IN MEMORIAM
Battle of the Atlantic Memorial
In
Memoriam
Dedicated to all who served and died in the Battle of the Atlantic - Royal Navy, Merchant Navy, Allied air forces, and German Kriegsmarine. Their sacrifice determined the outcome of the Second World War.
Emma Rodgers · Sculptor
The Memorial Wall
A brand new international Battle of the Atlantic Memorial by artist Emma Rodgers, will be created at the entrance to the museum.
Emma Rodgers is recognised as one of Britain's leading sculptors, winner of the prestigious Victoria & Albert Museum Prize, with work held in National Museums Liverpool and celebrated public commissions including the Cilla Black memorial at Liverpool's Cavern Club and the world's largest Liver Bird sculpture.
Discover more of Emma Rodgers' work at emmarodgers.co.uk
The prominent entrance placement, monumental scale, and artistic heritage of Emma Rodgers' bronze work creates a fitting memorial to all who fought in the longest campaign of the Second World War.
Inspired by the enduring legacy of the Battle of the Atlantic, the museum's cladding traces the fragile yet determined passage of the convoy ships that travelled from the United Kingdom across the Atlantic Ocean. The installation follows the navigational routes once planned within the Western Approaches, echoing the tactical markings and movement of vessels across wartime maps.
The memorial will be constructed using steel for strength and endurance and interwoven with genuine pieces of steel from a number of Battle of the Atlantic vessels including U-534. The surfaces are hand-patinated transforming the material to evoke the sense of waves, time, and memory, allowing the work to carry the atmosphere of the sea itself.
"The composition is conceived as a living memorial: beginning with a small convoy of ships all built on docks on the Mersey, this gradually expands through public donation, each additional vessel becomes both a contribution and an act of remembrance. As the installation grows, so too does the collective narrative of resilience, sacrifice, and survival. The evolving fleet reflects the interconnected nature of those journeys across the Atlantic, transforming the façade into a continually unfolding archive of movement, endurance, and shared history."
- Emma Rodgers · Sculptor
Voices of the Atlantic
- John Dennett · Royal Navy Veteran"In 1942, at just seventeen, I lied about my age to join the Royal Navy. I couldn't have known then that I'd find myself crossing the Atlantic again and again."
- Royal Navy veteran · Oral history collection"The ocean holds many secrets, both beautiful and terrifying. We knew they were out there - we just never knew exactly where."
- Merchant Navy veteran · Oral history collection"Every ship has a soul, a personality known by its crew. When she went down, a part of all of us went with her."
A Representative Roll of Honour
Those Who Gave Their Lives
The following is a representative selection from among the tens of thousands who died in the Battle of the Atlantic. They came from every corner of the globe: British, Canadian, American, Dutch, Norwegian, Greek, Yemeni, Somali, West African, German. The full Roll of Honour will be published at the museum's opening.
Able Seaman James Hartley
SS Empire Gale
Merchant Seaman David O'Brien
MV Silvercedar
Leading Seaman Thomas Blackwood
HMS Veteran
Kapitänleutnant Werner Vogel
U-223
Able Seaman Kofi Mensah
SS Benlomond
Lieutenant Commander Patrick Forde
HMS Gladiolus
Mechaniker Heinz Brandt
U-534
Chief Engineer Samuel Clarke
SS Dorset
Bootsmann Karl Fischer
U-402
Merchant Seaman Ali Mohammed
SS Baron Kinnaird
Sub-Lieutenant Geoffrey Marsh
HMS Harvester
Stoker 1st Class Patrick Flynn
HMS Exmoor
Matrose Hans-Georg Ullrich
U-175
Able Seaman Pedro Rodrigues
MV Dunedin Star
Petty Officer William Armstrong
HMS Laconia
Flight Sergeant Arthur Donnelly
No. 86 Squadron RAF
Leutnant zur See Friedrich Haupt
U-521
Radio Officer John Bain
SS Harbury
Donkeyman Hussein Ali
SS Baron Ogilvy
Chief Petty Officer Robert MacLeod
HMS Forfar
Maschinenmaat Ernst Weber
U-99
Able Seaman George Mensah
SS Elmwood
Deck Officer Harold Prescott
MV Cape Breton
Oberleutnant Horst Dieterich
U-663
This is a representative selection. The complete Roll of Honour - including all known casualties from all nations - will be published at the museum's opening in 2027.
"This museum is more than a memorial. It's a call for understanding, a testament to peace, and a tribute to those who never came home."
- John Dennett · Royal Navy Veteran
Support the Memorial
Help Us Honour Their Memory
The Battle of the Atlantic Story is a registered charity. Your support helps us build and maintain this permanent memorial to all who served and sacrificed in the longest campaign of the Second World War.