Plymouth, Plymouth War Memorial (Great War)

PLYMOUTH
DATA

The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

PLYMOUTH WAR MEMORIAL

The Plymouth War Memorial is located on Plymouth Hoe at the junction of Lockyer Street and Citadel Road.

It was designed by local architects Mr H L Thornley, FRIBA, Mr A V Rooke and Mr J Leighton Fouracre, FRIBA. The sculptor of the large female figure, over eight feet tall, was Mr Birnie Rhind, RSA, of Edinburgh.

The Memorial was unveiled on Saturday May 19th 1923 as a memorial to those who had died in the Great War, 1914-1918. It was not, of course, known as the First World War at that time since nobody thought there would ever be another like it. The ceremony was carried out by the Secretary of State for War, the Right Honourable Earl of Derby, KG, GCB, GCVO.

The Plymouth War Memorial is in the foreground of this picture of the Hoe

The Plymouth War Memorial is in the foreground
of this picture of Plymouth Hoe, with the Naval
Memorial and Smeaton's Tower visible behind.

At the ceremony, the armed forces were represented by Commodore W H D Boyle, CB, Colonel G J H Mullins, CB, Flying Officer Truss, Surgeon Rear-Admiral J Chambers, CMG, MB, Rear-Admiral H L P Heard, CB, DSO, Colonel S E Hollond, CB, CMG, DSO, and Major-General, Sir L J Bols, KCB, KCMG, DSO. The Right Honourable Lord St Levan, CVO, the Right Honourable the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, and the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir Montague Browning, GCMG, KCB, MVO, were also present.

During the ceremony, the Mayor, deposited a Roll of Honour in a casket beneath the Memorial.