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Latitude: 52.5827 / 52°34'57"N
Longitude: -2.0666 / 2°3'59"W
OS Eastings: 395586
OS Northings: 298320
OS Grid: SO955983
Mapcode National: GBR 1TL.RK
Mapcode Global: WHBG0.7B5W
Plus Code: 9C4VHWMM+39
Entry Name: Portobello War Memorial
Listing Date: 31 August 2016
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1437615
ID on this website: 101437615
Location: Portobello, Walsall, West Midlands, WV13
County: Walsall
Electoral Ward/Division: Willenhall South
Parish: Non Civil Parish
Built-Up Area: Willenhall
Traditional County: Staffordshire
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): West Midlands
Church of England Parish: Willenhall St Stephen
Church of England Diocese: Lichfield
Tagged with: War memorial
First World War memorial, unveiled on 22 July 1920.
The memorial comprises a stone Latin cross mounted on an obelisk decorated with carved interlacing foliate designs. It stands on an octagonal two-stepped chamfered plinth upon a two-stepped base.
Gilded onto slate plaques on the front face of the obelisk is a dedication that reads: THE/ ROSE AND CROSS/ OUR EMBLEM TRUE/ OF LOVE THAT/ OUT OF SUFFERING GREW/ THE LOVE WHICH/ KINDLETH SOULS TO LIVE/ THE PUREST LOVE/ THAT ONE CAN GIVE/ WON BY/ UNSELFISHNESS AND PAIN/ THAT BROTHERHOOD.
ERECTED/ BY THE INHABITANTS/ IN/ HONOUR/ OF THE BRAVE MEN/ OF/ PORTOBELLO/ WHO FOUGHT/ IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ AND IN/ GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE/ OF THOSE WHO/ LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES.
THOU WAST THEIR ROCK THEIR/ FORTRESS AND THEIR MIGHT/ THOU, LORD, THEIR CAPTAIN/ IN THE WELL FOUGHT FIGHT/ THOU IN THE DARKNESS DREAR/ THEIR ONE TRUE LIGHT.
On the other three faces are lists of the 312 fallen men from the First World War gilded onto slate plaques. Above each of the three plaques are carved onto the stone obelisk the words: DUTY, SACRIFICE and LIBERTY, one word on each face.
This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 17 January 2017.
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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Portobello as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled on 22 July 1920 by Lieutenant-Colonel Waterhouse, DSO, and dedicated by Rev H P Stevens.
In 1973 the memorial was vandalised and the bronze plaques removed; these were replaced by slate tablets.
Portobello War Memorial, unveiled 22 July 1920, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the First World War;
* Architectural interest: an elegant and ornate Latin cross mounted on an obelisk, embellished with carved decorative details.
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.
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