Harrogate War Memorial

First World War memorial. Erected in 1923 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.

MATERIALS: Portland stone, with bronze Roll of Honour.

DESCRIPTION: The memorial comprises a tall Portland stone obelisk on a square plinth, standing on a shallow platform. The platform has stepped entrances on the east and west sides, and the entire monument is surrounded by ten bollards linked by lengths of chain.

The obelisk has a laurel wreath carved in relief at the top of each face. At the bottom, the north and south faces of the obelisk have the coat of arms of Harrogate carved in relief, while the east and west faces are carved with a longsword (point downwards).

The plinth bears a number of bronze plaques on the east and west faces, which bear the Roll of Honour. The north and south faces of the plinth form a basic chronology of the war – the north face depicts a soldier standing in front of an Ordnance QF 18 pounder field gun, apparently on the parapet of a trench. The soldier is in a dynamic pose, helmetless, and holding a large flag and looking backwards, about to blow a bugle. Numerous bayonets are depicted upright at his feet, apparently troops about to emerge from a trench for an attack. This sculpture depicts the call to arms.

The south face depicts a woman (Peace or Britannia) standing with her arms outstretched, holding a longsword (point downwards) and a laurel wreath. Her robes are reminiscent of a flag draped across her shoulders. At her feet, the helmeted heads of a number of soldiers are visible, holding rifles with fixed bayonets. A serpent impaled by a bayonet curls around her feet, representing the defeated enemy, and a dove of peace flies over the heads of the soldiers. The soldiers’ heads are bowed in mourning, but one rifle is held aloft in victory.

The east face of the monument is inscribed OUR / GLORIOUS DEAD / 1914 – 1918 / 1939 – 1945 / PRO PATRIA / 1914 – 1918 / (NAMES). The west face is inscribed PRO PATRIA / 1914 – 1918 / (NAMES) / 1939 – 1945 / (NAMES). The lists include the names of a number of women, including those of a nurse, a Women’s Land Army volunteer, a YMCA volunteer, a Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps volunteer and a munitions worker. The Second World War names include several Auxiliary Territorial Service workers.

A small plaque below the sculpture of Peace on the south face is inscribed TO ALL MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE GIVEN / THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY / IN VARIOUS HOSTILITIES SINCE THE SECOND WORLD WAR / WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Two small plaques between the bollards on the south side of the monument are inscribed HARROGATE BORN RECIPIENTS / THIS PLAQUE IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN / WHOSE SERVICE TO THEIR COUNTRY / EARNED THEM THE HIGHEST MILITARY HONOUR / THE VICTORIA CROSS / REMEMBER / (NAMES).