Bedford War Memorial

War Memorial, First and Second World Wars and the Korean War; unveiled 1922 by Lord Ampthill; sculptor, Charles Sargeant Jagger; surrounding bollards designed by George P Allen; builder, G F Loughton.

MATERIALS: the sculpture is in Carrara marble and the pedestal is Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial occupies a prominent position between the Embankment and the Promenade, on the north bank of the River Ouse. The cloaked figure of a knight (presumably representing St George), arms folded in triumph, stands firmly upright between the wings of a slain dragon slumped over a square plinth, its claws clutching the front edge, its tail hanging down behind. Below is a pedestal standing on a base and two steps. The steps are at the centre of a square stone platform surrounded by domed octagonal bollards linked by chains, one to each corner and one to the centre of each side.

There are inscriptions to three sides of the pedestal. The first commemorating World War I reads; 1914 + 1919 TO BEFORDIANS WHO DIED MANY IN EARLY YOUTH SOME FULL OF YEARS AND HONOUR BUT WHO ALL ALIKE GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY: that to World War II reads; 1939 + 1945 TO COMMEMORATE THE STRUGGLE AND SACRIFICE OF BEDFORDIANS; and to the Korean War; 1950 + 1953 TO COMMEMORATE THE KOREAN WAR. No names are recorded.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 16 January 2017.