Liverpool Titanic Memorial
The Heroes of the Marine Engine Room memorial is a large prominently located memorial located in Liverpool, United Kingdom, Titanic's official registered homeport and where her owner's headquarters were located. Planned soon after the Titanic disaster as a Titanic memorial to commemorate the engineering crew lost aboard Titanic; however, by the time the memorial was completed during the First World War, with the terrible loss of life being suffered by those serving aboard ships because of enemy action, it had been decided to dedicate the memorial to "All Heroes of the Marine Engine Room".
The west face of the Heroes of the Marine Engine Room memorial.
Officially unveiled in May 1916, constructed out of granite stone and said to be 48 feet tall, the memorial consists of a pedestal situated on a plinth with an obelisk above the pedestal. On the east face of the pedestal two figures depicting fireman, on the west face are two figures representing engineers. on the north face the following inscription is found: "In honour of all heroes of the marine engine room[.] This memorial was erected by international subscription[.] MCMXVI"; on the south face an additional inscription is located: "The brave do not die[,] their deeds live on forever[,]and call upon us[,]to emulate their courage[,] and devotion to duty". Under both inscriptions is a propellor within a wreath. At the base of the obelisk are four figures, one in each corner, representing water, air, earth and fire, with waves between them with a rising gilded sun above on each side. At the top of the obelisk are four female figures, together holding breeches buoys with a gilded torch above them, crowning the memorial.
The north face of the Heroes of the Marine Engine Room memorial.
The credit for the design of the memorial goes to Sir William Goscombe John (1860 - 1952), a sculptor from Wales, notable for the many memorials and statues he designed for public places throughout the United Kingdom surviving to this day, including the built around the same time statue of King Edward VII on a horse located near to the Heroes of the Marine Engine Room Memorial.
The memorial was slightly damaged during the Second World War by being hit by shrapnel from an exploding bomb dropped on Liverpool during an enemy air raid. The damage can still be observed today. Small chunks of the stonework can be seen missing in some places.
On 14th March 1975 the memorial was listed as and given the protection of a Grade II* listed building, a special architecturally or historically interesting building of particular importance of more than special interest, legally preventing it from being altered or ever being demolished without consent from the local planning authority.
The east face of the Heroes of the Marine Engine Room memorial
In time for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster in 2012, the memorial had restoration work carried out upon it.
A modern information board in front of the memorial provides information on Titanic and tells that the memorial was commissioned following the sinking of Titanic in 1912.
The Heroes of the Marine Engine Room Memorial is located alongside St Nicholas Place, on the Pier Head alongside the River Mersey. It is located near and within sight of three of Liverpool's most notable buildings: The Royal Liver Building, Cunard House and the Port of Liverpool Building - located in a row and known as Liverpool's Three Graces. It is also within sight of the Museum of Liverpool and not very far away from the nearby former White Star Line headquarters and the Merseyside Maritime Museum. As viewed from the River Mersey, the memorial is in front by the river and to the left of the Three Graces and the Museum of Liverpool.
Related pages - Titanic Memorials, All Titanic Pages