View source for National Firefighters Memorial

{{Short description|Memorial sculpture in London, England}}
{{No footnotes|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox monument
| name          = National Firefighters Memorial
| native_name   = 
| image         = National Firefighters Memorial, Cannon Street, London.JPG
| caption       = The National Firefighters Memorial
| location      = City of London
| designer      = John W. Mills
| type          = Memorial
| material      = Bronze
| length        = 
| width         = 
| height        = 
| weight        = 
| visitors_num  =
| visitors_year =
| begin         = 
| complete      = 
| dedicated     =
| open          = 4 May 1991
| restore       = 
| dismantled    = 
| dedicated_to  = 
| map_name      = London
| map_text      = 
| map_width     = 
| map_relief    = 
| coordinates   = {{coord|51.51290|-0.09845|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title, inline}}
| website       =
| extra_label   = 
| extra         = 
}}

The '''National Firefighters Memorial''' is a [[memorial]] composed of three [[bronze]] [[statue]]s depicting [[firefighter]]s in action at the height of [[the Blitz]]. It is located on the [[Jubilee Walkway]] to the south of [[St Paul's Cathedral]] in the [[City of London]], and it is approachable from the south bank of the [[River Thames]] via the [[Millennium Bridge (London)|Millennium Footbridge]].

The monument, originally the concept of [[Cyril Demarne]], was commissioned by the Firefighters Memorial Charitable Trust set up in 1990. It was sculpted by [[John W. Mills]]. Initially, the structure was intended as a tribute to those men and women who fought so gallantly against fire on the streets of London during [[the Blitz]] of [[World War II]], when the city was struck by bombs on 57 consecutive nights in a sustained campaign of bombing. It also served as a monument to commemorate the service of firefighters throughout the war. [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother]] unveiled the memorial on 4 May 1991.

It was decided in 1998 to make the memorial a national monument that would commemorate not just the firefighters who died in World War II, but the lives of all firefighters throughout the United Kingdom who were killed in the line of duty. The National Firefighters Memorial was moved from its original site in Old Change Court, the plinth was elevated by a little over 1 m, and the names of all those killed in peacetime were added.

The [[Princess Royal]], patron of the Firefighters' Memorial Charitable Trust, attended a service and ceremony of re-dedication on 16 September 2003. A total of 1,192 names were inscribed in bronze onto the memorial.

A service of remembrance is held at the memorial annually on the Sunday closest to 7 September, the anniversary of the start of the Blitz.

==See also==
* [[List of firefighting monuments and memorials]]
* [[List of public art in the City of London]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.firefightersmemorial.org.uk The Firefighters Memorial Charitable Trust]
*[http://www.royal.gov.uk/OutPut/Page2573.asp The Princess Royal attends the rededication ceremony]
*[http://www.lightstraw.co.uk/ate/main/wren/tour/heroes1.html Memorial on original site.]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070205070519/http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/about_us/our_history/visit_our_museum.asp London Fire Brigade Museum]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070828074733/http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/archive/londonsvoices/veday/interview.asp?theme_id=4&interview_id=21 Museum of London] recording of Cyril Demarne recalling [[VE Day]].
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070828074733/http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/archive/londonsvoices/veday/interview.asp?theme_id=4&interview_id=21 London Fire Brigade Museum to record Blitz Firefighters' memories.]
*[http://www.johnwmills.com/NFFM%20Const.html Memorial Construction] on [[John W Mills]]'s website
*[http://www.theonlinebookcompany.com/OnlineBooks/FirefighterMemorialTrust/Content/Filler The Firefighters Memorial Trust Book]
*[https://c20society.org.uk/war-memorials/london-firefighters-memorial/ London:Firefighters Memorial] ([[The Twentieth Century Society]])

{{Public art in London|other monuments}}
{{City of London}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in the City of London|Memorials, war]]
[[Category:Firefighting memorials]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in London]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the City of London]]