Memorial to Firefighters in London
Pictures and text by Treven Lagerman
These pictures were taken on 20 March, 2010. The National Firefighters Memorial in London, England. This memorial depicts firefighters at the height of the London Blitz. The monument is a tribute to the men and women who fought so against fires on the streets of London during the Blitz, when the capital city was bombed for 57 consecutive nights by the German Luftwaffe in order to strike terror into the hearts of the British population. It also served as a monument to commemorate the service of firefighters throughout the Second World War and represents the great sacrifice firefighters contributed to preserving the freedom of their nation.
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The first picture is of three life sized bronze firefighters actively engaged in their professional duties. In 2003 the Memorial was unveiled and the additional names of those lost in peacetime were inscribed in bronze on the raised base. The memorial was re-dedicated to coincide with the Service of Remembrance in September 2003. A total of 1,192 names were added in bronze to the memorial. The memorial with its added height looks even more fitting as a tribute to our fallen firefighters. |
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This picture is a close-up of the firefighters performing their duties during the London Blitz. |
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The final picture is of the inscription at the base of the statue originally dedicating the memorial to the firefighters who were present during the German raids on London during WWII. After the September 11th attacks of 2001 in New York City, the British paid tribute to their own firefighters and added names to the memorial in remembrance of the contributions of firefighters to the defense of Great Britain. |
