Memorial details

Memorial type
Obelisk
District
Swansea
Town
Swansea
County
West Glamorgan
Country
Wales
Commemoration
Second World War - civilians, Civilian (19th; 20th and 21st Centuries)
Maker
MR PHILIP CHATFIELD (Designer)
MR PHILIP CHATFIELD (Sculptor)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 26 June 2005
    Attended by: Marjorie Thompson-Jones (nee French)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
65493

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Current location

Technium Square
Langdon Road
Swansea
Swansea
West Glamorgan
SA1 8PL
Wales

OS Grid Ref: SS 66359 93055
Denomination: Undefined

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Description
Granite pillar on plinth, surmounted by a circular naval device. On the plinth at west side is a marble statue of a Merchant Seaman wearing a duffle coat and hat. At base of statue is the word VIGILANCE. On the east side is a marble statue of a fisherman wearing waterproof clothing and holding a fishing net. At the base of statue the word STRENGTH. At the top of the plinth on the four sides are the words DUX above fisherman, GAELT above names and LUX above merchant seaman. NOSTER above Merchant Navy crest and poem.
Inscription
When the Master of Masters holds Judgement/ And the Devils dark Angels have flown,/ When the Clerk of the Heavenly Council/ Decrees that the Names shall be shown -/ They will stand out in Glittering letters,/ Inscribed with blood they have shed./ Names of Ships - and the Seamen who Manned them -/ Then the Ocean can give up its Dead./ Anon/ "THEIR NAME LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE." Plaque: THIS MEMORIAL WAS UNVEILED BY/ MARJORIE THOMPSON-JONES NEE FRENCH/ ON THE 26TH JUNE 2005 Tablet: The Merchant Navy Association of/ Swansea would like to express our deepest/ gratitude to the people of Swansea who/ dug deep into their pockets to provide this/ Memorial in honour of the men and boys of/ the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who/ paid the ultimate sacrifice in the 1939-1945/ Second World War and have no grave but/ the sea./ "AND SOME THERE BE WHICH HAVE NO/ MEMORIAL, WHO ARE PERISHED AS/ THOUGH THEY HAD NEVER BEEN"
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • Second World War - civilians
    Total names on memorial: 98
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 98
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, forenames, age of death
    Order of information: surname
  • Civilian (19th; 20th and 21st Centuries)
    Total names on memorial: 7
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 7
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, forenames, age of death
    Order of information: surname
Components
  • Obelisk
    Measurements: depth 780, height 10973, width 1440
    Materials: Granite - Cornish
  • Plinth
    Measurements: depth 780, height 640, width 3115
    Materials: Granite
  • Sculpture
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Marble
  • Plaques / Panels with names
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Metal
  • Plaque
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Bronze
Condition
Costs

Comments: The memorial was funded by public donations £45,000 and Swansea City Council £20,000
Memorial: £65,000

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A

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-65493

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