Royal Artillery Memorial
Royal Artillery Memorial
4
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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How to get there
- Hyde Park Corner • 1 min walk
- Knightsbridge • 8 min walk
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4.0
96 reviews
Excellent
33
Very good
50
Average
13
Poor
0
Terrible
0
I visited this place🇫🇷🇺🇸🇬🇷🇨🇭🇬🇧
Israel35,208 contributions
Jun 2023 • Solo
PROS
* Nice and meaningful memorial deserving of our respect and to honor it
* Interesting sculptures and bas relief
CONS
Located in a place of a number of other memorials
"I VISITED THIS PLACE"...
... when i was wandering around the area in front of Hyde Park Corner. I had hopped off the bus going from St. Johns Wood (Abbey Road) to South Kensington, and this area looked interesting. I was so correct
WAS IT WORTH THE COST?
It is free
WOULD "I VISIT THIS PLACE" AGAIN?
Sure
ADVICE
Look for this interesting memorial when you are at this area
FULL DISCLOSURE
"I visited this place" with the plan to write a "helpful" review and to attach "helpful" photos here on tripadvisor, so if these did "help" you, please indicate that by tikking the "thumbs up" 👍 symbol. Thanks.
* Nice and meaningful memorial deserving of our respect and to honor it
* Interesting sculptures and bas relief
CONS
Located in a place of a number of other memorials
"I VISITED THIS PLACE"...
... when i was wandering around the area in front of Hyde Park Corner. I had hopped off the bus going from St. Johns Wood (Abbey Road) to South Kensington, and this area looked interesting. I was so correct
WAS IT WORTH THE COST?
It is free
WOULD "I VISIT THIS PLACE" AGAIN?
Sure
ADVICE
Look for this interesting memorial when you are at this area
FULL DISCLOSURE
"I visited this place" with the plan to write a "helpful" review and to attach "helpful" photos here on tripadvisor, so if these did "help" you, please indicate that by tikking the "thumbs up" 👍 symbol. Thanks.
Written 28 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roberts69
Northampton, UK18,896 contributions
Dec 2020
The Royal Artillery Memorial is a First World War memorial located on Hyde Park Corner in London that was unveiled in 1925. The memorial commemorates the 49,076 soldiers from the Royal Artillery killed in the First World War. The memorial consists of a Portland stone cruciform base supporting a one-third over-lifesize sculpture of a howitzer artillery field gun. At the end of each arm of the cross is a sculpture of a soldier. An officer at the front (south side), a shell carrier on the east side, a driver on the west side, and at the rear (north) a dead soldier. Whilst not the most impressive memorial I have ever seen it is never the less an important one that deserves a look.
Quite close by is the more impressive memorial of RAF Bomber Command.
Quite close by is the more impressive memorial of RAF Bomber Command.
Written 29 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Howlo
Buckingham, UK9,724 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
Being an Ex Sapper, there is always lots of banter between us, we have the same Moto "Ubique" meaning everywhere. Its all fun, but we are all equal, and whenever or wherever you fought for your country you should be proud.
Written 26 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert W
13 contributions
Dec 2017 • Solo
The Royal Artillery Memorial is located at Hyde Park Corner London, at the western end of a giant roundabout.
This most controversial memorial amongst all other military memorials in London is now considered the masterpiece. It is totally uncompromising, there is no heroism or abstract depictions of valour or grandeur on this memorial. It is a memorial to blood, toil, tears, sweat and death.
Each of the four massive bronze figures which are the centrepieces on each side below a massive Portland limestone 9.2 inch (23.5 cm) howitzer, are tired, waiting and ready to do their duty or are dead.
The horse driver leaning back with his arms stretched out almost symbolises the crucifixion and sacrifice of Christ, his head is square jawed face with mouth set and looks straight ahead, his right hand has the whip for driving the horses that haul the guns; from his waist the chains for the hardness of horses hang below his huge cape. He waits in his massive cape in the rain in tired resignation, waiting. British Army horses suffered 484,000 killed in the Great War (World War 1).
