The City and County of London Troops War Memorial

War memorial of 1920 by Sir Aston Webb with sculpture by Alfred Drury.

MATERIALS: Portland stone pier and plinths, granite base, bronze statuary.

DESCRIPTION: approximately 7.5m high, it comprises a finely detailed Portland stone pier with two rounded buttress plinths to the base, each of which supports the life-sized bronze statue of a soldier.

The front face of the central pier bears a carving in relief of the coat of arms of the City of London, above three dedicatory inscriptions reading TO THE/ IMMORTAL HONOUR/ OF THE OFFICERS/ NON-COMMISSIONED/ OFFICERS AND MEN/ OF LONDON/ WHO SERVED THEIR/ KING AND EMPIRE/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 - 1919/ THIS MEMORIAL IS/ DEDICATED IN PROUD &/ GRATEFUL RECOGNITION/ BY THE CITY AND/ COUNTY OF LONDON/ THEIR NAME LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE/ UNVEILED ON NOV 12TH 1920/ BY HRH THE DUKE OF YORK/ ON BEHALF OF/ FIELD-MARSHAL HRH/ THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT/ K.G., K.T., K.P./ AND/ ALBEIT MANY UNITS/ NAMED HEREON/ HAVE CHANGED IN/ DESIGNATION AND ROLE/ WE HONOUR AND/ REMEMBER THE MEN/ AND WOMEN WHO SERVED/ IN ALL THE UNITS OF/ THE CITY AND COUNTY/ OF LONDON IN THE WAR OF/ 1939-1945.

Below this an inscription on a small bronze plaque, added after 1945 when the Second World War dedication above replaced the original record, reads RAISED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION/ AT THE MANSION HOUSE IN THE/ PEACE YEAR 1919 DURING THE/ MAYORALTY OF COL THE RT. HON/ SIR HORACE BROOKS MARSHALL/ K.C.V.O. LL.D. Around the base two rows of bronze pegs ornamented with crossed rifles carry chains for the suspension of wreaths. On the rear of the central pier is displayed the heavily mantled coat of arms of the County of London, below which is the list of the commemorated units. The inscriptions to front and rear are in attached metal lettering, some of which is flush with the stonework and some of which (changed during the addition of the Second World War dedication) stands proud from the surface.

Each side of the pier bears carvings in low relief of three standards, each surmounted by a wreathed crown and topped with a lion statant guardant. On the left (north) buttress stands the bronze statue of a Royal Artilleryman, standing at ease with his rifle in his right hand. On the right (south) buttress stands the corresponding bronze statue of a Royal Fusilier, standing easy with both hands resting on the muzzle of his rifle.

The corniced top of the pier is surmounted by a moulded stone pedestal on which stands a bronze of a lion holding a shield. The shield is ornamented with a relief of St George, mounted, killing a dragon with the legend ST GEORGE FOR ENGLAND.

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, 10 February 2017.