The Stokes Bay Memorial
2024 marked the 80th Anniversary since British and Allied troops left Stokes Bay as part of Operation Overlord to take part in the D-Day landings in Normandy. Currently, there is no local memorial to mark the memory of those people.
It was evident that Stokes Bay was very short on information that represented the D-Day Story from here. The two Memorial Stones that are in place at Stokes Bay, The Canadian Memorial and the Mulberry Harbour Memorial are representative of some of what happened at Stokes Bay, they do not represent all that took place or the many people and nations involved.
Gosport played a central and crucial role in the WWII D-Day War preparations and embarkations.
The D-Day Memorial will serve as historical touchstone linking the past to the present and will enable both visitors and the local community to reflect, remember and respect the sacrifices of those who participated in WWII and other conflicts.
It is intended that the D-Day Memorial will represent a focal point for the community.
The Memorial will be located near the Mulberry Harbour Memorial Stone alongside Stokes Bay Sailing Club. The Memorial will be a semi-circle in shape, containing 5 benches which reflect the 5 beaches in Normandy, linking Gosport directly to where those who left, arrived. Benches will provide the opportunity to sit and quietly reflect looking out over the Solent where so many thousands departed from. The whole arrangement will be encircled across the back with Red Robin bushes which will provide a windbreak as a native robust shrub hedge.
Significance of the 5 Benches
These five benches stand in quiet tribute
to the five sacred shores of Normandy —
Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, and Utah.
Each name whispers of courage,
each place a crucible where freedom was born in fire and blood.
They do not merely stand — they face the horizon,
as though passing through the Memorial Stone itself,
reaching across time to rest once more
on the windswept coast of Normandy.
It is a symbolic return —
a silent procession for those who once departed from these shores,
some with hope in their hearts, others with farewell in their eyes.
Some came home. Many did not.
But none are lost to memory.
Their legacy lives, carved in stone,
and carried on the wind.
“Two Faces of Stone”
by Madison McClaren age 14
One side is smooth—untouched, serene,
Like how he looked when he was seen.
A steady gaze, a practiced grin,
The world saw strength, not what’s within.
But turn the stone—see what was torn,
The side that’s cracked, the edge that’s worn.
These scars run deep, they do not fade,
For war leaves debts that can’t be paid.
For war is not just smoke and sound—
It burrows deep, it breaks, it drowns.
It steals in silence, piece by piece,
And trades the roar for years of peace.
He came back home, or so it seemed,
But lost far more than what we dreamed.
A voice now quiet, hands that shake,
Smiles forced for everyone’s sake.
He’s still breathing, boots on ground,
But left some pieces never found.
A memory, a limb, a name—
A voice that never spoke the same.
This stone remembers what eyes don’t—
The battles fought, the words he won’t.
The pain that hides beneath the skin,
The war that never left within.
So let this stone stand in his stead—
Both whole and hurt, both living, dead.
A monument to what can’t be shown:
The soldier’s truth, carved into stone.
Get involved today
Even a small donation goes a long way, but there are other ways that you can contribute, from helping to fundraise to being a volunteer. Click below to find out more.