The Making of the Forest of Dean Korean War and
Imjin Veterans' Memorial
Work Begins!
A Motion was passed at Full Council of the Forest of Dean District Council in June 2021 in support of the project. Memorial designer, Andrew Gardiner, put together the first hand-drawn design concepts. Fundraising kicked off in November 2024. Support for the memorial was overwhelming and the target was reached with a year.
Meanwhile, Forestry England proposed a site in the Cyril Hart Arboretum and Grail Engineering in Cinderford were chosen as project partners to manufacture the memorial. Planning permission was granted in July 2025 and gound work began in October by Groundworks. The site was levelled and the foundations installed.
Taking Shape
Final design details were added and the Grail team began cutting out and assembling the memorial parts.
The structure is made from steel for strength with copper-plated cones.
The 'freedom' arches were inspired by the makeshift archway that was constructed for the prisoners-of-war to pass under as they were released in July 1953 after from two and a half years of brutal incarceration in North Korea. The arch represents the transition from captivity into freedom.
Click panels to enlarge
The Panels
Under the supervision of Grail Engineering, three stainless steel panels were made, chemically etched and coloured by specialist engraving company, Elite Engraving, in Bristol.
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​The panels contain inscriptions:
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to honour all Korean War veterans, with names of those from 1st Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment associated with the Forest of Dean who fought in the Battle of Imjin River;
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with words to reflect the special relationship between the County of Gloucestershire and Republic of Korea;
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with details of the special freedoms and rights given to the Forest of Dean and an acknowledgement of the Nation's Armed Forces past and present, notably the Glosters in which thousands of Foresters served.​
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The Stones
One large and three smaller hexagonal stones were cut from locally sourced Pennant sandstone, polished and finished by Forest of Dean Stone at their Cannop premises.
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M E Damsell of Bream carried out the inscription work.
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The inner circle reads:
75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF IMJIN RIVER,
22nd - 25th APRIL 1951
The outer ring is the poem The Prayer by Forest poet, F W Harvey.
O LORD, WITHIN MY HEART FOR EVER SET THIS SWEET SHAPE OF LAND AND WINDING RIVER, THAT I MAY TASTE THEIR COMFORT TILL I DIE, AND FEED UPON THEM IN ETERNITY.
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Installation
​With precision preparation, M E Damsell laid the stones with the large one secured in the centre of the memorial and the three smaller stones placed in the archways.
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They added fresh, locally sourced grass to tidy up the area around the memorial.
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Finally, Grail Engineering attached the cones and the three panels.