War Memorial (The Response)

MATERIALS: Shap granite monument with bronze statuary.

DESCRIPTION: memorial and sculpture, signed Sir W. Goscombe John on the plinth, founder A B Burton, Thames Ditton. The memorial comprises a granite screen wall on a rusticated plinth with a raised curved centerpiece. The plinth projects to support an impressive bronze sculptural group. In the centre is an inscribed vertical slab with a sloping apron, forming a prie dieu, and giving the appearance of an altar from a distance. The bronze group comprises dozens of highly detailed figures, those in front marching in step with two drummer boys and those behind tarrying to bid farewell to wives, children and friends. This remembers the massing of the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers in April 1915, and their march down the Great North Road and through Newcastle to its Central Station. A trumpeting angel allegorical of renown soars above the advancing group, breaking the skyline of the screen wall.

On the reverse, the ends of the screen wall are broken forward to form stubby pylons. The sculpture is carved in relief from the same granite as the wall. A bare-headed St George stands in the centre on a bracket formed of two seahorses, the supporters of the arms of Newcastle. Either side are escutcheons with the arms of Newcastle and of Gateshead. On the flanks are two figures of Northumberland Fusiliers, one in the dress of 1674 when the regiment was first raised, and one in First World war service dress, complete with tin hat, trench coat and gas mask. The memorial is surrounded by shallow steps and when first dedicated it stood within a simple grass sward, not the current municipal planting.

Bas relief inscription on the front slab: NON SIBI SED PATRIE / THE RESPONSE 1914

Inscriptions on the rear: QUO FATA VOCANT

TO COMMEMORATE THE RAISING OF THE B COMPANY / 9TH BATTALION AND THE 16TH, 18TH AND 19TH SERVICE / BATTALIONS, NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS, BY THE NEWCASTLE AND GATESHEAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AUGUST – OCTOBER

The gift of Sir George Renwick Bt DL and Lady Renwick MCMXXIII

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online, the War Memorials Register and North East War Memorials Project. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 13 September 2018.