Kirkcaldy War Memorial
Posted in Kirkcaldy, War Memorials at 11:00 on 11 November 2009
I took these photos on Sunday afternoon (Remembrance Day.) The wreaths from the morningâs memorial service are prominent. Among the wreaths from the local Council and councillor and various military and civilian organisations there was one from the US Marine Corps.
Kirkcaldy War Memorial on Remembrance Day 2009.
This part contains the (huge) list of names for the First World War. The War Memorial Gardens surround the memorial itself and are mostly behind from where this photo was taken.
The central memorial pillar has bronzes on it displaying soldiers, seamen and airmen, ships, aircraft, airships etc. In this respect it resembles larger memorials I have seen such as the one in Plymouth (which is mainly dedicated to naval personnel.)
The building beyond the memorial contains Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery and was built with money donated from the linoleum manufacturer family Nairn as part of the memorial to the dead of WW1.
Built after 1945, this is to the right of the WW1 memorial and lists the names for the Second World War dead.
This is to the right of the WW2 memorial and is a relatively recent addition. It provides a place for individual memorial poppies, as you can see, and also for commemoration of those who have died on active service since WW2. One time I looked there a poppy had been placed in memory of someone who had been killed in Basra.
Some years ago, when skateboarding was a newish fad and before special areas for it had been built in parks etc skateboarders used to use the tarred area in front of the memorial to do their thing. There were several letters to the local paper objecting to this as a mark of disrespect in part disguised by concern that they might be damaging the memorial itself.
I never saw it as disrespect. After all, wasn’t it precisely so that people could go about doing whatever they enjoyed within the law that those commemorated had given their lives for?
I also never noted any damage, even to the tarmac.
It’s mostly quiet these days of course.
Tags: Kirkcaldy, War Memorials
Martin McCallion
11 November 2009 at 16:26
Hear, hear to the skateboarders not showing disrespect.
A few years ago we were on holiday in Normandy, and one day I sat on one of the D-Day beaches and watched my son dig in the sand, and thought of the men who died there so that he could do so.
Going about our business in freedom is the best way to respect the memory of those who died to preserve it.
War Memorials – A Son of the Rock -- Jack Deighton
4 August 2010 at 14:13
[…] I have already posted pictures of Kirkcaldy’s War Memorial. […]
yoga studios
3 November 2010 at 10:08
Hear, hear to the skateboarders not showing disrespect.
A few years ago we were on holiday in Normandy, and one day I sat on one of the D-Day beaches and watched my son dig in the sand, and thought of the men who died there so that he could do so.
Going about our business in freedom is the best way to respect the memory of those who died to preserve it.
jane mckellar
5 February 2012 at 01:16
I love this place and there is no disrespect from young people. Quite the opposite.
jackdeighton
5 February 2012 at 16:25
Thanks for commenting, Jane.
I agree. There seems to be a renewed awareness now among younger people of those who died.
Kirkcaldy War Memorial Addition – A Son of the Rock -- Jack Deighton
18 March 2012 at 12:03
[…] I have previously posted pictures of Kirkcaldy War Memorial here. […]
Lynn Mason
9 March 2015 at 01:46
Hi, I wonder if someone can tell me where I can get a list of the names on the memorial its self. I’m looking for a Robert Bryson.
Thank you for your time. And for reading this
Lynn DCLH Mason
jackdeighton
9 March 2015 at 19:31
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for looking in.
I don’t know of a list as such but there are photos of the name panels on the Kirkcadly WW1 memorial at the Scottish War Memorials website at http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/warmemscot-ftopic735.html.
Kirkcaldy War Memorial Bronze Plaques – A Son of the Rock -- Jack Deighton
6 January 2020 at 12:01
[…] central portion of Kirkcaldy’s War Memorial pictured above (plus see original post here) has on its other sides bronze plaques referencing branches of the Armed […]