Portsmouth Cathedral D-Day Memorial Windows

Located in the Holy Martyrs Chapel, on the south side of the Cathedral, are two stained glass windows which commemorate the D-Day landings. The first window, one of a pair unveiled as a memorial to Admiral Bertrum Ramsey, was installed in 1956 and made by glassmakers Edwards and Powell. The window situated on the right of the two depicts St George, with the shield of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force below and a scene of troops landing in Normandy. The combined inscriptions on the pair of windows states “In memory of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey killed in action 1945, who commanded the seaborne forces at Dunkirk 1940 … and Normandy 1944, here are remembered also those under his command who were killed during these operations”.  

The second of the memorial windows, designed by Carl Edwards in 1984, commemorates the 40^th anniversary of D-day and all those who served in Operation Overlord. The window can be found in the south transept of the medieval part of the building in the Holy Martyrs Chapel above the Bertram Ramsey windows. The window includes the shields of the Allied forces, the RAF, Royal Navy and Army and the D-Day and Normandy Fellowship. The window was presented by the fellowship to the cathedral and was unveiled by the Queen Mother. The inscription on the window quotes the Francis Drake prayer: 

“O LORD GOD WHEN

THOU GIVEST TO THY SERVANTS TO

ENDEAVOUR ANY GREAT MATTER

GRANT US ALSO TO KNOW THAT

IT'S NOT THE BEGINNING BUT THE

CONTINUING OF THE SAME UNTIL

IT BE THOROUGHLY FINISHED WHICH

YIELDETH THE TRUE GLORY.” 

And the plaque below the window:

“THIS COMMEMORATIVE WINDOW

THE GIFT OF THE D-DAY & NORMANDY FELLOWSHIP

WAS UNVEILED BY

HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER

AND DEDICATED BY

HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

ON SUNDAY JUNE 3rd 1984.”