Withernsea Old War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled on 16 April 1921, with Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Withernsea Old War Memorial, unveiled in 1921, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20; * Architectural interest: an elegant and striking Latin cross.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised at Withernsea as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The memorial was erected to mark the entrance to the land which was bought in conjunction with the memorial's construction to form a memorial garden. The memorial was set on a small area of hard standing within the gardens. The whole scheme was completed at a cost of £13,000 and the gardens were then passed to the Urban District Council. The memorial was unveiled on 16 April 1921 by Major Carver to the 63 local servicemen who lost their lives in the First World War and dedicated by the Rev J F Tomlinson.

The names of 65 fallen from the Second World War were added later.

In 1994 a replacement memorial cross was built on another site although the original was maintained and not removed.

The memorial was conserved in 2011 with the help of grant aid from the War Memorials Trust.

Details

First World War memorial, unveiled on 16 April 1921.

MATERIALS: limestone memorial with Branley Fall stone base. Bronze plaques set within timber frames.

DESCRIPTION: Withernsea Old War Memorial is located in the Italian Gardens on Queen Street in Withernsea. It consists of a Latin cross with recessed front and rear faces bearing emblems in relief. The cross is set upon a tapering octagonal shaft which rests on the apex of a square moulded plinth set on a three-stepped base.

The front and rear of the plinth are recessed and contain bronze plaques framed with hardwood dedicated to those killed in the First World War. The side face recesses are each dressed with a wreath carved in relief.

The plaque on the front face of the plinth is inscribed: OUR GLORIOUS DEAD. Underneath in four columns are inscribed the names of 63 men killed in the First World War.

The plaque on the rear face of the plinth bears the inscription: TO THE UNDYING MEMORY OF/ THOSE SIXTY-THREE BRAVE MEN OF WITHERNSEA/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1919/ AND OF THEIR COMRADES FROM THIS TOWNSHIP/ WHO IN OFFERING AN EQUAL SERVICE/ WERE NOT CALLED TO AN EQUAL SACRIFICE/ AUGUST 1920.

Inserted centrally into the top two steps is an inclined stone support onto which is mounted a bronze plaque dedicated to those killed in the Second World War which reads: TO THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD/ IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THOSE FROM THIS TOWN/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES)/ AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND/ IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 21 August 2016 from www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/88933
War Memorials Register, accessed 21 August 2016 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/35489
War Memorials Trust, accessed 21 August 2016 from www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=931
Other
Hull Daily Mail, 18 April 1921 p5

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