"Secured Yomper's future for years": Iconic Royal Marine statue blighted by corrosion saved after campaign
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An iconic Royal Marines statue blighted by corrosion will be preserved for the next decade thanks to the generous public.
The fundraising campaign to save the statue and keep the Union Jack flying has raised over £20,000. An urgent appeal was launched by the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) and Royal Marines veteran volunteers after it was found the monument was suffering from bronze disease.
NMRN CEO Matthew Sheldon said: “Supporters have secured the Yomper's future and for that I’m incredibly grateful. We set out to fund five years of vital conservation work, and the response has doubled that.
“The campaign to save the Yomper is just one part of NMRN’s commitment to tell the story of the Royal Marines, sits proudly alongside our commitment to open the new Royal Marines Experience as part of the Re-imagination of Boathouse 6 project next summer. The success of this fundraising campaign - led from Portsmouth, but connecting across the whole country - is a powerful reminder of how strongly people feel about supporting the Royal Marines.”
The 18-foot bronze statue stands outside the former Royal Marines Museum at Eastney barracks, overlooking the Solent. After facing more than three decades of salt-laden winds, driving ran, and intense sun, the Yomper began to show its age.
Bronze disease is a form f active corrosion that happens when chlorides from sea salt react with the metal alloy in the presence of moisture and air. Left untreated, it can cause pitting, flaking, and ultimately structural damage to bronze sculptures.
After smashing the original £9,000 target, conservationists at the NMRN can get to work to conserve and protect the statue from the elements over the next decade. Specialist treatment will half the corrosion, stabilise the surface, and protect the Yomper for future generations.
Sculpted by Philip Jackson and unveiled in 1992, it is based on Royal Marine Corporal Peter Robinson of 45 Commando, captured in the famous image of Marines yomping across East Falkland during the 1982 conflict. It’s considered a gateway into the Royal Marines Memorial Garden, a major landmark for veterans, families, and visitors.