Huntingdon War Memorial

The Huntingdon War Memorial is a commemorative structure dedicated to those who served in the First and Second World Wars, with an additional inscription for conflicts after 1945. It was erected in 1923 and features a statue sculpted by Kathleen Scott. The statue is cast in bronze and stands on a base made of Weldon stone, with a panel of Portland stone inscribed by Mr. A Easton.

Known as the Thinking Soldier, the memorial depicts a life-size statue of a soldier who is partly seated and leaning against a roughly carved base. His right leg is fully extended, and the details of his puttee and mud-caked boot are carefully rendered. Two fingers of his right hand rest lightly on the barrel of his upright rifle, which has a fixed bayonet resting against his right shoulder. The soldier leans forward, with his chin on his left fist, his elbow pressed into the knee of his raised left leg, the foot against the base. His helmet shades his eyes as he gazes forward with an abstracted, thoughtful expression.

The statue is set on a two-stepped base topped with a rectangular plinth. The front of the plinth bears the inscription: "TO THE MEN OF 1914 – 1918 WHO WROUGHT FOR MANKIND A GREAT DELIVERANCE ALSO TO THOSE WHO IN 1939 – 1945 SERVED AND DIED TO PRESERVE OUR GLORIOUS HERITAGE." The rear of the plinth has the inscription: "TO THOSE WHO IN THE MANY WARS AND CONFLICTS SINCE 1945 SERVED AND DIED TO PRESERVE FREEDOM." Notably, there are no names listed on the memorial.