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Memorial details

Memorial type
Obelisk
District
Bristol
Town
Bristol
County
Avon
Country
England
Commemoration
Non-Specific Conflict
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 21/05/2001
    Attended by: HRH THE PRINCESS ROYAL
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
55222

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Current location

On a paved area between the road and the floating harbour.
Bristol
Welsh Back
Bristol
Bristol
Avon
BS1 4SS
England

OS Grid Ref: ST 58933 72800
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
In the shape of a ship's capstan, mounted on a three tiered circular plinth with a 16 point compass card. At the top of the column is a bronze collar, with a cross on one side and the merchant navy badge on the other; which is a knotted rope topped by a naval crown and the letters MN in the middle.
Inscription
Brass collar: MERCHANT SEAMEN/ IN WAR AND PEACE THEY PLIED THEIR TRADE/ OVER THE ANGRY SEAS/ REMEMBER THEM AS HERE YOU STAND/ BENEATH THESE PLACID TREES Other side: THIS MEMORIAL IS A TRIBUTE TO/ ALL MERCHANT SEAFARERS WHO HAVE SAILED/ TO AND FROM BRISTOL/ THROUGHOUT THE AGES Plaque: IN 1996 A SMALL GROUP OF LOCAL SEAFARERS FOUNDED/ THE BRISTOL BRANCH OF THE MERCHANT NAVY ASSOCIATION./ ONE OF ITS AIMS WAS TO CREATE A MEMORIAL AT THE HARBOURSIDE/ TO THOSE SEAFARERS WHO HELPED TO BRING PEACE AND PROSPERITY TO THIS GREAT CITY./ IN THE YEAR 2000 DAVID BACKHOUSE FRBS RWA/ WAS COMMISSIONED TO CREATE THE MEMORIAL/ WHICH WAS UNVEILED BY HRH THE PRINCESS ROYAL/ ON 21ST MAT 2001.
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • Non-Specific Conflict
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: Undefined
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Plaque
    Measurements: height 510 mm, width 1250 mm
    Materials: Bronze
  • Obelisk
    Measurements: height 1300 mm, width 1100 mm
    Materials: Granite
  • Plinth
    Measurements: height 340 mm, width 4500 mm
    Materials: Stone
Listing information
Condition
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Reference
  • Anonymous, 'Bristol Merchant Navy Memorial - Welsh Back'. Tidings: The Magazine of Knowle and Totterdown Methodist Churches, July 2003.

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.

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© WMR-55222

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