The memorial stands under the Docklands Light Railway on North Woolwich Road. It was erected by Brunner Mond Chemical Works to commemorate the employees who were killed in the Silvertown Explosion and those who died in the two world wars.

The factory originally produced caustic soda. After the outbreak of the first world war and with pressure from the government it switched production in 1915 to TNT for use in high explosive bombs, despite the fact it was in a heavily built up area.