On the other side of the memorial is the shell carrier, an artilleryman with the shells strapped to him ready to struggle forward to serve the guns.
At the head of the memorial stands an artillery Captain with gas mask bag on his chest and holding a great coat in his arms. He stands waiting to take command of the lines of guns. We are reminded in this pose of John Milton’s lines “they also serve who only stand and wait.” The figure is a real man, Lieutenant Eugene Bennett VC (Victoria Cross- the highest British military medal “for Valour.”) who served with the artist of the memorial (Charles Sargeant Jagger) who was also a gunner himself. All the other figures on the memorial are also real men who served in the Royal Artillery.
On the north side of the memorial is the most controversial figure. No British war memorial had previously featured a dead man on it. He is not glorified, but he is gloriously depicted newly dead in the brazenness of his death. He lies on his back, legs apart, hobnailed boots still on (showing he’s just been killed) and a fellow gunner no doubt has paid him the respect in death of covering his wounds and face with the gunners greatcoat and placing his helmet on top. He awaits collection by the burial party. British soldiers on the battlefield or awaiting burial were not usually not covered by coats unless they had particularly dreadful wounds and always had their boots removed.
Many British newspapers objected in October 1925 to the site of this gunner on the war memorial and yet the Royal artillery had 49,076 killed in the Great War (1914-18), and so there is no dishonour in depicting death; in fact death is the central part of this memorial. Below the dead gunner are inscribed the words in Portland stone “HERE WAS A ROYAL FELLOWSHIP OF DEATH.” There were violent objections in the newspapers at this time to the use of these words, but critics were put firmly in their place when they were reminded that the words came from a speech in Shakespeare’s Henry V, when Henry looking out on his English dead soldiers and hearing the names read out of those close to him who had died at the Battle of Agincourt in France (24th October 1414) makes this profound statement. The statement is particularly worthy as the Royal Artillery’s greatest losses were in France and Belgium. At the Battle of Passchendaele (Ypres, Belgium) the British and Commonwealth Armies had 89,888 soldiers killed – with no known grave- the Missing Dead. At the Battle of the Somme (France) the British and Commonwealth armies had over 100,000 killed – with no known grave.
Above and dominating everything else on the memorial is the mighty 9.2 inch howitzer. It makes a bold statement and is the monarch of the memorial. Critics attending the unveiling expected to see an angel or cross or some other religious or spiritual symbol glorifying the war and were utterly horrified when the gun was unveiled. However the Royal Artillery monument committee, the artist and all others involved in the project knew that the gunners considered the big gun the ultimate God in these matters, determining life and death and had to be looked up to. The men lived with the guns, continually pulling, eating, sleeping and dying with them. This was a war of artillery and the two greatest battles of the First World War, The Somme and Passchendaele involved gigantic artillery barrages of 7 and 10 continuous days and nights respectively (1200 Royal Artillery guns including 999 Super Heavy guns at Passchendaele). These, the largest artillery barrages in history were so intense and continuous that people standing on the hill at Hampstead Heath London could hear the rumble of the guns in France and Belgium. The Howitzer gun is at maximum elevation and ready to fire south-east. From this position at the junction, with phantom gun crew it waits ready to fire a shell into France.
The limestone panels surrounding the memorial were designed by Charles Jagger and Lionel Pearson. Each panel shows men and horses struggling to pull or service the guns and all the areas of the world where the Royal Artillery fought carved in the stone. The endless list of countries which the Royal Artillery fought justifies their Latin motto “Ubique” – everywhere.
A memorial that was derided as an obscene waste of money and completely lacking in art or reverence has now become an example as one of the finest war memorials within the capital.
This most controversial memorial amongst all other military memorials in London is now considered the masterpiece. It is totally uncompromising, there is no heroism or abstract depictions of valour or grandeur on this memorial. It is a memorial to blood, toil, tears, sweat and death.
