The Battle of the Atlantic Memorial campaign began fundraising in January and hopes to secure £2.5m to create a monument at the Pier Head, dedicated to the World War Two battle

Money from the LIBOR bank fines fund could be used to help fund a national Battle of the Atlantic memorial on Liverpool’s waterfront.

The Battle of the Atlantic Memorial (BOAM) campaign began fundraising in January. It hopes to secure £2.5m to create a monument at the Pier Head, dedicated to the estimated 100,000 people who lost their lives during the World War Two battle, as well as those who served and survived.

BOAM chairman Vice-Admiral Mike Gretton has written to Chancellor Philip Hammond, appealing for support via the LIBOR Charity Funding scheme.

‘Very deserving’

Established in 2012, the fund has handed out £773m to armed forces and emergency services charities, including £20m for a memorial commemorating British servicemen and women who gave their lives in the D-Day landings and in the Normandy Campaign.

In his letter to the Mr Hammond, Vice-Admiral Gretton said: “The planned D-Day Memorial has received £20m from the LIBOR bank fines fund to help pay for its construction. While the D-Day Memorial is very deserving, there is another national World War Two memorial – to the Battle of the Atlantic – being planned at a considerably lower cost of around £2.5m.

“You will be aware of the colossal loss of life in the Battle of the Atlantic of more than 100,000. The battle was the longest of World War Two beginning on 3 September 1939 and lasting until VE Day on 8 May in 1945.

“Without the lionhearted efforts of thousands of men and women from Britain and our allies during the Battle of the Atlantic we would not have been able to fight or feed ourselves – and there would have been no D-Day.

“As chairman of the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial campaign I would like to appeal for your help to secure funding from LIBOR or other fine funds to help construct our memorial.”

Naval support

BOAM has raised £100,000 since the start of the year and received the full support of the First Sea Lord. It’s working with both the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy, and has the backing of a number of international bodies, including US-based organisations American Merchant Marine Veterans and Project Liberty Ship.

For more information on the campaign, sponsorship packages and to make donations visit: www.battleoftheatlantic.org  email: info@battleofatlanticmemorial.org call 01243 545939