American War Memorial, Gibraltar
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The American War Memorial (also known as the American Steps or more formally the Naval Monument at Gibraltar) is a World War I memorial in the
British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...
of
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
. It was built for the American Battle Monuments Commission in 1933, and incorporated into the main city wall, the
Line Wall Curtain The Line Wall Curtain is a defensive curtain wall that forms part of the fortifications of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Description The Line Wall runs from the North Bastion south along the western coast of the town to Engineer ...
. It commemorated the successful alliance of the United States and the United Kingdom in their naval exploits in the vicinity of Gibraltar during the Great War. The monument was inaugurated in 1937. Sixty-one years later, in November 1998, the monument was the site of another unveiling ceremony, that of a bronze plaque which commemorated the World War II
Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
invasion of North Africa,
Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...
. That unveiling ceremony was one of a number of events that weekend whose guests included dignitaries from the United Kingdom and the United States.


Description

The American War Memorial ''(pictured at right)'' is a World War I naval monument located near the north end of
Line Wall Road Line Wall Road is a road in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is one of the main roads leading into the city centre. It runs immediately east of the Line Wall Curtain in a north–south direction, connecting Smith Dorrien Avenue ne ...
in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. More formally known as the Naval Monument at Gibraltar, the memorial and steps were incorporated into the
Line Wall Curtain The Line Wall Curtain is a defensive curtain wall that forms part of the fortifications of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Description The Line Wall runs from the North Bastion south along the western coast of the town to Engineer ...
at
Prince Albert's Front Prince Albert's Front is a curtain wall that formerly comprised part of the seafront fortifications of Gibraltar. It runs between the King's Bastion and Orange Bastion. The Front was constructed in 1842 after a report by Major General Sir John Th ...
giving pedestrians access to the lower
Reclamation Road Reclaim, reclaimed, reclaimer, reclaiming or reclamation means "to get something back". It may refer to: * Land reclamation, creating new land from oceans, riverbeds, or lake beds * Dedesertification, reversing of the land degradation in arid a ...
, Fish Market Lane, and Queensway. The steps connected the town above with the Royal Navy facilities below. The monument was designed by architect Paul Philippe Cret (1876–1945), a native of France who was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Cret ''(pictured at right)'' designed the memorial on behalf of the American Battle Monuments Commission. It was constructed between 1932 and 1933. The inscription ''(link below)'' over the arch of the memorial indicates that it was "erected by the United States of America to commemorate the achievements and comradeship of the American and British Navies in this vicinity during the World War." On the other side of the masonry arch are two bronze medallions ''(pictured below)'' depicting the seals of the United States and of its
Department of the Navy Navy Department or Department of the Navy may refer to: * United States Department of the Navy, * Navy Department (Ministry of Defence), in the United Kingdom, 1964-1997 * Confederate States Department of the Navy, 1861-1865 * Department of the Na ...
. The
dolomitic Dolomite () is an anhydrous carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate, ideally The term is also used for a sedimentary carbonate rock composed mostly of the mineral dolomite. An alternative name sometimes used for the dolomiti ...
limestone utilised in the construction of the monument came from the
Rock of Gibraltar The Rock of Gibraltar (from the Arabic name Jabel-al-Tariq) is a monolithic limestone promontory located in the British territory of Gibraltar, near the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, and near the entrance to the Mediterr ...
. The memorial is an example of the successful incorporation of a relatively recent work into older, existing architecture.


Inauguration

The formal dedication took place in October 1937, when an American contingent from the American Battle Monuments Commission arrived on the cruiser . On the morning of 7 October,
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
Arthur P. Fairfield Arthur Philip Fairfield (October 29, 1877 – December 14, 1946) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy. Biography Born in Saco, Maine, Fairfield served on the protected cruiser during the Spanish–American War, before graduating from th ...
(1877–1946), of ''Raleigh'', gave the inaugural address on behalf of General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing (1860–1948). Other speakers included General Sir Charles Harrington (1872–1940), the Governor of Gibraltar; Rear Admiral Alfred Evans (1884–1944), Rear Admiral in charge of Gibraltar; and the American Consul H. O. Williams. The dedication was attended by other military officials, foreign consuls, and American and British soldiers. During the unveiling of the monument, the band of the Royal Norfolk Regiment gave renditions of the national anthems of the United States and the United Kingdom.


Recent history

On 29 October 1960, the
Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song = "Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gibra ...
issued a stamp ''(link below)'' in tribute to the American War Memorial at Gibraltar. On 7 November 1998, the Gibraltar-American Council and the Government of Gibraltar commemorated the anniversary of Operation Torch, the World War II Allied invasion of North Africa, with a bronze plaque ''(pictured at left)'' at the American War Memorial. General Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower (1890–1969), who was headquartered in Gibraltar, had led the invasion in November 1942. The plaque was unveiled by the then
Chief Minister of Gibraltar The chief minister of Gibraltar is the head of His Majesty's Government of Gibraltar who is elected by the Gibraltar Parliament, and formally appointed by the governor of Gibraltar, representative of the British monarch. The incumbent chief ...
Peter Caruana on the steps of the memorial. Other events that weekend included tree-planting ceremonies at two sites, The Mount and The Convent. The Eisenhower Centre was inaugurated, with temporary housing in the
Garrison Library The Garrison Library was founded in Gibraltar in 1793 by Captain (later Colonel) John Drinkwater Bethune. History Constructed on the site of the Governors’ residence during the Spanish occupation of Gibraltar, the library was officially opene ...
. Caruana hosted a lunch at The Mount and a dinner at
St. Michael's Cave St. Michael's Cave or Old St. Michael's Cave is the name given to a network of limestone caves located within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at a height of over above sea level. According to Alo ...
. Gold commemorative coins were distributed to some of the guests. In addition, the Governor hosted a dinner at The Convent. Overseas guests included Anne Eisenhower Flottl, the granddaughter of President Eisenhower;
Winston S. Churchill Winston Churchill, in addition to his careers of soldier and politician, was a prolific writer under the pen name 'Winston S. Churchill'. After being commissioned into the 4th Queen's Own Hussars in 1895, Churchill gained permission to observe ...
(1940–2010), the grandson of Prime Minister Sir
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
(1874–1965); and Mrs.
Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, the daughter-in-law of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945). Senior officers of the United States Army and Navy also attended the events. The was at Gibraltar for the anniversary. Members of the Royal British Legion and veterans of the
Gibraltar Defence Force The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is part of British Forces Gibraltar for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop. The regiment is ...
who served during Operation Torch were also invited to the ceremony at the American War Memorial. The inscription on the plaque at the monument reads:


References


External links


Photograph of inscription over memorial arch

Photograph and satellite image of American War Memorial at Gibraltar

Photographs of arch, including 1998 plaque

Photograph of 1960 Gibraltar Stamp of American War Memorial
{{Authority control World War I memorials World War II memorials Monuments and memorials in Gibraltar