Summary
A Second World War Civilian Memorial, erected after 1945; limestone and with brass plaques.
Reasons for Designation
The Plymouth Memorial to the Second World War Civilian Dead is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
History
The memorial commemorates the 1,174 civilians who lost their lives during the Second World War air attacks on Plymouth. The worst of these attacks took place over seven nights through March and April 1941 and became known as the Plymouth Blitz; a bombing campaign that devastated the city. A service was held in Efford Cemetery on the afternoon of Monday 28 April in which the graves of the civilian casualties were covered with Union Jack flags and floral tributes. Those in attendance included the Bishop of Exeter, the Bishop of Plymouth, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Plymouth and The Reverend W D Campbell representing the Nonconformist congregations.
The memorial within Efford Cemetery is the only known free-standing memorial within the city to be dedicated to the civilian dead, and is situated within 10 metres of a mass grave for those victims. In 2010 the Grants for War Memorials scheme offered a grant to help with cleaning the memorial, surrounding areas and plaques, re-pointing and some isolated stone repairs.
Details
The memorial comprises a two-tier octagonal drum-shaped limestone monument. It stands within a sunken circular paved area which is bounded by four sections of low curved walls constructed of Plymouth limestone. The walls are stepped and interrupted by four entrance points, each with a set of steps of varying heights. Later steel rails have been added to three of the four entrance points. Each side of the upper tier contains a bronze plaque, one of which displays a dedication that reads : ‘THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED TO THE SACRED MEMORY OF THE 1,174 CIVILIANS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES BY ENEMY AIR ATTACKS ON THE CITY OF PLYMOUTH DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1939 - 1945 OF WHOM 397 ARE INTERRED IN THE NEARBY COMMUNAL GRAVE AND WHOSE NAMES ARE INSCRIBED ON THIS MEMORIAL’. Of the seven other plaques, one is blank and the other six bear the names of 397 people who are interred in a nearby communal grave.
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