War Memorial
| Browse information by: Location Makers General Information Classification Object Parts Object Condition History References Photographs |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright for Photograph: Creative Commons |
Location
| Street: | Bethune Way / Lower Park Road |
| Town: | Hastings |
| Parish: | Hastings |
| Council: | Hastings Borough Council |
| County: | East Sussex |
| Postcode: | TN34 |
| Location on Google Map | |
| Object setting: | Public Park |
| Access is: | Public |
| Location note: | In Alexandra Park |
| In the AZ book: | East Sussex |
| Page: | 127 |
| Grid reference: | M5 |
| The A-Z books used are A-Z East Sussex and A-Z West Sussex (Editions 1A 2005). Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd. Sevenoaks. | |
| OS Reference: | TQ817210 |
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Makers
| Name : | Margaret Winser |
| Role: | Sculptor |
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General Information
| Installation date: | 1922 |
| Unveiling date: | 26/03/1922 |
| Work is: | Extant |
| Owner custodian: | Hastings Borough Council |
| Object listing: | Grade II: of special interest warranting every effort to preserve them |
| Listing date: | 10/02/2002 |
| Description: | Comprises a triangular chamfered limestone column (now painted) decorated with swags and shields of Hastings Borough, surmounted by a winged figure with spear and wreath, symbolising Victory. Three bronze reliefs are set into the base of the column depicting all three armed services; the Army by foot soldiers with rifles; the Navy by ratings in a warship moving a buoy and the RAF by an aviator in an aeroplane. Three steps are inscribed with the names of battles and theatres of war. A large polygonal plinth is inscribed with the names of the Fallen and originally contained flowerbeds but these have been cemented over. (33rd Ammendment of the 3rd List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, Borough of Hastings (East Sussex). 10 January 2002.) |
| Signatures: | South facing relief ('In The Air'), bottom right:
MARGARET WINSER DSGNR & Sc. |
| Inscription: | IN MEMORIAM TO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES SOUTH AFRICAN WAR WORLD WAR WORLD WAR 1899 - 1902 1914 - 1918 1939 - 1945 THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE NE face, underneath the bronze relief and carved into the stepped base of the obelisk with letters painted black: ON LAND BURMA NORTH AFRICA GALLIPOLI FRANCE PALESTINE NW face, underneath the bronze relief and carved into the stepped base of the obelisk with letters painted black: AT SEA FAR EAST KOREA SALONIKA WEST AFRICA ITALY South face, underneath the bronze relief and carved into the stepped base of the obelisk with letters painted black: IN THE AIR FALKLANDS MESOPOTAMIA EAST AFRICA BELGIUM South face, underneath the top of the obelisk below a garland: COURAGE NW face, underneath the top of the obelisk below a garland: VIGILANCE NE face, underneath the top of the obelisk below a garland: FORTITUDE |
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Classification
| Categories: | Sculptural, Military, Commemorative |
| Object type1: | Statue |
| Object type2: | War memorial |
| Object subtype1: | WWI and WWII |
| Object type3: | Shaft |
| Object subtype1: | Column |
| Object type4: | Sculpture |
| Subject type1: | Figurative |
| Subject subtype1: | Full-length |
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Object Parts
| Part 1: | Triangular column |
| Material: | Portland Stone |
| Part 2: | Winged figure |
| Material: | Bronze |
| Part 3: | Three reliefs |
| Material: | Bronze |
| Part 4: | Base (15 sides) |
| Material: | Stone |
| Height (cm): | 75 |
| Width (cm): | 500 |
| Depth (cm): | 500 |
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Object Condition
| Overall condition: | Good |
| Risk assessment: | No known risk |
| Condition 1 of type: | Vandalism |
| Condition 1: | Structural damage |
| More details: | In October 1990 the bronze plaques listing war dead were stolen. In 1991 the plaques were replaced, post WW2 names added and the memorial was completely renovated. |
| Date of on-site inspection: | 30/07/2007 |
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History
| History: | Margaret Winser was a pupil of Rodin. The monument was unveiled by General the Earl of Cavan and dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Chichester, the Right Reverend Winfrid Oldfield Burrows.
The memorial was built to commemorate some 1250 men from the Borough of Hastings who died in WWI. On the day of the inauguration, 'A vast crowd of people assembled… The weather, which had been bright during the morning, became threatening towards the appointed hour, but fortunately practically no rain fell during the service. Several hundreds of people were unable to obtain admission to the Park, whilst the railway embankment and bridge were used as a point of vantage by a large number of people. It was estimated that there were quite 10,000 present. Some eight hundred relatives were accommodated in the relatives' enclosure near the monument, whilst hundreds of ex-service men led by Colonel F.G. Langham, C.M.G. were also present.'. An unveiling enclosure was formed by troops and officers from the Royal Sussex Regiment amongst others. 'The Mayor and Corporation walked in civic state from the Town Hall, conducted by a detachment of Police and the Chief Constable… Several members of the War memorial Executive Committee were present inside the military square.' The group met the Earl of Cavan at the Braybrooke Road entrance to the Park. Alfred Dyer, the Honorary Secretary of the War Memorial Fund, a key figure in the development of the memorial and organisor of the ceremony was also in the group from the Town Hall. After prayers, hymns and an address by the Bishop of Chichester, the Mayor asked the Earl of Cavan to unveil the monument. He then addressed the crowd. A wreath laying was initiated by the Mayoress followed by many relatives and representatives of military and other organisations. 'They came, aged and young, mothers and sisters, fathers and brothers, rich and poor, strong and weak, some blinded with tears, others with set expressions, to pay their tribute to the memory of the men who had gone from them at the call of their country. A sargeant and corporal of artillery placed a large wreath at the base and saluted smartly, whilst next to them a poor old woman placed her bunch of daffodils, such a poor little bunch, but a tribute as high as the finest floral wreaths of the hundreds which were offered.'. There was some confusion towards the end of the wreath laying during which the Reveille was sounded, stopping the wreath laying before all relatives had approached the monument, curtailing their tributes until later on. Several people also fainted during the ceremony including a young soldier who was taken to hospital. (Hastings and St. Leonards Observer. 1 April 1922) |
| Hard archive file: | Yes |
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References
| Source 1 : | |
| Title: | 33rd. Ammendment of the 3rd. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest |
| Type: | Archive |
| Location: | Hastings Borough Council |
| Date: | 07/02/2002 |
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Photographs
Date: 30/07/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Date: 30/07/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
 Date: 30/07/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Date: 30/07/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
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