The national Merchant Navy Memorial bears the names of those merchant seafarers and fishermen killed in the First and Second World Wars together with the Falklands Campaign for whom there is no known grave but the sea. Together with those of their ships, there are some 12,000 names from the First World War, 24,000 from the Second and 17 from the Falklands Campaign. Men and women are commemorated, their ages ranging from 13 to 74. Civilians all, yet for their valour in actions in 1915 and 1917 respectively, Captains Frederick Parslow and Archibald Smith were posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military decoration.

In the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Memorial is its largest in London. The First World War section, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick, was unveiled by HM Queen Mary in 1928 and is Grade I listed. HM The Queen unveiled that for the Second World War in 1955. Grade II* listed, its designer was Sir Edward Maufe with Sir Charles Wheeler its sculptor.

In addition, Commonwealth War Grave Commission memorials in Bombay/Mumbai and Chittagong commemorate 1708 Indian, Adenese and East African merchant seafarers from the First World War and 6045 from the Second for whom there is no known grave. Similarly, those from China and Hong Kong, 531 from the First and 1487 from the Second World War, are honoured on the Hong Kong Memorial.

Transport

The Memorial is adjacent to Tower Hill Underground station (Circle & District Lines), which has step-free access, and five minutes’ walk from Tower Gateway DLR station.’
Bus: 15 Trafalgar Square - Blackwall
42 Liverpool Street Station- Denmark Hill
78 Shoreditch - Nunhead
RV1 Covent Garden - Tower Gateway
National Rail: Fenchurch Street; Liverpool Street
London River Services: Tower Pier