The Antarctic Monument Campaign

Since the British Government established its first permanent research base in Antarctica in 1944 at Port Lockroy, over 2000 men and women of the British Antarctic Survey and its predecessor the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey have worked in the world’s most treacherous conditions to help us understand the world in which we live. Twenty eight men and one woman have died in the pursuit of this scientific knowledge. 

The British Antarctic Monument Trust is a charity set up to celebrate the achievements of the men and women whose scientific exploration in the British Antarctic Territory has led to a new understanding of our  planet, and to honour those amongst them who did not return.

Northern Monument St Pauls Monument Southern Monument

Memorial and Monuments

We have placed a memorial made of Welsh slate and Carrara marble in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral. The 1100 mm diameter memorial is set on a wall just off the central aisle, halfway between the tombs of Nelson and Wellington. On the other side of the main aisle are memorials to the South Atlantic Conflict and Florence Nightingale.  The memorial was dedicated on 10 May 2011.

We have also created a monumental sculpture, by the sculptor Oliver Barratt, the northern part of which is at the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge University was unveiled on 12 May 2011 and the southern part on Dockyard Point, Stanley, Falkland Islands - gateway to the Antarctic - was dedicated on 25 February 2015. The Northern Monument was accepted into the Permanent Collection of the Scott Polar Museum in 2021.

Antarctic Place Names

A major objective of the British Antarctic Monument Trust (BAMT) has been to ensure that all BAS/FIDS personnel who died in the Antarctic were remembered by a feature being named after them.  BAMT has been collaborating with the Secretary of the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-names Committee (UKAPC) by submitting justifications for new names since 2013, and requesting that the UKAPC finds appropriate features in their honour.  

In 2006 when BAMT was formed, there were fourteen of the twenty-nine who died who were not celebrated.  It has taken until October 2021 for all the remaining personnel to be honoured.  See this webpage for further information.

South 2015: an Antarctic Voyage to Remember

A film on the Trust's activities including a voyage by our supporters to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and British Antarctic Territory entitled South 2015: an Antarctic Voyage to Remember was premiered at the Royal Geographical Society, London on 14 June 2017. The film is free-to-view through Vimeo.

Newsletters

Since its inception the Trust has published Newsletters with the title Update.  The full set of Updates is available here.

Ambassadors

To assist the Trust organise educational and other activities and to help raise awareness of its work four eminent polar explorers have joined as British Antarctic Monument Trust Ambassadors.

They are:

  • Felicity Aston the first woman to walk alone across Antarctica from the Ross Sea to the Wedell Sea;
  • John Killingbeck noted for driving the last team of huskies in the Antarctic with John Sweeney;
  • Paul Rose well known for his television series on exploration and adventure;
  • Dr Russell Thompson glaciologist, meteorologist and Antarctic guide.
Sunday, February 11th 2024

First permanent base established 80 years ago today

Base A was established as part of Operation Tabarin at Port Lockroy on Goudier Island, near Wiencke Island, on 11th February 1944 and occupied by 9 men during the 1944 winter. This was the first permanent base in Antarctica and is still occupied today. Named after the Tabarin nightclub in Paris, thi… Full Story...
Friday, November 19th 2021

The Antarctic Monument Trust reaches goals

Having achieved its goals the British Antarctic Monument Trust is planning to wind up its affairs by making a donation of £12,000 to the Scott Polar Research Institute in recognition of the support it has given to the Trust over a number of years. A similar donation is to made to the Falkland … Full Story...

Charity Commision Registration

The British Antarctic Monument Trust is registered with the Charity Commissioners number 01123064

  • © British Antarctic Monument Trust 2024
  • Registered charity number 01123064