The Memorial comprises two parts: a large earth mound or tumulus and a circular structure on top formed by curved Portland stone walls open at the east and west sides and with an obelisk at the eastern end. At the heart of the memorial, situated at the centre of each of the two straight stone walls are bronze sculptures. One other unique feature in the design is the central wreath sculpture. It has been placed in such a position that, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the sun will shine directly onto it.

It is a stunning piece of architecture designed by Liam O'Connor, which draws its inspiration from the ancient landscapes of prehistoric Britain and the classical forms of ancient Rome. The large earth mound is 6 metre high, reducing from 100 metres wide at the base to just 50 metres wide at the top and based on early British barrows or tumuli. The spiralling walkway up the grassy, tree-planted slopes provides accessibility to people of all ages and mobility. At the top of the mound stands a 43 metre diameter stone structure with two curved walls and two straight walls, constructed of 200,000 bricks faced with Portland stone panels. These panels contain the names of those honoured by the Memorial providing recognition and thanks for those who have given their lives in the service of the country since the end of the Second World War.

The first names etched into the stone are from 1948, with the list of the fallen originally ending with the crew of the Nimrod killed over Afghanistan in 2006. These original 16,000 entries were carved by computer when the memorial was created, with space on the empty panels for an additional 15,000 names. The names of the 102 service personnel killed in 2007 were the first addition of names to the monument in May 2008. It took Stonemason Nick Hindle three weeks to engrave the names with a hammer and chisel. A further 66 names were again engraved by hand in May 2009 and names will continue to be added on a yearly basis.

An annual dedication service takes place in June, honouring those personnel who lost their lives during the previous calendar year. All the families of those being honoured are invited to the service, together with high ranking officers who read aloud each name from their respective services. This is followed by a two-minute silence and wreath laying.

The Obelisk

The obelisk at the eastern side is specifically dedicated to those who have died in service in any conflict and whose names are recorded on local memorials all over the United Kingdom and in countries of Allies.

 It bears the inscription:

THEY DIED SERVING THEIR COUNTRY WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

The Sculptures

The two groups of sculptures are bronze figures sculptured by Ian Rank-Broadley. They were conceived specifically for the Armed Forces Memorial and use sculpture as theatre to engage the spectator in the drama. The symbolism used records sacrifice and loss, drawing on classical imagery to produce an emotional response.

The North Wall (Group on the Left)

This is where the wreaths are layed. The Stretcher Bearers draws on classical mythology for its inspiration. The death of Petroclus, whose body was carried back to camp held aloft on Achilles' shield having impersonated Achilles by borrowing his armour, became the theme.

This episode is transposed to our own time, where the wounded soldier is returned on a stretcher held aloft by his comrades who represent members of the different services. In addition the mother laments her loss as the tearful child clutches her skirt. Behind the Stretcher Bearers the father of the soldier supports and comforts the mother, whose grief overwhelms her. This first group of sculptures bears witness to the sacrifice of life made by that individual.

The South Wall (Group on the Right)

When it came to the inspiration for the second group of sculpture, Rank-Broadley kept thinking of what would happen after the soldier's body was returned. It seemed important that some resolution be offered to the grieving spectators. In our modern, nominally Christian society, the figure of Christ is still seen as the ultimate symbol of sacrifice. Rank-Broadley wanted to move on from the crucifixion which tormented Christ's temporal life. As the body of the dead and naked soldier, lying on the tarpaulin, is lifted by the female soldier and Gurkha it echoes the Deposition of Christ
It was at this point Rank-Broadley conceived the idea of the eternal doors of Paradise through which the soldier would be carried to a better world, or to Paradise. A lone soldier points to the Great Doors of Eternity as they stand ajar. On the other side the soldier will resume his short-lived life in Paradise. The Doors of Eternity standing ajar allowed the architect Liam O'Connor the opportunity of creating a unique feature: allowing the sun's rays of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month to strike the central wreath. Meanwhile, standing on the ammunition box, the mason records the passing of the soldier by cutting the inscription on the wall and this integrates the sculpture into the monument.

How did it all start?

The Secretary of State for Defence made a statement in the House of Commons on 10 November 2000 that there was insufficient recognition of members of the Armed Forces killed on duty since the Second World War and that a new national memorial would be constructed. He also confirmed that the memorial would be funded by public subscription and that a period of consultation would follow. The three Services and ex-Service organisations including The Royal British Legion, The Confederation of British Service and Ex Service Organisation and the War Widows Association were consulted.

Consultation was necessary to confirm that there was a need for a memorial and if so who should qualify for inclusion and where should it be sited. There was strong support for the establishment of a memorial but not in central London. The consensus was to move away from the more traditional war memorial and construct a memorial to those killed on duty. These conclusions were announced in a further statement by the Secretary of State for Defence 20 March 2002.

A Board of Trustees of the Armed Forces Memorial Trust was established in November 2003 to take responsibility for the project and a competition for the design of the Memorial was completed in December 2004. Entries were received from around the world and, from a field of 45; the winning design was selected and received approval from the Patron, HRH The Prince of Wales. The Prince's Foundation was closely involved in the design process. The winning design by architect Liam O'Connor with sculptures by Ian Rank-Broadley, was unveiled at the launch of a public fundraising appeal on 6 April 2005 at the Imperial War Museum in London.

The appeal was launched by the Chairman of the Armed Forces Memorial Trust, Vice Admiral Sir John Dunt KCB. A total of £7 million was needed to complete the project including grants of £2,416,500 from the Millennium Commission and a grant of £1,500,000 from HM Treasury. Several very substantial donations were made and there was widespread support from the public, most notably from the readers of The Sun and The Daily Mail. On 25 November 2006, the Millennium Commission announced that a grant of £2,416,500 towards the construction costs of the Armed Forces Memorial would be made. An additional grant of £416,500 was made to help fund the cost of improvements to the infrastructure at the National Memorial Arboretum.

Construction of the monument took just over a year and a research programme was carried out to determine a complete list of Service personnel who have died in Service since the end of the Second World War. The research programme for the initial list of names, which required the examination of individual Service records to determine eligibility for inclusion, was completed in August 2004.
The Trustees of the Armed Forces Memorial Trust decide who to include on the Memorial. They have discretion in all cases. The Trustees continue to be responsible for making the necessary arrangements to maintain the Memorial after its completion, including the addition of names, and established an endowment fund to provide for its future maintenance.

The Armed Forces Memorial was dedicated on Friday 12th October 2007. The ceremony was attended by HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. The Service of Dedication was led by HG The Archbishop of Canterbury.

This memorial also affords a panoramic view of other memorials to armed forces, police, fire service and many other civilian organisations plus the 50,000 trees at the site.

More than 16,000 members of the Armed Forces have been killed on duty in the 60 years since the end of the Second World War. In many cases there is no memorial at all or at least none that can be reached easily. The Armed Forces Memorial provides a focus to recognise and commemorate those who have been killed in the service of their country.

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It has been a long-standing policy of successive Governments that the cost of memorials is not met from public funds, but from private donations or public subscription.

Article by Patricia Hall