Rotherhithe (Norwegian Seamen) War Memorial

A cenotaph of rough-dressed granite, in the form of a rectangular standing stone with rounded top, forming part of the boundary fencing* to St Olav's Kirke. The front, street-facing side of the memorial bears a carving of an anchor at the top, below which is the following inscription, in black lettering on polished granite, TO THE MEMORY OF / 2101 SEAMEN / WHO STAKED / AND GAVE THEIR LIVES / UNDER THE FLAG OF / NORWAY / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 -1918 / "IN THE SIGHT OF THE / UNWISE THEY SEEMED / TO DIE" WIS III2. The inscription is decorated with a garland curtain, exploding mines and heart carvings. The bottom of the slab section is inscribed ERECTED BY THE SHIPOWNERS OF NORWAY. The sides of the memorial bear the carving of rope. The back, church-facing side is identical to the front, save for the inscription, which is in Norwegian, TIL MINNE OM / 2101 SJØMENN / SOM SATTE LIVET TIL / UNDER NORGES FLAGG / VERDENSKRIGEN 1914-1918 / – MEN KUN FOR DEN / UFORSTAAENDES ØIE /ER DE DØDE / NORGES REDERFORBUND REISTE STENEN.

• Pursuant to s1(5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that these aforementioned features (namely the fence and boundary wall) are not of special architectural or historic interest.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 30 January 2018.