National Memorial Arboretum 2024

 The United Kingdom National Arboretum is situated in Staffordshire aims to provide a place where people can reflect, celebrate lives lived and commemorate lives lost in service.

The Arboretum site covers 150 acres of woodland and gardens planted on reclaimed land. There around  400 memorials that acknowledge the personal sacrifices made by the Armed Forces, emergency services and civilian organisations of the UK. 

The Arboretum is part of the Royal British Legion who are responsible for its maintenance and operation.

Royal British Legion Poppy Memorial

The largest memorial at the Arboretum is the Armed Forces Memorial which commemorates the 16,000 personnel who have lost their lives on active service since the Second World War. 

Armed Forces Memorial

Armed Forces Memorial

The Arboretum's memorials include civilian organisations involved in conflict. One of memorials is dedicated to the Scouts which provided messenger services, guarded key points and helped in a myriad of tasks during both World Wars,.

Boy Scout messenger World War One

Scouting Memorial

Scouting Memorial

The Arboretum's first memorial was the Polar Bear Association Memorial which was dedicated in June 1998. The Polar Bears were the 49th (West Riding) Division who were stationed in Iceland from 1941 to 1943. They deployed to Normandy in 1944 and involved in the North West Europe Campaign. It's order of battle included 70 Infantry Brigade which consisted of the 10th and 11th Battalions Durham Light Infantry and 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch).

Polar Bear Memorial IJ

Polar Bear Memorial

One of the most recent commemorations is a road named after Captain Sir Tom Moore who  raised nearly £33 million  for charity in the run-up to his 100th birthday during the COVID-19 pandemic. He served in India and the Burma campaign during the Second World War, and later became an instructor in armoured warfare. 

Captain Sir Tom Moore

The Arboretum is bounded on the East by the River Tame. The grounds contain over 50,000 trees as well as many varieties of fauna. 

National Arboretum River Tame

National Arboretum Forest