Each of the four massive bronze figures which are the centrepieces on each side below a massive Portland limestone 9.2 inch (23.5 cm) howitzer, are tired, waiting and ready to do their duty or are dead.
The horse driver leaning back with his arms stretched out almost symbolises the crucifixion and sacrifice of Christ, his head is square jawed face with mouth set and looks straight ahead, his right hand has the whip for driving the horses that haul the guns; from his waist the chains for the hardness of horses hang below his huge cape. He waits in his massive cape in the rain in tired resignation, waiting. British Army horses suffered 484,000 killed in the Great War (World War 1).
On the other side of the memorial is the shell carrier, an artilleryman with the shells strapped to him ready to struggle forward to serve the guns.
At the head of the memorial stands an artillery Captain with gas mask bag on his chest and holding a great coat in his arms. He stands waiting to take command of the lines of guns. We are reminded in this pose of John Milton’s lines “they also serve who only stand and wait.” The figure is a real man, Lieutenant Eugene Bennett VC (Victoria Cross- the highest British military medal “for Valour.”) who served with the artist of the memorial (Charles Sargeant Jagger) who was also a gunner himself. All the other figures on the memorial are also real men who served in the Royal Artillery.
On the north side of the memorial is the most controversial figure. No British war memorial had previously featured a dead man on it. He is not glorified, but he is gloriously depicted newly dead in the brazenness of his death. He lies on his back, legs apart, hobnailed boots still on (showing he’s just been killed) and a fellow gunner no doubt has paid him the respect in death of covering his wounds and face with the gunners greatcoat and placing his helmet on top. He awaits collection by the burial party. British soldiers on the battlefield or awaiting burial were not usually not covered by coats unless they had particularly dreadful wounds and always had their boots removed.
Many British newspapers objected in October 1925 to the site of this gunner on the war memorial and yet the Royal artillery had 49,076 killed in the Great War (1914-18), and so there is no dishonour in depicting death; in fact death is the central part of this memorial. Below the dead gunner are inscribed the words in Portland stone “HERE WAS A ROYAL FELLOWSHIP OF DEATH.” There were violent objections in the newspapers at this time to the use of these words, but critics were put firmly in their place when they were reminded that the words came from a speech in Shakespeare’s Henry V, when Henry looking out on his English dead soldiers and hearing the names read out of those close to him who had died at the Battle of Agincourt in France (24th October 1414) makes this profound statement. The statement is particularly worthy as the Royal Artillery’s greatest losses were in France and Belgium. At the Battle of Passchendaele (Ypres, Belgium) the British and Commonwealth Armies had 89,888 soldiers killed – with no known grave- the Missing Dead. At the Battle of the Somme (France) the British and Commonwealth armies had over 100,000 killed – with no known grave.
Above and dominating everything else on the memorial is the mighty 9.2 inch howitzer. It makes a bold statement and is the monarch of the memorial. Critics attending the unveiling expected to see an angel or cross or some other religious or spiritual symbol glorifying the war and were utterly horrified when the gun was unveiled. However the Royal Artillery monument committee, the artist and all others involved in the project knew that the gunners considered the big gun the ultimate God in these matters, determining life and death and had to be looked up to. The men lived with the guns, continually pulling, eating, sleeping and dying with them. This was a war of artillery and the two greatest battles of the First World War, The Somme and Passchendaele involved gigantic artillery barrages of 7 and 10 continuous days and nights respectively (1200 Royal Artillery guns including 999 Super Heavy guns at Passchendaele). These, the largest artillery barrages in history were so intense and continuous that people standing on the hill at Hampstead Heath London could hear the rumble of the guns in France and Belgium. The Howitzer gun is at maximum elevation and ready to fire south-east. From this position at the junction, with phantom gun crew it waits ready to fire a shell into France.
