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Memorial details

Memorial type
Avenue / Tree or grove
District
Lichfield
Town
Alrewas
County
Staffordshire
Country
England
Commemoration
Second World War (1939-1945)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
46452

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Current location

Set within Royal Naval Review garden
National Memorial Arboretum
Croxall Road
Alrewas
Lichfield
Staffordshire
DE13 7AR
England

OS Grid Ref: SK 18396 14626
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Two trees set within the Royal Naval Review garden. Blue metal plaque on post with inscription in white lettering below the emblem of the Flower Class Corvette Association.
Inscription
Emblem: FLOWER CLASS CORVETTE/ ASSOCIATION/ WITHOUT HASTE BUT UNRESTING THESE TWO TREES ARE PRESENTED BY THE/ FLOWER CLASS CORVETTE ASSOCIATION/IN TRIBUTE TO THE CREW THAT SERVED ON BOARD THE/ CORVETTES IN ALL THE THEATRES OF WAR 1939-1945/ "SHEPHERDS OF THE FLEET"/ BY/ DENIS J. WOODS/ (Poem arranged in verses in two columns): THERE WERE ORCHIS AND PETUNIA,/TULIP AND PRIMROSE TOO,/ VERBENA AND AZALEA,/ ALL GOOD SHIPS THROUGH AND THROUGH./ THE SHEPHERDS OF THE FLEET THEY WERE,/ TO ALL WE OWE A DEBT,/ EACH ONE A GALLANT FIGHTING SHIP,/ A "FLOWER CLASS" CORVETTE./ THEY HASTENED NOT, BUT RESTED NOT,/ AND SAW THEIR DUTY DONE./ FROM THE ICY RUSSIAN CONVOYS,/ TO A BLISTERING TROPIC SUN./ ALL CREWED BY MEN OF IRON WILL,/ WHO NEITHER FLINCHED NOR FLED,/ WHEN DUTY CALLED TO GIVE THEIR ALL,/ AND THE SEA CONSUMED THEIR DEAD./ SUCH PRETTY NAMES THOSE SMALL '?/ THERE WERE LARKSPUR, HONEYSUCKLE/ DIANTHUS AND HOLLYHOCK,/ AND THE ONLY TIME THEY PAUSED FOR BREATH,/ WAS 'REPAIR TIME' IN A DOCK!/ BUILT TO WITHSTAND A RAGING STORM,/ AND STILL FIGHT TOOTH AND CLAW,/ THEY PROVED THEIR WORTH TO A STILL FREE WORLD,/ AS COUNTLESS MILLIONS SAW./ THERE WERE SNOWDROP AND/ SNAPDRAGON,/ CARNATION AND DAHLIA TOO,/ GERANIUM AND GARDENIA,/ ALL GOOD SHIPS THROUGH AND THROUGH./ THE SHEPHERDS OF THE FLEET THEY WERE,/ TO ALL WE OWE A DEBT,/ EACH ONE A GALLANT FIGHTING SHIP,/ A 'FLOWER CLASS' CORVETTE!
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: regiment,additional
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Plaque
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Metal
  • Tree
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Undefined
Listing information
Condition
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Corporate
Details: Flower Class Corvette Association

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-46452

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