ABOVE: Extensive and incredibly intricate creation and renovation processes were required to put these beautiful plaques where they belong.
For decades, the war memorials of the Royal College of Science (RCS) were thought to be lost forever – yet, in an extraordinary twist of fate, one of the plaques, commemorating the college’s students who fell in the Second World War, was rediscovered after 52 years.
This find reignited efforts to restore and recreate the memorials in time for this year’s Remembrance Day, culminating in a moving tribute to the college’s students who made the ultimate sacrifice.
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ABOVE: We documented the complete creation and renovation of the plaques for the Royal College of Science.
The discovery was made in an unlikely location: the storage facilities in the depths of Imperial College London’s Bessemer Building. Hidden under decades of dust, the 120kg stone tablet was a remarkable relic of the past. The memorial had been missing since the 1970s when much of the original RCS building was demolished. Along with its World War I companion tablet, it was presumed destroyed during the construction works.
For years, the Royal College of Science Association (RCSA) kept the memory of these lost memorials alive through a lithograph banner depicting the original plaques. This banner, provided by Anne Barrett of Imperial’s Archives and Corporate Records Unit, became the centrepiece of Armistice Day commemorations, standing in for the missing stones. However, the discovery of the WW2 tablet in 2024 changed everything.
BELOW: The WW2 plaque had sustained severe damage as a result of its neglect. Only our expert stonemasons had the skills to renovate them.
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The Mission
The RCSA, buoyed by this incredible find, collaborated with Imperial’s Faculty of Natural Sciences to secure funding for a restoration project. This time, their mission expanded: to restore the recovered WW2 plaque and recreate the missing WW1 tablet based on archival photographs and historical records.
Enter Mossfords Memorial Masons with the expertise of special projects arm War Memorial Conservation Co., highly experienced in conservation and restoration.
BELOW: The lithograph image used as a reference on the left and the banner that stood in plaques of the missing plaques on the right.
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The project presented unique challenges. Upon cleaning the WW2 tablet, Mossfords discovered it was crafted from Nabresina, an Italian limestone known for its unique beige tone and shell-like texture.
Simon Morgan, CEO of Mossfords Memorial Masons, explained, “We initially thought it was Portland or Purbeck limestone, but cleaning revealed its true origins. Fortunately, we managed to source an identical stone from the same quarry used 60 years ago.”
BELOW: An inspection after cleaning revealed that the WWII plaque was Nabresina stone, meaning the material for the WWI plaque could be accurately matched.
WWI Plaque
The recreation of the WW1 plaque required meticulous attention to detail. Historical photographs and lithographs were digitised to ensure every aspect of the design was faithfully reproduced. Using these references, Mossfords artisans applied an intricate process:
Engraving replication: Inscription rubber was applied to the stone to transfer the archival designs.
Sandblasting and hand-carving: Craftsmen lightly sandblasted the design, then hand-carved every inscription and decorative element with precision.
Painting and polishing: The engravings were filled with specialist black paint, then polished to achieve a fine, smooth finish.
Given the plaque’s size – three times that of the WW2 tablet – it was bored in the rear to reduce weight and accommodate secure wall fittings.
BELOW: A large plaque of Nabresina stone was sourced for the creation of the WW1 plaque.
BELOW: Inscription rubber being weeded ready for light sandblasting.
BELOW: Sandblasting the inscription into the dense Nabresina stone.
BELOW: Hand-carving the inscription and detailing into the stone.
BELOW: Infilling the inscription with specialist stone paint.
BELOW: Hand-polishing the WW1 plaque to reveal the flawless inscription.
WW2 Plaque
The extensive repair work began with carefully cleaning the plaque to remove any residues accumulated during its resting over the years. The inscription was then intricately repaired and painted alike the WWI plaque.
We then began the process known as ‘masonry indent repairing’. Here we cut out the damage, mainly on the edges and detailed them to create clean cavities ready for new, finely shaped pieces to be fitted. We naturally used identical stone from our historic masonry cache to create the best possible blend with stone of the plaque.
BELOW: Testing the inscription paint on the WW2 plaque
BELOW: Cutting out the damaged sections on the edges, the process of ‘masonry indent repairing’.
BELOW: Fitting the shaped replacement stone pieces.
Specialist masonry resins ensured the pieces became part of the plaque. Painstaking sanding and polishing allowed a Mossfords masonry artist to colour-blend the repair seams.
The rear side of this 120kg plaque was then carefully drilled ready for mounting the newly-built wall at the college.
BELOW: Epoxy adhesive used to adhere the newly-cut stone replacement pieces.
BELOW: Sanding flush the repair work.
BELOW: Colour-blending the repair seams.
The Return
By November 2024, the restored and recreated plaques were ready. Mossfords undertook the careful transport and installation of the tablets at the entrance archway of what remains of the RCS building—now known as RCS1 or the Old Chemistry Building.
The WW2 plaque, restored to its original glory, and the recreated WW1 plaque stood side by side once more, united after decades of separation.
BELOW: Fitting the WW2 plaque at the Royal College of Science, London.
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Ceremony
The plaques were unveiled during Imperial College’s on-campus Remembrance service, a deeply moving ceremony attended by staff, students, and members of the RCSA. The event featured a short tribute to the university members commemorated on the tablets, followed by two minutes of silence.
BELOW: Mike Munroe, President, Royal College of Science Association and Richard Craster, Dean, Faculty of Natural Sciences, ICL at the Royal College of Science War Memorial plaques.
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This year’s ceremony carried special meaning. For the first time in over half a century, the names of the fallen were etched in stone once again, their memory preserved for generations to come. The project was a testament to the enduring commitment of the RCSA, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the craftsmen at Mossfords Memorial Masons. Together, they ensured that those who served in the wars would never be forgotten.
From dusty storage to a place of honour, the journey of these memorials stands as a powerful reminder of the importance of remembrance and the resilience of history.
