Naval War Memorial

The Naval War Memorial is a war memorial dedicated to the Naval Patrol Service during the Second World War, built between 1952 and 1953 by F H Crossley, with sculpture work by H Tyson-Smith. It features stone facings and has a low circular drum that is forty feet in diameter, adorned with concave bronze inscription panels that list the deceased by rank. Surrounding the drum is a concentric plinth that supports a fluted entactic column, which rises to a stepped pinnacle topped with a ball finial. Atop the finial is a model galleon (Lymphad) under sail.

The memorial was unveiled on 7 October 1953 by the First Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Rhoderick McGrigor. It commemorates 2,385 names from the patrol depot "Europa," including 49 from Newfoundland, who did not return to their base at Sparrow's Nest, which is located nearby in Lowestoft. Sparrow's Nest served as the central depot for the Naval Patrol Service during the Second World War. The service evolved from the trawler section of the Royal Naval Reserve, with many local skippers and fishermen participating. At its peak in 1944, approximately 57,000 men served in the Naval Patrol Service, operating minesweepers, corvettes, fuel carriers, and other small vessels.