The Royal British Legion has unveiled a new "Never Forget" war memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire.
The memorial - one of over 250 at the Arboretum - features a giant wreath around which poppies, inscribed with individual names and dates, can be planted as a permanent tribute.
"Never Forget" is the shape of a poppy whose petals are flower beds for thousands of small wooden poppies to be planted, and is surrounded by a paved walkway.
The National Memorial Arboretum opened in 2001 and is a national site of remembrance.
The arboretum contains over 50,000 trees, with more being added each year. There are over 250 memorials and plots for the armed forces, civilian organisations and voluntary bodies who have played a part in serving the country, the memorials include Association of Jewish Ex-Service Men and Women; Berlin Airlift Monument; Boys' Brigade; Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI); Shot at Dawn (during the First World War some 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers were shot for desertion or cowardice; the real cause for their offences was often a psychological reaction to the stresses of war which today would be diagnosed as post-traumatic stress syndrome or combat stress reaction); Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (SANDS) Garden; The Beat (a memorial to all British policemen who have died on duty); Garden of the Innocents (this memorial is to children who have been affected by war or conflict. The central tree is an elder tree in memory of Anne Frank; each April its flowers and flower buds are removed, to symbolize that Anne Frank was not allowed to grow to adulthood and achieve her full life); and even HMS Amethyst's cat, Simon (in 1949, during the Yangtze Incident, he received the PDSA's D ickin Medal - a Victoria cross for animals - after surviving injuries from a cannon shell, raising morale, and killing off a rat infestation during his service).
Several corporate war memorials – from British banks, building societies, and insurance companies – have been relocated to the grounds, when the original owners became unable or unwilling to care for them.
At the heart of the arboretum is the Armed Forces Memorial, which is a tribute to every single British service person who has lost their life in conflict or as a result of terrorism since the end of the Second World War - over 16,000 of them, with all their names engraved on the walls of the memorial, with the latest addition being Drummer Lee Rigby. At 11 am on 11 November each year the sun shines through two slits in the outer and inner walls of the memorial, casting a shaft of light across a wreath in the centre.
Royal British Legion unveils new 'Never Forget' memorial
BBC News
14 September 2013
A new permanent war memorial titled "Never Forget" has been unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum.
It was officially opened by Amanda Binnie, whose husband Sean was 23 when he was ambushed and killed in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in May 2009.
The memorial features a giant wreath around which poppies, inscribed with individual names and dates, can be planted as a permanent tribute.
The Royal British Legion held the service at the site in Staffordshire.
"Never Forget" is the shape of a poppy whose petals are flower beds for thousands of small wooden poppies to be planted, and is surrounded by a paved walkway.
Sarah Montgomerie, from the Royal British Legion, said everyday heroes, as well as those killed in conflict, would be honoured at the year-round centre for remembrance.
The memorial will be opened to the public following the formal dedication ceremony.
The National Memorial Arboretum is open year round except Christmas Day and forms part of the Royal British Legion's family of charities.
Members of the public may visit the Never Forget website to create personal tributes for the memorial.
The new poppy-shaped Never Forget tribute was unveiled at a ceremony held at the National Memorial Arboretum
A giant wreath forms the centrepiece of Never Forget
Everlasting poppies will form part of the Never Forget memorial
BBC News - Royal British Legion unveils new 'Never Forget' memorial
The memorial - one of over 250 at the Arboretum - features a giant wreath around which poppies, inscribed with individual names and dates, can be planted as a permanent tribute.
"Never Forget" is the shape of a poppy whose petals are flower beds for thousands of small wooden poppies to be planted, and is surrounded by a paved walkway.
The National Memorial Arboretum opened in 2001 and is a national site of remembrance.
The arboretum contains over 50,000 trees, with more being added each year. There are over 250 memorials and plots for the armed forces, civilian organisations and voluntary bodies who have played a part in serving the country, the memorials include Association of Jewish Ex-Service Men and Women; Berlin Airlift Monument; Boys' Brigade; Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI); Shot at Dawn (during the First World War some 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers were shot for desertion or cowardice; the real cause for their offences was often a psychological reaction to the stresses of war which today would be diagnosed as post-traumatic stress syndrome or combat stress reaction); Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (SANDS) Garden; The Beat (a memorial to all British policemen who have died on duty); Garden of the Innocents (this memorial is to children who have been affected by war or conflict. The central tree is an elder tree in memory of Anne Frank; each April its flowers and flower buds are removed, to symbolize that Anne Frank was not allowed to grow to adulthood and achieve her full life); and even HMS Amethyst's cat, Simon (in 1949, during the Yangtze Incident, he received the PDSA's D ickin Medal - a Victoria cross for animals - after surviving injuries from a cannon shell, raising morale, and killing off a rat infestation during his service).
Several corporate war memorials – from British banks, building societies, and insurance companies – have been relocated to the grounds, when the original owners became unable or unwilling to care for them.
At the heart of the arboretum is the Armed Forces Memorial, which is a tribute to every single British service person who has lost their life in conflict or as a result of terrorism since the end of the Second World War - over 16,000 of them, with all their names engraved on the walls of the memorial, with the latest addition being Drummer Lee Rigby. At 11 am on 11 November each year the sun shines through two slits in the outer and inner walls of the memorial, casting a shaft of light across a wreath in the centre.
Royal British Legion unveils new 'Never Forget' memorial
BBC News
14 September 2013
A new permanent war memorial titled "Never Forget" has been unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum.
It was officially opened by Amanda Binnie, whose husband Sean was 23 when he was ambushed and killed in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in May 2009.
The memorial features a giant wreath around which poppies, inscribed with individual names and dates, can be planted as a permanent tribute.
The Royal British Legion held the service at the site in Staffordshire.
"Never Forget" is the shape of a poppy whose petals are flower beds for thousands of small wooden poppies to be planted, and is surrounded by a paved walkway.
Sarah Montgomerie, from the Royal British Legion, said everyday heroes, as well as those killed in conflict, would be honoured at the year-round centre for remembrance.
The memorial will be opened to the public following the formal dedication ceremony.
The National Memorial Arboretum is open year round except Christmas Day and forms part of the Royal British Legion's family of charities.
Members of the public may visit the Never Forget website to create personal tributes for the memorial.
The new poppy-shaped Never Forget tribute was unveiled at a ceremony held at the National Memorial Arboretum
A giant wreath forms the centrepiece of Never Forget
Everlasting poppies will form part of the Never Forget memorial
BBC News - Royal British Legion unveils new 'Never Forget' memorial
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