Rest in peace

In many ways the real healing and solace of the National Memorial Arboretum comes not from its numerous and varied man-made memorials but from the natural beauty of the site. Bounded by a wide and slowly flowing river, with a managed nature reserve on the opposite bank, the site has thousands of recently planted trees, and areas of long grass and wildflowers, as well as manicured lawns and flower beds. I imagine that the many small creatures and birds living there reveal themselves more readily early in the morning or in the evening when all is quiet. The woodland is still rather immature, but I would love to visit again in a few years time when the trees have grown taller and the site is really well-established. Even now, it's a lovely place to stroll or sit (plenty of benches) and relax. Despite the crowds I found a peace there that was very refreshing.

There were some spectacular memorials that I haven't chosen to show on this blog, but I am intending to post more photos on my other blog, 'Seeking the Quiet Eye', at some point soon.

Shot at dawn

This very moving memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum commemorates the 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers who were shot  for desertion or cowardice during World War I. There is a wooden stake set in the earth for each one of them. Today it is recognised that most of them were underage boys and suffering from shell-shock, but at the time they were condemned and only given a brief summary trial with little opportunity to defend themselves. In 2006 they were formally given a posthumous pardon. The statue, by Andy Decomyn, is modelled on Private Herbert Burden, 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers,  who was shot at Ypres aged 17.

Sumatra Railway memorial

One area of the National Memorial Arboretum commemorates those who served and died in the Far East during World War II. The small building on the right is a museum and monument to the 55,000 who were held as prisoners of war. It contains shocking photographs, diary extracts and information about the experiences of those who suffered and died in horrific conditions, and the few who survived. There are poignant memorials too, to those who laboured to build the Sumatra Railway and the Burma-Thailand 'railway of death'.

When I was at school, part of the immediate post-war generation, they didn't teach us anything about World War II in our history lessons (though we did cover the First World War - and the war poets). I have always felt there was a gap in my knowledge and visiting places like this small museum, and the Imperial War Museum in Manchester are helpful to fill in those gaps. In a sense I would rather not know the horrors of war but in another way it is essential that we all understand our global history.

A member of our congregation at church, now sadly deceased, was a POW in the Far East. For a long time he didn't like to talk about his experiences but eventually, as part of a long journey of healing and forgiveness, he revisited the places he was held, and he also wrote and self-published a book about his experiences.

The cost of armed conflict

The Armed Forces Memorial has two large bronze sculptures at its centre, created by Ian Rank-Broadley.  In one, a serviceman is raised aloft on a stretcher. At either end are grieving relatives: a woman and child and two anguished older people. It bears witness to the cost of armed conflict to those left behind. The other includes a warrior being prepared for burial, by a female and a Ghurka soldier (to remind us that our armed forces cross gender and racial boundaries.)  Although not shown in my photo, it also has a man preparing to carve the warrior's name, and another figure pointing to the world beyond, where the warrior will rest.  The Memorial wall also has a slit in the stone, through which the sun's rays shine, exactly illuminating the wreath at the centre, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - the traditional time of Remembrance.  Larger than life-size, the sculptures are undeniably powerful in their realism. Somehow I had expected something more vaguely symbolic and I was, to tell you the truth, a little shocked by the rawness of these.

We shall remember them

Part of the walls that form the Armed Forces Memorial, the centrepiece of the National Memorial Arboretum.

On these walls are engraved the names of all the members of our armed forces who have lost their lives whilst serving their country since the end of the Second World War. British forces have been involved in more than 50 operations and conflicts across the world, often as part of international coalitions. The names are grouped by year and by Service and then in date order, so that those who lost their lives together in the same incident are named together. There are, sadly, far too many of them - and far too much blank wall still left for the future.

The National Memorial Arboretum

I enjoyed a wonderful day out recently at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in Staffordshire. Perhaps, in view of this week's headlines, it is a good time now to share these photos. The NMA was inspired by the Arlington Cemetery in the USA, but this is not a cemetery (no-one is buried here). It is a place of remembrance, intended to provide a national focus to commemorate those who have given their lives in the service of our country, those who have served and suffered as a result of conflict and others who for special reasons are remembered here.

It was inaugurated in 1997, on a 150-acre site that used to be gravel pits, bordered by the River Blythe. It has been planted with over 50,000 trees, many of them dedicated to individuals or groups, which are maturing into a wonderful living tribute.  The site is dominated by the Armed Forces Memorial, a huge circle of sculptural walls, inscribed with the names of all those members of our armed forces who have been killed whilst on duty, since the end of World War II. In addition there are over 200 other dedicated memorials, with new ones being added from time to time. (A memorial to the Bevin Boys, men who worked in our coal mines during the Second World War, was unveiled this May by HRH the Countess of Wessex.)

I spent the best part of a day exploring the site, and found it much more moving than I had expected.  You soon realise that it not only encapsulates the nation's honouring and thankfulness but also the grief and pride of thousands of individuals: wives, husbands, partners, children, parents, friends and colleagues, for whom it is a place to remember and a focus for their sense of loss.  Many tears are shed here and yet the whole site - already maturing into a rich nature reserve - somehow speaks of hope and renewal too.