Cowes War Memorial

MATERIALS: granite memorial and stone plaques, bronze plaque, metal railings.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located in Northwood Park, immediately to the south of Northwood House (Grade II*) and the former stable range of Northwood House (Grade II). It consists of a three-stepped granite base from the original memorial from which rises, off-set to the side of the top step, the lower section of the granite column which also survived the Second World War air-raid. The upper section of the column is laid with the damaged end resting on the top step and the head raised and supported by the column base.

A bronze plaque on the east-facing side of the memorial reads 1914 – 1918 1939 – 1945/ THIS MEMORIAL, ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF THE/ RESIDENTS OF COWES WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918, STOOD AT THE JUNCTION OF HIGH/ STREET AND MARKET HILL, AND WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED/ IN AN AIR RAID ON THE NIGHT OF THE 4TH – 5TH MAY 1942/ IN THE WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945./ RE-ERECTED AS A MEMORIAL TO THE TWO WARS AND TO/ THE MEMORY OF ALL WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ IN DEFENCE OF THEIR COUNTRY.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the memorial stands on a paved platform bounded by a low metal rail. Stone plaques, inscribed and gilded, are inset into the paved area: four to the south side and three to the north.

The plaques on the south side replicate the original First World War dedication and mark the later air-raid, reading PRO PATRIA/ IN PROUD AND/ LOVING MEMORY OF/ THE MEN BELONGING/ TO THIS TOWN/ WHO LAID DOWN/ THEIR LIVES IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ (NAMES)/ THE NAMES GIVEN/ REPRESENT THOSE ON/ THIS WAR MEMORIAL/ UNTIL ITS/ DESTRUCTION ON/ 4/5 MAY 1942./ NAMES IN ITALICS/ HAVE BEEN ADDED/ SUBSEQUENTLY./ THE/ ORIGINAL MEMORIAL/ WAS UNVEILED BY/ MAJ GEN J. E. B. SEELEY/ 31 MARCH 1921.

The plaques on the north side record the Second World War dedication, reading PRO PATRIA/ IN PROUD AND/ LOVING MEMORY OF/ THOSE BELONGING/ TO THIS TOWN WHO/ LOST THEIR LIVES/ IN THE/ SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES)/ THIS MEMORIAL/ WAS REFURBISHED BY/ COWES TOWN COUNCIL/ AND REDEDICATED/ 14TH NOVEMBER 2010./ NAMES ON THE/ MEMORIAL FOR WWI/ WERE LOST DURING/ ENEMY ACTION IN 1942/ AND THOSE FOR WWII/ ARE RECORDED/ FOR THE FIRST TIME.

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, 7 December 2016.