Lowestoft War Memorial

First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.

MATERIALS: Cornish granite.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in a prominent position on Royal Terrace, close to the seafront and South Pier and a short distance from a statue of Triton (Grade II) and the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club (Grade II*).

The memorial comprises a substantial Cornish granite-block obelisk measuring over 6m high, on a square pedestal and two-stepped base. On the west face of the obelisk is a bronze laurel wreath.

The main inscription in incised and black-painted lettering within recessed panels on the faces of the plinth reads (west face) TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF/ THIS TOWN WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919./ AND THE/ SECOND GREAT WAR/ 1939 – 1945. (North face) THIS MEMORIAL/ WAS UNVEILED BY/ ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET/ LORD WESTER WEMYSS/ GCB CMG MVO/ 11TH AUGUST 1921. (East face) PRO PATRIA/ A ROLL OF HONOUR/ BEARING THE NAMES/ OF THOSE WHO MADE/ THE GREAT SACRIFICE/ LIES BENEATH THIS/ STONE. (South face) “LEST WE FORGET”/ THIS MONUMENT/ WAS ERECTED BY/ THEIR GRATEFUL/ FELLOW TOWNSMEN.

An additional inscription on a rectangular granite plaque attached to the south face of the obelisk reads 1940 1990/ TO THE HONOUR AND GLORY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF/ THE ROYAL AIR FORCE/ WHO DURING THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN 1940,/ TOGETHER WITH THOSE OF OTHER SERVICES/ MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE./ MAY THEIR COURAGE AND DEVOTION TO DUTY/ IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM BE REMEMBERED ALWAYS./ DEDICATED BY THE LOWESTOFT BRANCH OF THE/ ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 1990.