LOST AT SEA

Southland Times, Issue 19278, 24 June 1924, Page 5

LOST AT SEA

MEMORIAL TO BRITISH SAILORS. EMPIRE PAYS TRIBUTE. “UNTIMELY DEATH AND BEREAVEMENT.” (Special to the Times). WELLINGTON, June 23. “Each entry in these registers represents an untimely death, and the bereavement of a family. Together they represent the price paid by those families and the Empire for keeping our shores inviolate, for moving here and there as we would greater armies than the Empire had ever before dreamed of raising, for confining to its harbours during almost the whole of four years the greatest navy except our own, for annihilating the enemy seaborne trade, and for a decisive share in breaking the aggressive spirit of the German Government.”

The Government of New Zealand has received from the Imperial Government particulars of the Naval memorials to commemorate officers or sailors who were lost or buried at sea. The Royal Navy and the navies of the dominions lost during the War about 48,000 ranks and ratings killed in action, died of wounds or otherwise fallen in the performance of their duty, but nearly one half of these died on land, and will be commorated in the cemeteries where they lie, or on appropriate memorials. Of the whole total no fewer than 25,563 were lost or buried at sea and were not recorded in any cemetery or on any battle-field. A committee appointed by the Admiralty to report on the most suitable form and position for a memorial to these men has recommended that three memorials should be erected at the three home ports which are the manning ports of the Royal Navy. As to the form the committee recommends that each memorial should, while carrying the names of the dead, serve also as a “seamark” or "leading mark” for ships entering the ports. It has been agreed finally that the sites of the three memorials shall be at Chatham “the great lines” overlooking the Port of Chatham, at Plymouth in the Park on the north side of the Hoe between the Drake statue and the Armada memorial, and at Portsmouth, at the edge of Southsea Common, separated from the shore by the Clarence esplanade and placed on the bearing used by ships crossing from the Isle of Wight on the Swashaway channel. In form the three memorials are identical. Each may be described as a monument in the form of an obelisk, supported at the four corners of the base by buttresses. On the base and the buttresses of each memorial are bronze panels bearing the names of the dead who belonged to the port in question. The year of death is the primary division. In each year the dead are grouped as Royal Navy, Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Marines, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (including Motor Boat Reserve), Merchant Marine Reserve, and Civilians. Each of the four buttresses carries a sculptured figure of a lion couchant, looking outwards. On a level with the figures of the lions, are four large bronze panels, one on each face of the memorial. On one of these panels the following inscription is carved: “In honour of the Navy, and to the abiding memory of those ranks and ratings of this port who laid down their lives in the defence of the Empire, and have no other grave than the sea. 1914 —1918.” On the further panel are recorded the details of the following single ship actions: HJII.S. Carmania with the Cap Trafalgar; H.M.S. Sydney with the Emden; H.M.S. Severn ard H.MB. Mersey with the Konigsberg; H.M.S. Achilles and H.M.S. Dundee with the Leopard; and H.M.S. Swift and H.M.S. Broke with German destroyers.

On one side of the side panels are depicted and recorded the following general actions at sea: Heligoland, Coronel, Falkland Isles, Dogger Bank and Jutland. On the fourth panel are depicted and recorded the following actions with enemy land forces: Belgian Coast, Suez Canal, Dardanelles, Zeebrugge, Tsingtau and Ostend. Above the base and the various panels there rises a rectangular column of Portland stone about 100 feet high and on each face of the column, about one-third of the way, is carved the badge of the Royal Navy (a crown, a laurel wreath and an anchor). The column is crowned by a large copper sphere supported by emblematical figures representing the four winds: “The Angry North,” “The Fair South,” “The Cruel East” and “The Kindly West” Immediately below these figures are carved in stone four prows of ships. The dominion Governments have been consulted as to the commemoration of the dead of their Naval forces. The Royal Canadian Navy will be commemorated as far as regards the names of those ranks and rating who were buried or lost at sea, on two memorials in Canada, at Halifax and Victoria, the Royal Australian Navy and the South African Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on the Plymouth Memorial, the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve at Beaumont Hamel and in Newfoundland, and the Royal Indian Marine at Bombay.