In World War II, Winston Churchill decided that Britain needed an elite military corps. He created the British Commandos, famous for wearing green berets (an accessory — and name — later borrowed by elite fighting forces in the US and other countries). Those troops trained in the windy shadow of Ben Nevis (the tallest mountain in Britain, at 4,409 feet). Many of them died in combat, and this bronze memorial — built in 1952 — remembers those fallen British heroes. Nearby is a second memorial honoring other British Commandos who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s a touching reminder that the USA is not alone in its distant wars; every nation has its share of honored heroes willing to sacrifice for what they believe to be the greater good. (Sorry about the wind buffeting on the mic as you watch the video.)
All over Europe, war memorials are poignant reminders of fallen heroes. Which do you find most impactful?
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.
I love this memorial. I find it incredibly moving. I can’t remember which book it was where I first read about the Commandos who trained in the highlands. It think that it was a Douglas Reeman story. But when I stopped at this monument, I knew that this was where they had trained and that they had played a key role in the defeat of Nazi Germany. You stand at the monument and look around you and if you think on them you can still feel their dedication and sacrifice.
I’m enjoying your Scottish journey and all the information you share as a person who expresses life and art through destination and the people you meet there. Thanks Rick!
I’m getting ready to plan for a trip to Ireland and will hopefully get to Scotland while
there.
Changing trains in Derby, East Midlands during our first trip to the UK, I saw several brass plaques along the station platform that listed the names of local soldiers lost in the first world war. The soldiers listed here had all been employed by the different railway works in the Derby of the time, with the different plaques representing different works. The number of soldiers listed would have been a significant portion of the local workforce and community, not uncommon then. I’ve read about the huge losses on WW1 battlefields, but seeing this memorial added a personal dimension that left an impression.
Jeff
A very touching place and memorial – and a very tactful way to keep up the memory of heros.
I grew up in England, so the WWI and WWII memorials that stand in most villages and towns are something I was used to, but the sheer number of names can still have an impact. I’ve also visited the Vietnam memorial in DC, which I found very moving. But one memorial I particularly remember was in Ekaterinburg, Russia. It honored the dead of Russia’s Afghanistan misadventure, but it spoke very clearly of the cost and not the glory of war. The central statue was of a soldier sitting cross-legged on the ground, head bowed, his weight resting on his rifle. Behind him, in a half circle, rose ten tall, dark slabs, engraved with the names of the dead, one for each year of the war.