The Merchant Navy Memorial, Second World War section

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 4 August 2025 to update the Address

TQ 3380 788/21/10071

TRINITY SQUARE, EC3 The Merchant Navy Memorial, Second World War section

(Formerly listed as Merchant Seamen's Memorial)

GV II* Second World War memorial. 1952-55 to the designs of Edward Maufe for the Imperial War Graves Commission, as a complement to the adjoining First World War memorial by Lutyens unveiled in 1928 (already listed). The sculptor was Charles Wheeler.

Portland stone walls set with bronze panels recalling the names of those who have no grave but the sea. The 8ft walls set in a sunken garden, lined with bronze panels on their inner face and at spaced intervals set with seven stone sculptured allegorical figures representing the seven seas. At the centre of this garden, mainly lawn, is a 'pool' of bronze engraved as a Mariners' compass and set to magnetic north. Around its edge stone paviours and oak seats form part of the composition. Steps ascend to the earlier war memorial, between pylons carved with above life-size figures of an officer and seaman of the merchant service. Between these and the 1914-18 memorial a stone of remembrance on a stepped plinth. Dedicatory inscription to 'The Twenty-four Thousand of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets whose names are honoured on the Walls of this Garden, gave their lives for their Country and have no grave but the sea'.

The Merchant Navy Memorial, Second World War section commemorates all merchant seafarers, men and women, who served in ships registered in ports of the British commonwealth or in ships on charter to these governments, who lost their lives as a result of enemy action and who have no known grave. 23,765 men are commemorated, including 80 pilots and lighthousemen and 832 fishermen. Its scale contrasted with that of the First World War memorial demonstrates the crucial role played by the Merchant Navy in 1939-45. Maufe was commissioned to produce a design that related to the earlier memorial and to the setting of Trinity House (listed in the City of London), and this was successfully achieved. The memorial was unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen on 5 November 1955.

Listing NGR: TQ3349680752

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 17 February 2017.