The limestone panels surrounding the memorial were designed by Charles Jagger and Lionel Pearson. Each panel shows men and horses struggling to pull or service the guns and all the areas of the world where the Royal Artillery fought carved in the stone. The endless list of countries which the Royal Artillery fought justifies their Latin motto “Ubique” – everywhere.
A memorial that was derided as an obscene waste of money and completely lacking in art or reverence has now become an example as one of the finest war memorials within the capital.
Written 20 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rubaiyat E S
Faro, Portugal2,144 contributions
Nov 2016 • Couples
The Royal Artillery Memorial by Charles Jagger is located in the Hyde Park Corner before the Wellington Arch. This truly monumental memorial is dedicated to casualties in the Royal Regiment of Artillery in WW1. The memorial consists of an artillery piece mounted on a Portland Stone plinth, the piece is guarded by four bronze soldiers. It displays a complex arrangement of planes which provides an interesting base to support the statuary and inscriptions.
Written 17 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
phat_dawg_21
Alpharetta, GA16,977 contributions
Aug 2022
This monument is located in Hyde Park Corner, near the Wellington Arch.
It was unveiled in 1925 to honor the 49,076 soldiers from the Royal Artillery who were killed in the First World War.
It was unveiled in 1925 to honor the 49,076 soldiers from the Royal Artillery who were killed in the First World War.
Written 11 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The_Loup_Garou
Phoenix, AZ165,451 contributions
Sept 2019
A Lovely Memorial Near Hyde Park Corner
In September, we spent quite a bit of time in Hyde Park, and wandered over to the little area, where Hyde and Green Parks come together. On this lovely Autumn day, we visited the Royal Artillery Memorial, again.
The morning light lent a magic to the Howitzer, atop the monument looked even more realistic, than usual, sitting high atop the plinth.
We also paused, to look more carefully, at the four bronze soldiers, around the plinth. They too, looked as though they could walk down, and stand among us.
This is a fitting tribute to the Royal Regiment of Artillery, in the first World War.
I allocated about 30 mins to this statue/memorial, and depending one the weather, found that to be just about right. Also, in the immediate vicinity, there are at least a half-dozen other worthy memorials, and statues, so one has a lot to see, in a smallish area.
In September, we spent quite a bit of time in Hyde Park, and wandered over to the little area, where Hyde and Green Parks come together. On this lovely Autumn day, we visited the Royal Artillery Memorial, again.
The morning light lent a magic to the Howitzer, atop the monument looked even more realistic, than usual, sitting high atop the plinth.
We also paused, to look more carefully, at the four bronze soldiers, around the plinth. They too, looked as though they could walk down, and stand among us.
This is a fitting tribute to the Royal Regiment of Artillery, in the first World War.
I allocated about 30 mins to this statue/memorial, and depending one the weather, found that to be just about right. Also, in the immediate vicinity, there are at least a half-dozen other worthy memorials, and statues, so one has a lot to see, in a smallish area.
Written 5 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
arifahmed2017
Gurugram (Gurgaon), India294 contributions
Nov 2019 • Friends
It’s a very nice place .
Near to Hyde park and Buckingham palace .
Might not be the best but still it reminds you about the sacrifices of soldiers.
Near to Hyde park and Buckingham palace .
Might not be the best but still it reminds you about the sacrifices of soldiers.
Written 18 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IAN D
Wigan, UK26,112 contributions
Nov 2019 • Solo
In memory of the artillery men who died during the Great War from 1914. There are 4 different artillery men depicting the different ranks who served
Written 2 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
suzibear
Norwich, UK73 contributions
Oct 2019
This memorial has familly resonanve, as my great-uncle was a gunner killed in action at Passchendaele. The depiction of a fallen soldier is the most moving part and I found myself in tears as it was so unexpeted. Too often, war is depicted as a glorious thing, but this memorial makes you realise the reality of the loss of the fallen.
Written 26 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How we can deliver and polidely respect with a ritle for the fighters who we have to contact for the november the 10 th ceremony
Written 14 October 2015
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