Posted in Trips, War Memorials at 12:00 on 16 September 2023
Harrogate is a town in West Yorkshire. We visited it in Novemeber 2022. Its War Memorial is a huge tapering stone obelisk on a square base in the monumenatl municipal style. It lies by the main A 61 road through the town.

Dedication. “Our Glorious Dead, 1914-1918, 1939-1945”:-

Side views:-


Frieze of bugler:-

Frieze of Victory:-

Great War Names:-

Names for both World Wars:-

Poppy Crosses by Harrogate War Memorial:-

VC Recipients Plaque, below Harrogate War Memorial:-

Poppies for Remembrance, outside Betty’s Tea Rooms, Harrogate:-

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Posted in Fife, War Memorials at 20:30 on 20 August 2020
Strathmiglo’s War Memorial is in the churchyard and takes the form of a wooden cross. Unusually, the names of the dead are inscribed on copper strips attached to the cross. There are also three VC symbols attached.

The plaque below the cross is inscribed, “Nihil melius patria quam pro mori” (there is nothing better to die for rather then the country) and, “In honoured memory of fallen heroes.”

In the graveyard I also found two war dedications.
David John Campbell Ireland, 2nd Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. Killed in action on the Somme in France, 31/10/1916, aged 36 years:-

William Syme, Royal Scots, who died of wounds in France, 10/4/1917, aged 20 years:-

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Posted in Trips, War Memorials at 12:00 on 4 February 2020
Coniston is a village in Cumbria in the English Lake District, near the lake which also bears the name (Coniston Water.) Its War Memorial is a cross with Celtic styling. Inscribed, “These men of Coniston gave their lives for their country 1914 – 1918,” followed by the Great War names and below, “1939 – 1945,” with Second World War Names beneath it:-


Very close by there is a memorial to a Victoria Cross awardee, Lance Corporal James Hewitson, King’s Own Royal Lancashire Regiment, 26/4/1918:-

Lance Corporal Hewitson was one of the luckier VC recipients. His grave, to the right of the War Memorial in the first photo above, shows he died on 2/3/1963:-

Though the lake is not easily visible from the village its approaches and main street are dominated by a hill, the Old Man of Coniston:-

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Posted in Trips, War Memorials at 12:00 on 2 October 2019
New Abbey is in Dumfries and Galloway. The Memorial lies by the grounds of Sweetheart Abbey.
Its War Memorial is a stone Cross with inlaid sword on a square base. Inscribed, “To the glory of God and in memory of the men of this parish and district who fell in the Great War.”

Names:-


Inscription on Memorial’s reverse. “1914-1919”:-

V C Dedication to Pte James MacKenzie:-

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Posted in Trips, War Memorials at 12:00 on 29 September 2019
Maxwelltown is an area in the west of the town of Dumfries. Formerly a burgh in its own right, it was merged with Dumfries in 1929.
The Memorial, a figure of a soldier with outstretched arms on a tapering square pedestal, is located at the junction of Rotchell Road and New Abbey Road and is inscribed, “Pro Patria in memory of the men of Maxwelltown and the Parish of Troqueer who fell in the Great War 1914-1919.”
I assume that because of the merger with Dumfries any World War 2 names are on the main Dumfries Memorial.

West side of memorial. The lower names are for Troqueer landward. The remainder of the names on the Memorial are for the Burgh of Maxwelltown:-

North Side. Names for Burgh of Maxwelltown:-

East Side. Names for Burgh of Maxwelltown:-

I remember this plaque – a memorial to VC Private James McKenzie, Scots Guards, 19/12/1914 – as being at Maxwelltown, but there is another at New Abbey where he was born.

Is Maxwelltown the Maxwelton mentioned in the first line of the song Annie Laurie? Apparently she actually lived in Moniaive – but that’s no bar to her having been to Maxwelltown.
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Posted in Baltic Cruise, Trips, War Memorials at 12:00 on 13 June 2019
From the top of Copenhagen’s Gefion Fountain looking over the canal/moat round the Kastellet (first picture in that post) I could see off to the left in the middle distance what looked very much like a War Memorial, so made my way in that direction.
However, on the way down towards it, after passing St Albans Kirke, I came across three memorials to individual Danes.
Memorial to Thomas Dinesen. Private Dinesen, 1899-1979, became a member of the Quebec Regiment of the Canadian Black Watch, and was awarded the Victoria Cross in World War 1 on 12th August 1918. Inscribed “Opført af de Allierdes Danske Vaabenfæller.” (Constructed by the Allied Danes brothers in arms?):-

Memorial to Anders Lassen. Born on 22/9/1920, Major Lassen won the Victoria Cross, Military Cross and two bars. Inscribed, “Faldet for danmarks frihed i allieret tjeneste,” (fallen for Denmark’s freedom in Allied Service) “9 April 1945,” and also “Opsat af frihedkampens veteraner (erected by the veterans of the fight for freedom) 9/4/1987.”

Kaj Birksted Memorial. Per Ardua ad Astra, Wing Commander Flying, Lieutenant-Colonel Birksted, DSO, OBE, DFC, krigskorset m Sverd og Stjerne p p (the war cross with swords and star) Flying Ace. Erected by the Kaj Birksted Committee, 5/5/2010:-

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Posted in War Memorials at 20:23 on 9 June 2015
This stone is inlaid into the paving round the Doulton Fountain outside The People’s Palace, Glasgow Green.

It commemorates Henry May, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles,) 2/10/1914.
Was this the first WW 1 casualty from Glasgow?
Edited to add (13/6/15):- I’ve just noticed the insignia inscribed on the stone is of a Victoria Cross. I presume therefore that Henry May won that medal hence his commemoration.
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Posted in War Memorials at 12:00 on 5 September 2013
The memorial is sited in a lovely garden hard by the Abbey.

The memorial centres around a pedestal surmounted by a cross. This is flanked by stone walls bearing name panels.

This aspect faces the road. The pedestal has a figure in a niche and the inscription on the stone is to the Great War.

This photo shows the plaques on the inner sides of the walls on which are inscribed the names. The lower plaque on each stone is for World War 2.

Lots of Polish soldiers were stationed in Kelso during World War 2 and trained there. This plaque – on the rear wall of the gardens – commemorates three who died in training.

An accompanying plaque acknowledges the welcome the Polish forces received in the town. I believe they caused quite a stir among the local ladies!

Also at the back of the gardens is this plaque to a soldier from Kelso who won a VC in the Boer War.

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