrick
Cornwall
TR11 3DB
England

OS Grid Ref: SW 80762 32996
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Previous locations
  • Car park
    Fish Strand Quay
    Church Street
    Falmouth
    Carrick
    Cornwall
    TR11 3DQ
    England

    OS Grid Ref: SW 810 328
    Denomination: Undefined
Description
Stone of remembrance with an inset plaque surrounded by seven concrete plinths, all with metal plaques and the lettering in black. There are 5 crosses set in the quay which carry the names of the 5 men awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions during the raid. The whole is set on the quay.
Inscription
Stone of remembrance: OPERATION CHARIOT/ FROM THIS HARBOUR 622 SAILORS/ AND COMMANDOS SET SAIL FOR/ THE SUCCESFUL RAID ON ST NAZAIRE/ 28TH MARCH 1942. 168 WERE KILLED,/ 5 VICTORIA CROSSES WERE AWARDED/ DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF/ THEIR COMRADES BY/ THE ST NAZAIRE SOCIETY 1st plinth: HMS/ CAMPBELTOWN/ STRUCK THE/ DOCK GATE WITH/ SUCH FORCE/ THAT HER BOWS CRUMPLED/ BACK AND PROJECTED ONE/ FOOT BEYOND THE INNER FACE./ LT. COMMANDER/ BEATTIE TURNED TO/ CAPTAIN MONTGOMERY/ WITH A SMILE AND SAID/ "WELL, THERE WE ARE."/ LOOKING AT HIS WATCH,/ HE ADDED"FOUR/ MINUTES/ LATE." 2nd plinth: ALL/ DEMOLITIONS/ AT THE FORME/ ECLUSE HAD BEEN/ COMPLETED./ THESE TARGETS INCLUDED/ THE TWO CAISSONS,/ WINDING HOUSES AND/ MACHINERY, INNER CAISSON/ AND THE PUMP HOUSE; ALL HAD/ BEEN DESTROYED./ REQUESTED PERMISSION TO LOOK/ FOR BILL PRITCHARD RATHER THAN/ EMBARKING AND WAS TOLD BY THE/ ADJUTANT TO LOOK AT THE RIVER./ THAT WAS MY FIRST INKLING THAT/ ANYTHING HAD GONE/ WRONG WITH OUR PLAN./ Lt. Colonel Bob Montgomery MC 3rd plinth: LIEUT./ HILLS IS/ LYING ACROSS THE/ CARLEY FLOAT UNCONSCIOUS/ DYING OF THE WOUNDS./ WE DESPERATELY STEER/ THE FLOAT BETWEEN THE LAKES/ OF BURNING FUEL./ SHELLS ARE HITTING THE WATER./ CORPORAL BROWN, WOUNDED,/ IS HANGING ONTO ME./ A GERMAN/ SEARCHLIGHT/ IS TRACKING/ US. Eric dela Torre MBE/ 3 Commando. 4th plinth: TO/ COMMEMORATE/ THE REDEDICATION/ BY HRH THE/ PRINCE OF WALES/ AND THE DUCHESS/ OF CORNWALL/ ON 11th JULY/ 2008. 5th PLINTH: YOUR/ SONS ARE THE/ SONS OF/ FRANCE. THEIR/ MEMORY/IS HALLOWED./ Jean Guitten Croix du Combattant,OBE. 6th plinth: WELL/ CHAPS, WE'VE/ MISSED/ THE BOAT/ HOME WE'LL/ HAVE TO/ WALK./ Lt. Colonel A.C./ Newman, VC. 7th plinth: OF/ ALL THE/ OPERATIONS/ I WAS INVOLVED DURING THE/ WAR, IT IS/ WITHOUT DOUBT/ THE RAID ON/ ST NAZAIRE/ WITH WHICH I AM MOST/ PROUD TO HAVE BEEN/ ASSOCIATED. IT IS ONE OF/ THOSE ENTERPRISES WHICH/ COULD BE ATEMPTED ONLY/ BECAUSE IT SEEMED/ IN THE EYES OF THE/ ENEMY TO BE/ ABSOLUTELY/ IMPOSSIBLE./ Earl Mountbatten of Burma KG
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • VC or GC Recipients
    Total names on memorial: 5
    Served and returned: 3
    Died: 2
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Initials, surname, rank, regiment, honours
    Order of information: Undefined
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Plaque
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Bronze
  • Plinth
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Concrete
  • Stone of remembrance
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
Listing information
Condition
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Reference

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.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-26100

For queries, please contact [email protected].