Last chance to see The Poppies: WAVE in Plymouth

The Poppies: WAVE on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Plymouth Naval Memorial, will be dismantled this Sunday evening, so anyone wishing to see it before it leaves the town should arrive at the display by 5.30pm on Sunday November 19 before it is dismantled for its next destination next year.

Since its arrival in August, there have been nearly 500,000 visitors at the CWGC Plymouth Naval Memorial to view the spectacular ceramic flowers, with more than 240 volunteers trained by the Commission on hand to show visitors around.

The Last Post will sound at the Memorial for the last time during the Poppies: WAVE Plymouth tour on Friday, November 17. The WAVE is one of two sculptures taken from the installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red – poppies and is the original concept by artist Paul Cummins and installation designed by Tom Piper.

Steve Stewart, Regional Manager for the South West, said: “The last three months have been incredible. Seeing the thousands of people coming by to see the Poppies: WAVE and being moved by the sculpture and what it represents has been very poignant.

“The people of Plymouth have really embraced the experience and it’s also brought a new audience to the Commission, allowing the public to find out who we are, what we do and why.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to the incredible volunteers who have braced the ever-changing weather on the Hoe to show visitors around the site and telling the stories of those commemorated on our memorial.”

The presentation by 14-18 NOW, gives people across the UK the chance to experience the impact of the ceramic poppy sculptures in a range of places of particular First World War resonance.

So far, the poppies have been seen on tour by more than 2.7 million people. The iconic poppy sculpture WAVE is part of the UK-wide tour organised by 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary.

The CWGC Plymouth Naval Memorial was built and is maintained by the Commission to commemorate almost 7,300 servicemen and women of the First World War who have no known grave but the sea.

In addition to commemorating seamen of the Royal Navy who sailed from Plymouth, the First World War panels also bear the names of sailors from Australia and South Africa.

The CWGC Plymouth Naval Memorial was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer with sculpture by Henry Poole, and it was unveiled by HRH Prince George on 29 July 1924.

It is situated centrally on The Hoe, which looks directly towards Plymouth Sound, and it is accessible at all times.