Summary

First World War memorial cenotaph by EG Theakston, with bespoke sculptures by S N Babb.

Description

MATERIALS: limestone ashlar, bronze sculptures and memorial plaques.

DESCRIPTION : the memorial is in the form of a tall stone cenotaph with an intricately formed cap flanked by carved classical swags, surmounted by a bronze urn with an Eternal Flame, the memorial being set on a raised platform of two steps.

SOUTH FACE: the stone inscription: "1914 - 1919 TO OVR MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR FREEDOM 1939-1945" is set above a bronze relief sculpture of a winged Angel of Victory standing over two slumped soldiers. Below there is a large bronze plaque headed "ROLL OF HONOUR LAND FORCES" with the names of 150 service personnel ordered by surname in the format surname, initials, rank and regiment/unit, the text being embossed. Below there is a separate, smaller plaque laid out in the same format and style carrying a further 15 names including both army and naval personnel, this being one of the two plaques added in 1922.

NORTH FACE: the stone inscription: "1914 - 1919 TO OVR MEN WHO KEPT THE SEAWAY 1939-1945" is set above a bronze relief sculpture featuring a sailor armed with a revolver standing on a ship's deck over a slumped comrade with a flag and a canon to the rear. Below there is a another plaque of the same design and ordering as that to the north face, but headed "SEA FORCES" followed by 24 names and then "LAND FORCES CONTINUED" followed by a further 126 names. Below there is another separate plaque carrying a further 15 names following on alphabetically from the similar smaller plaque on the south face.

EAST and WEST FACES: each face has a tall, narrow bronze plaque headed "ROLL OF HONOUR 1939-1945" embossed with the names of 210 people listed alphabetically just with surname and initials. About a dozen of those named are women indicated by "(Miss)" or "(Mrs)" following the name.

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, 1 February 2017.

History

The war memorial was the result of a design competition which attracted over 80 entries for a £100 prize awarded in November 1919 to Ernest G Theakston (architect) and Stanley Nicholson Babb (sculptor). The memorial was funded through public donations and was unveiled on 10th July 1921 by Captain S H Radcliffe of the Royal Navy. Names of the fallen had been identified via a newspaper appeal and following the unveiling, a further 30 names came to light which were added via two smaller panels in April 1922. It has been suggested that up to a further 60 First World War dead from Bridlington are still missing from the memorial. The names recorded on the memorial from the First World War were used as a starting point for a local history book "The Great War Heroes of Bridlington" by Bonnett and Wilson (2011). The names of the fallen from the Second World War were commemorated with the addition of two further plaques.

Reasons for Listing

First World War memorial cenotaph with bespoke sculptures by S N Babb is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons
* Historic interest: as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by this community in the First World War, it is of strong historic and cultural significance both at a local and a national level;
* Architectural interest: for its overall design, particularly the quality of the bronze plaques and sculptures by S N Babb;
* Continuing use: that the memorial has continued to be a focus for the local community commemorating their war-dead with the addition of further plaques of names.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26676017

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  For the Record
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  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)