French Prisoner Of War Memorial - St George's Centre, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4UH - Non-Specific Veteran Memorials on Waymarking.com

This memorial to French Prisoners of War sits on high ground behind the former St George's Church - HMS Pembroke, now known as the St Georges Centre, it what were the grounds of the Chatham Dockyard, off Dock Road, Chatham, Kent.

During the various conflicts with France in the late 1700's and early 1800's many of the prisoners of war taken were kept in horrific conditions in Prison Hulks in the River Medway at Chatham. In 1799 some 25,000 French prisoners were incarcerated  around the British coast in Prison Hulks. Those prisoners at Chatham who died in the Prison Hulks in Short Reach were buried in the marshes alongside, now known as St Mary's Island. Those off Gillingham Reach were buried on what then was an island known as Prisoner Bank.

By 1861 The Admiralty decided that Chatham Dockyard needed expanding. Using convict labour from British Prisons, work began on the expansion plan which included the former prisoner burial site at Gillingham Reach. In 1869 The Admiralty ordered that all the remains were to be moved from this burial site and moved to the French Prisoner of War Cemetery on St Mary's Island. It is on record that authorities had no idea how many prisoners were buried there, or indeed any details of identification. In total, 711 skeletons were removed and re buried on St Mary's Island. Our relationship with France had changed considerably by that time, and probably had some bearing on a decision to erect a memorial at St Mary's Island Cemetery. That Memorial, erected by prison workers and unveiled on St Mary's Island in 1871 is actually the same one sited here.

In 1903, further expansion was planned at Chatham Dockyard that now included St Mary's Island. So, in 1904 a further order was given by the Admiralty for all prisoner remains to be moved from St Mary's Island cemetery and to re-bury them here at at St Georges (Church) Centre. The work in exhuming and moving the 521 remains was undertaken after normal working hours at the Dockyard to avoid upsetting the "civilian workforce". The transfer of both the remains and memorial was completed by December 7th 1904.

The memorial has an engraved panel that reads;

Here are gathered together / THE REMAINS OF MANY BRAVE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS / WHO HAVING ONCE BEEN THE FOES, AFTERWARDS THE CAPTIVES OF ENGLAND / NOW FIND REST IN HER SOIL /

REMEMBERING NO MORE THE ANIMOSITIES OF WAR OR THE SORROWS OF IMPRISONMENT / THEY WERE DEPRIVED OF THE CONSOLATION OF CLOSING THEIR EYES / AMONGST THE COUNTRYMEN THEY LOVE /

BUT THEY HAVE BEEN LAID IN AN HONOURABLE GRAVE / BY A NATION WHICH KNOWS HOW TO RESPECT VALOUR / AND TO SYMPATHIZE WITH MISFORTUNE

A small brass plaque above reads;

THIS MEMORIAL, BUILT TO ADMIRALTY ORDER BY / CONVICT LABOUR IN 1869 AND PLACED IN THE PRISONER-OF-WAR / CEMETERY ON ST MARY'S ISLAND, WAS RE-ERECTED HERE / IN THE AUTUMN OF 1904, WHEN A CONTEMPLATED BUT / SUBSEQUENTLY ABANDONED EXTENSION OF CHATHAM / DOCKYARD NECESSITATED THE REMOVAL OF THE PRISONERS' / REMAINS TO THEIR NEW GRAVE BENEATH IT.

It seems that history repeated itself one more time with the subsequent closure and development of the former HM Dockyard Chatham, as a further engraved stone has been placed alongside the memorial. It reads;

THIS MEMORIAL WAS LAID HERE / ON THE 22ND JULY 1991 / TO COMMEMORATE THE REINTERMENT / OF THE REMAINS OF A FURTHER / 362 PRISONERS OF WAR / FROM THE ORIGINAL CEMETERY ON / ST MARY'S ISLAND.

Type of Memorial: Non-Specific Memorial In Honor Of: French prisoners of war Marker Text: See long description Date of dedication: 12/4/1904 Who Put it Here?: The Admiralty Office - Royal Navy Description of Memorial: Memorial Description; The memorial is made from Polychromatic limestone and red sandstone ashlar, granite and marble in a Gothic Revival style. It has a stepped base on which sits a square plinth with inscribed sides and weathered top. The space above has polychrome round arch with pointed arched hood, within a steep gable with iron finials on foliate capitals and marble columns, and a spire with limestone and granite bands to a finial. Inside is a figure of a Napoleonic sailor.  It is set on raised ground behind the former church with a rose garden and seating for visitors. Wars mentioned (Multi-war only): Not listed

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Date Logged Log   04/01/2013 Master Mariner visited it