Plans for a new memorial to honour fallen submariners has been given the green light.
Registered charity The Submariner Memorial Appeal has been working to raise £300,000 to fund a statue at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas.
The scheme has now been granted planning permission by Lichfield District Council.
The 3.5m high bronze memorial designed by Paul Day will feature a quote by Winston Churchill when it is dedicated in May:
“Of all the branches of men in the forces there is none which shows more devotion and faces grimmer perils than the submariner.”
Winston Churchill
The memorial has a conning tower design with visitors able to walk through the cobfinbed space where a lone submariner will stand.
A spokesperson for The Submariner Memorial Appeal said:
“Working for the Royal Navy Submarine Service is much more than a job – it’s a demanding and dauntless lifestyle that asks a lot of the brave men and women who serve within it, and their families.
“Taking care of submariners’ and their families’ mental health is central to the wellbeing of these individuals, their loved ones, and the success of the service as a whole.
“Remembering and recognising the submariners who have lost their lives is one of the ways we can help families, friends, and shipmates of the fallen to find peace in the face of tragedy.
“Since 1945, 450 submariners have died while serving – and in the years before, between, and during the two world wars, some 5,000 men made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. But there is nowhere dedicated to honouring them, until now.”
The Submariner Memorial Appeal spokesperson
More details about the new memorial are available here. A planning application report and decision notice can be found on the Lichfield District Council website.
