The National Submarine War Memorial

Perched upon the Victoria Embankment, this Grade II* listed monument commemorates the souls who served in the British Navy, lost amidst the shadows of World War I and II. The memorial was funded by public subscription. On the Sunday preceding Remembrance Sunday each year, submariners congregate for a special memorial walk and laying of wreaths next to the monument.

Designed by the architect Arthur Heron Ryan Tenison, the memorial showcases a bronze sculpture by Frederick Brook Hitch, cast by the Parlanti Foundry, which sits within a granite pier that was once part of the entrance to the Temple Pier, a boat landing stage. The memorial features a large bronze bas relief showing the interior of a submarine and allegorical figures representing Truth and Justice. At the top of the memorial is the inscription "Erected to the memory of the officers and men of the British Navy /who lost their lives serving in submarines 1914–1918 and 1939–1945".

The monument was unveiled on 15 December 1922 by the Chief of the Submarine Service, Rear Admiral Sir Hugh Sinclair, and dedicated by the Chaplain of the Fleet, Archdeacon Charles Ingles. Further panels commemorating the Second World War were unveiled on 15 November 1959 by Rear-Admiral Bertram Taylor. A plaque was also added in 1992 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the unveiling of the original memorial.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons