The game at Oswestry not being till the evening we took ourselves off to Shrewsbury on the Saturday afternoon. (I’ve already mentioned Shrewsbury Abbey in a 4/11/2018 post about Wilfred Owen’s Memorial in the Abbey Grounds.)

Since we didn’t know the town we stopped at the first Park and Ride and availed ourselves of the service. That was just as well because the traffic was very busy and the streets quite narrow.

We also asked someone if the pronunciation was “Shrew”- or “Shrow”- sbury and were told it didn’t matter, either would do.

The town’s history is clearly evident in its buildings, with several in the timber-framed Tudor style:-

After the Second World War the military camp at Oswestry became a centre for Canadian troops, then the Royal Artillery and finally a training centre for Infantry Junior Leaders.

Also in the Oswestry War Memorial garden area is a Memorial to these Junior Leaders. Deus Vult translates as God wills.

Dedication plaque:-

Plaque to Junior Leaders who died on active service:-

Junior Leaders Association appreciation for Oswestry:-

During the Great War Oswestry was the site of an army training camp and military hospital. In World War 2 this was again brought into use this time as a Royal Artillery Training and Plotting Officers’ School.

Behind the gates of Oswestry’s main War Memorial is a gardened area wherein lie other memorials.

Royal Regiment of Artillery Memorial:-

Near side of Royal Regiment of Artillery Memorial:-

Latin tag. “Ubique quo fas et gloria decunt.” “Everywhere where right and glory lead.”:-

Memorial Field Gun:-

Memorial Field Gun dedication:-

I hadn’t looked this up reasoning that Oswestry is a big enough town to have a prominent War Memorial and I’d find it quite easily.

Still we’d been wandering the town for an hour or so on the Saturday morning (having travelled down on the Friday and staying overnight so as not to risk missing the kick-off) and still hadn’t seen it. So I asked the young woman serving me at WH Smith’s till, “Where is Oswestry’s War Memorial?” Despite seeming to be a local she didn’t know.

Anyway I strolled on down the main street for about a hundred or so yards – and there it was.

A set of gates flanked by pillars, inscribed respectively “1914. There is a life in death,” and “1919. Ye have not died in vain.”:-

1914 Pillar. Top plaque inscribed, “Erected in grateful memory of the men of Oswestry who laid down their lives in the Great War.”:-

1919 pillar. Top plaque inscribed, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”:-

The reverse of the pillars was later pressed into service as the Second World War Memorial with 1939 and 1945 on the pillars:-

1939 pillar. Inscribed, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things: and I will be his God and he shall be my son.”:-

1945 pillar. Inscribed, “In grateful memory of the men and women of Oswestry who laid down their lives in the war of 1939-1945.”:-

Penrith’s main War Memorial is, I have subsequently found, in Castle Park but I was parked much nearer the town centre than there. I will look for it the next time I’m in the town.

I did however come across one Great War Memorial in the churchyard of St Andrew’s Church, inscribed, “In proud and grateful memory of the men of Penrith who gave their lives in the War 1914-1918”:-

Reverse of memorial. Inscribed, “As dying and behold we live.”

Just to the side of the memorial was this remembrance “garden.” Presumably for the 100th centenary of the end of the war:-

On the way back to the main road from Slains Castle we passed Cruden Bay War Memorial, an archway and gates, with the arch inscribed “Memory”. The name tablets are surmounted by 1914 and 1918 respectively. (I’ve since found that the World War 2 memorial is on the other side of the gates but I didn’t go through them into the kirkyard.)

Names on tablet surmounted by 1914:-

Names on tablet surmounted by 1918:-

The game being off we decided to take a trip up to Fraserburgh another place we hadn’t visited before.

On the way we passed the village of Crimond and I spotted its War Memorial so stopped to photograph it.

A simple tapering pedestal inscribed, “To the glory of God and in memory of the men belonging to the parish of Crimond who gave their lives during the wars 1914-1918 1939-1945.”

On Kirk Street, Peterhead.

A hexagonal column surmounted by pillars, with a pyramidal apex.

From north. Inscribed with the Gordon Highlanders Insignia and the names Festubert and Vimy Ridge. Great War Roll of Honour behind.

From west. Inscribed Somme, Beaumont-Hamel, Arras, Ypres, Cambrai:-

From east. Inscribed St Quentin, Merville, Scarpe, Soissons, Chievres:-

5th Battalion Gordon Highlanders Great War Roll of Honour, by side of Gordon Highlanders Memorial, Kirk Street, Peterhead:-

These graves were in the churchyard which lies behind Peterhead’s War Memorials (see previous posts.)

Sub-Lieutenant K S Roberts N Z Naval Volunteer Reserve, 7/6/1944, aged 22:-

Gunners W Gawthorpe and S E Thomson, Maritime Regiment Royal Artillery, both 25/1/1942, S E Thomson aged 22. A Rogers, Trimmer, Merchant Navy, 12/3/1942, aged 24:-

This stone commemorates those known to be buried in Peterhead Churchyard but not marked by separate headstones. 15 known Great War dead. Two Great War and one Second World War unknown dead:-

Unknown fisherman given back by the sea 16/1/1943:-

Gravestone, “Erected by Alexander Stephen in loving memory of his sons who fell during the great European War, George who was killed at sea 15/2/1918 and is interred here and John who was killed at Arras 15/2/1917 aged 20.”

This memorial is in the form of two pillars, at the entrance to the churchyard – to the left in this photo:-

Both pillars are inscribed 1939 1945 on the front and facing sides:-

The left one is inscribed, “They were honoured in their generations and were the glory of their times”:-

On the right, the lower inside column is inscribed “Died as a result of war service”:-