Plaque

Free French Naval Forces

Inscription

La vague ne détruit pas le granit. Vous, les marins de la France Libre, ce que vous avez fait pour la France en poursuivant la lutte sur la mer, envers et contre tout, dans le plus grand drame de notre histoire, rien, ni le temps, ni les passions ne l'effaceront jamais. Je vous salue, mes camarades!
Charles de Gaulle

{Translated from the French:}
Waves do not destroy granite. You, the sailors of Free France, what you have done for France in pursuing the war at sea, against all opposition, in the greatest drama of our history, nothing, neither time nor passions, will ever erase. I salute you, my comrades.
Charles de Gaulle

Thanks go to our French consultant, John Hartley, for the translation. We believe the text comes from a speech made by de Gaulle, after, or towards the end of, the war but we cannot find it documented. 

Site: Free French Naval Forces (1 memorial)

SW1, Stafford Place, Stafford Mansions

During WW2 Stafford Mansions housed the headquarters of the Free French Naval Forces. It is the rather duller building to the left in our photo.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Free French Naval Forces

Subjects commemorated i

World War 2

Sorry, we've done no research on WW2, it's just too big a subject. But do vis...

Read More

Free French Forces

Formed, in concept at least, on 18 June 1940 in de Gaulle's 'Appeal of 18 Jun...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Free French Naval Forces

Created by i

Charles de Gaulle

Born Lille, France. Height 6 ft, 5 inches, nicknamed Le Grande Asperge. Presi...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Diana Dors

Diana Dors

SW3, Burnsall Street, 10

The plaque was unveiled by actor and president of the Heritage Foundation, Vicki Michelle.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Soho Fire Station - Clermont

Soho Fire Station - Clermont

W1, Shaftesbury Avenue, Soho Fire Station, 126

In a 2012 European Trade Union Institute publication concerning firefighters' working conditions we found: "The motto "save or die trying...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Coronation of George VI - fig tree

Coronation of George VI - fig tree

EC3, St Dunstan's Hill, St Dunstan's in the East Garden

This plaque was planned during turbulent times in the royal-watching community. Here's the time-line: 20 January 1936, George V died and ...

2 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - Croydon home

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - Croydon home

CR0, St Leonard's Road, 6

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor 1875 - 1912 composer, lived and died here. Nubian Jak Community Trust Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Centenary Festival ...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Tachbrook - Founders

Tachbrook - Founders

SW1, Bessborough Street

Pulford Street and the Equitable Gas Works used to occupy this six acre site.  In the 1930s the Pulford Street Site Committee was respons...

3 subjects commemorated

Previously viewed

Gerald Clarkson

Gerald Clarkson

Founding Master of the Worshipful Company of Firefighters.  Buckingham Covers has a short biography.

Person, Armed Forces, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Jamie Gordon

Jamie Gordon

On the Hyde Park memorial Jamie’s name is given as ‘Jamie Glenbucket-Gordon’. Our colleague, Andrew Behan, has researched this man and found that Jamie Hector Gregor Glenbucket Gordon was born on ...

Person, Tragedy

3 memorials