Leominster War Memorial

A war memorial of 1922 by William G Storr-Barber with memorial wall.

MATERIALS: constructed of limestone with a bronze sculpture.

DESCRIPTION: comprising a statue of winged victory with right arm raised holding a torch on a tapering plinth and two-stepped base. The plinth is inscribed to the south face: TO/ THE GLORY OF THE/ GIVER OF VICTORY/ AND PEACE AND IN/ PROUD AND GRATEFUL/ REMEMBRANCE OF THE/ MEN OF LEOMINSTER/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR/ LIVES IN THE CAUSE OF/ HUMANITY IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 18. To the north face: ERECTED/ BY THE CITIZENS OF/ LEOMINSTER/ IN MEMORY OF THEIR/ GLORIOUS DEAD/ A.D. 1922/ AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE/ SUN. AND IN THE MORNING/ WE WILL REMEMBER THEM. To the west: THESE WERE HIS SERVANTS/ IN HIS STEPS THEY TROD/ FOLLOWING THROUGH DEATH/ THE MARTYRD SON OF GOD/ VICTOR HE ROSE/ VICTORIOUS TOO SHALL DRIVE/ THEY WHO HAVE DRUNK/ HIS CUP OF SACRIFICE/ 1939. To the east: O VALIANT HEARTS/ WHO TO THEIR GLORY CAME/ THROUGH DUST OF CONFLICT/ AND THROUGH BATTLE-FLAME/ TRANQUIL YOU LIE/ YOUR KNIGHTLY VIRTUE PROVED/ YOU MEMORY HALLOWED/ IN THE LAND YOU LOVED.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: to the west of the memorial is a later rubble stone memorial wall with projecting return walls and wings to each side, partly enclosing a small area of bedding with concrete steps to the front. To the centre of the memorial wall is a granite memorial with palm leaf design and inscription: IN GLORIOUS/ HOPE. Three marble plaques to the fallen in the First World War are set within the memorial and inscribed thus: to the left: NAMES; to centre: THE INHABITANTS/ OF LEOMINSTER/ PLACE THIS TABLET/ TO PERPETUATE/ THE MEMORY OF/ THE GALLANT/ MEN FROM/ THE BOROUGH/ WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES FOR HONOUR/ AND FREEDOM IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ OF 1914-1919; to right: NAMES. To the left return wall is a marble plaque inscribed: 1939-45/ ARMY/ NAMES. To the right return wall is a marble plaque inscribed: 1939-45/ ROYAL NAVY/ NAMES/ ROYAL AIR FORCE/ NAMES.