The Royal Air Force Memorial, Whitehall Stairs

The Royal Air Force Memorial is located at the head of Whitehall stairs, part of Sir Joseph Bazalgette’s Victoria Embankment scheme from 1864 to 1870, which is listed as Grade II. It is situated near the Grade I-listed Ministry of Defence and close to the Grade II-listed statues of General Gordon and Lord Trenchard, as well as several Grade II-listed Catenary lamp standards along the Embankment.

Constructed from Portland stone, the memorial features a tall pylon on a stepped base with a deep cornice. At the top, there is an upswept two-tier pedestal that supports a gilded bronze eagle with its wings outstretched. The eagle looks across the river towards France and stands on a bronze globe encircled by a gilded band displaying the signs of the zodiac. The pedestal's faces are adorned with carved laurel wreaths and garlands.

The top of the pylon features alternating inscriptions of PER ARDUA and AD ASTRA, which is the RAF motto meaning ‘through adversity to the stars’. The east and west faces of the pylon have vertical, slightly raised panels, each carved with the original RAF badge approved by the Air Council in 1918.

On the west face, below the badge, there is an inscription that reads: IN MEMORY OF ALL RANKS OF THE ROYAL NAVAL AIR SERVICE ROYAL FLYING CORPS ROYAL AIR FORCE AND THOSE AIR FORCES FROM EVERY PART OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN WINNING VICTORY FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY 1914 – 1918, along with a quotation from Exodus 19:4 that states: I BARE YOU ON EAGLES WINGS AND BROUGHT YOU UNTO MYSELF.

The base of the memorial is inscribed with: THIS INSCRIPTION IS ADDED IN REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE AIR FORCES OF EVERY PART OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AND EMPIRE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES 1939 – 1945.

The east face, which overlooks the river, is inscribed with the years 1914/ 1918/ IN/ PERPETUAL/ MEMORY/ 1939/ 1945.