Carabiniers' Memorial, Chelsea

The Carabiniers' Memorial

Tucked against a green hedge looking onto a busy Chelsea road junction is an Edwardian memorial to the soldiers of the 6th Dragoon Guards, also known as the Carabiniers, who died during the Second Boer War (1899-1902).

The memorial was erected in 1905 at the southeastern corner of the Royal Chelsea Hospital grounds, looking towards Chelseas Bridge, where the Chelsea Embankment meets Chelsea Bridge Road.

The memorial takes the form of a three-sided stone and brick screen with brass panels. It was designed by Captain Adrian Jones MVO and executed by John Liddel.

Adrian Jones (1845–1938) was an army veterinary surgeon for 23 years before retiring to focus on a career as an artist and sculptor. He built a reputation for his equestrian statues, most notably the 'Peace Descending on the Quadriga of War' stature that adorns the top of the Wellington Arch in London.

Largely self-taught, Jones was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy and executed several well-known war memorials, including the Royal Marines Memorial on The Mall and the Cavalry of the Empire Memorial in Hyde Park.

The central bas-relief

The Carabiniers Regiment

The 6th Dragoon Guards, known as the Carabiniers, was raised by the 1st Earl of Scarborough in 1685 to answer the threat of the Monmouth Rebellion.

It was later renamed Lord Lumley's Regiment of Horse, after its founder, then His Majesty's 1st Regiment of Carabiniers in 1740, the 3rd Regiment of Horse (Carabiniers) in 1756, and finally, the 6th Regiment of Dragoon Guards in 1788. In 1922 the regiment joined with the 3rd Dragoon Guards to form the 3rd/6th Dragoon Guards. From 1914 the regiment was the only one in the British Army to wear dark blue tunics.

The memorial location just outside the perimeter wall of the Royal Hospital Chelsea was approved by the hospital governor, General Sir Charles Salis-Schwabe, who served with the 3rd Dragoon Guards.

The memorial was funded by public subscription and it is the site of an annual wreath-laying ceremony that takes place in late November under the auspices of the Regimental Association.

The memorial was officially unveiled on 23rd June 1906 with Field Marshal The Right Honourable Earl Roberts in attendance.

Seventy-seven men are commemorated on the memorial. The right-hand plaque lists 30 officers and men killed in action, while the left-hand plaque lists another 47 who died of wounds or disease during the conflict.

The centrepiece of the memorial is a bas-relief plaque depicting a mounted trooper holding the reins of two other horses while his comrades advance of a small hill. Atop the central panel is an ornate bronze sculpture showcasing the regimental colours and device, surmounted by a helmet.

The top plaque reads:

SOUTH AFRICAN WAR
THE CARABINIERS
1899 - 1902

While the bottom plaque reads:

IN MEMORY OF
THE OFFICERS, N. C. OFFICERS AND MEN
OF THE VI. DRAGOON GUARDS, (THE CARABINIERS)
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN THE
SOUTH AFRICAN WAR. 1899 - 1902.
ERECTED BY PAST AND PRESENT CARABINIERS.
AD 1905

The Carabiniers' Memorial is a beautifully crafted piece of monumental architecture and a period piece, offering a glimpse into Britiain's military history in the period immediately preceding the First World War. It is extremely easy to reach on foot from Chelsea Bridge and the Chelsea Embankment. The nearest tube station is Sloane Square.

Though it is striking and of historical interest, the memorial will not keep you long, so I suggest combining a visit with the nearby Royal Chelsea Hospital, the Chelsea Physic Garden, and the National Army Museum, all of which are within a 15 minute walk.