The Dover Patrol Monument (War Memorial) and associated railed surround, steps and concrete posts, St Margaret's at Cliffe, Kent

Summary

War Memorial commemorating The Dover Patrol, dated to 1919-21 and designed by Sir Aston Webb.

Description

War memorial 1919-21 by Sir Aston Webb, in a stylised Egyptian manner on the coast at Leathercoat Point close to St Margaret's Bay, Kent.

The monument comprises a square section obelisk of ashlar stone blocks, approximately 25 metres in height, with a pyramidal top. It stands on a tall stone plinth which flares out onto a square base. Centrally placed on three sides of the plinth is an aedicular surround formed of ashlar blocks; two of these frame an inscribed panel. An unframed inscription is centrally placed on the fourth side of the monument. These record the laying of the first stone by the Duke of Connaught in 1919; its dedication by the Prince of Wales in 1921 and a general inscription to the Dover Patrol.

The south-western side is inscribed " THIS STONE WAS LAID BY/ H.R.H. PRINCE ARTHUR OF CONNAUGHT, K.G./ 19TH NOVEMBER 1919/ AND THE MEMORIAL WAS UNVEILED BY/ H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES, K.G./ 27TH JULY 1921."

The north-western unframed side is inscribed " THIS MONUMENT/TO THE/ DOVER PATROL/WAS ERECTED IN THE YEARS 1920 & 1921 BY/PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION TOGETHER WITH THOSE /AT CAP BLANC NEZ, FRANCE/AND NEW YORK HARBOUR,/AMERICA./THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES SERVING THEIR KING/AND COUNTRY IN THE DOVER PATROL ARE RECORDED IN THE BOOK OF/REMEMBRANCE IN THE TOWN HALL, DOVER, A COPY OF WHICH IS KEPT /AT THE PARISH CHURCH, ST MARGARETS AT CLIFFE./(DIGNITARIES NAMES)"

The south-eastern side of the monument is inscribed "TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN EVERLASTING/ REMEMBRANCE OF/ THE DOVER PATROL/ 1914 - 1919/ THEY DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE/ MAY WE BE WORTHY OF THEIR SACRIFICE/ TO THE MEMORY OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE ROYAL NAVY AND MERCHANT NAVY/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN SHIPS SAILING UPON THE WATERS OF THE DOVER STRAIT/ 1939 - 1946

Subsidiary Features
The monument is reached by steps. It is surrounded by lawn enclosed by a rail connected to concrete posts. There is one large anchor and a cannon placed at each corner inside the railed area.

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, 30 November 2016.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 4 May 2021 to reformat the text to current standards

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. The Dover Patrol Monument erected on land off Granville Road in Dover, Kent, is a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by those individuals of the Dover Patrol who lost their lives in the First World War. It commemorates the vital role of the Dover Patrol, a discrete fleet of the Royal Navy, in maintaining navigation for Allied shipping across the English Channel and preventing German submarines passing through the Strait of Dover and south of the North Sea during the First World War. It was formed from a wide range of ships, including armed fishing drifters and trawlers, cruisers, submarines, flying boats, aircraft and airships, and suffered high casualties. The Dover Patrol was involved throughout the War in shelling the German lines from the sea and notably in blocking the entrance to the Port of Zeebrugge on the 22nd/23rd April 1918, resulting in six Victoria Crosses and other decorations being awarded. During the war, the Dover Patrol was maintained by the Dover Engineering Works, an iron foundry which employed and housed hundreds of workers in Dover Town. The Dover Patrol was commanded by Admiral Reginald Bacon until he retired on 31 December 1917 when he was succeeded by Vice-Admiral Roger Keyes.

This monument was designed by Sir Aston Webb RA whose works included Admiralty Arch, the Victoria Memorial and the current facade of Buckingham Palace (all on The Mall, London). The first stone was laid by the Duke of Connaught in 1919. The monument was unveiled by the Prince of Wales on 27 July 1921 and is one of three identical monuments designed by Sir Aston Webb to be erected following the First World War 'in recognition of the key role of The Dover Patrol'. These are at Cap Gris Nez, Sangatte in France and in the John Paul James Park, Brooklyn, New York in USA. All three were built from public subscription.

Reasons for Listing

The Dover Patrol Monument, a War Memorial dated 1919-21, designed by Sir Aston Webb and erected at Leathercoat Point, St Margaret's in Cliffe in recognition of the key role of The Dover Patrol during the First World War, is listed at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:

* Historic interest: as a poignant memorial of the tragic impact of world conflict and as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by those individuals of The Dover Patrol who lost their lives in the First World War;

* Design interest: as an impressive example of a commemorative War Memorial, intact in its original coastal setting, designed in a stylised Egyptian manner by Sir Aston Webb;

* Group value: for its unusual association with two other identical monuments in France and the USA, the Dover example is symbolic of our vital international connections with the other Allied Forces during the First World War.

External Links

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