Greenside War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Greenside War Memorial, which stands in the garden at the junction of Lead Road and Spen Lane, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a well-proportioned and handsome obelisk in the Classical style.

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, 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.

Greenside War Memorial was unveiled on 1 October 1921 by Lt-Col FR Simpson. It commemorates 57 local servicemen who died in the First World War. The memorial was funded by public subscription and designed and built by D Morrison of Gateshead. Following the Second World War the names of 26 men and one woman who died in that conflict were added. The name of a soldier who died of wounds received in Afghanistan was added in 2015.

D Morrison of the Art Memorial Works, Gateshead, was also responsible for the elaborate Celtic cross war memorial at Eighton Banks.

Details

The memorial stands at the north-east corner of a small memorial garden between Lead Road and Spen Lane. Approximately 6m tall, the Greenlaw stone memorial takes the form of a Classical obelisk. The slender obelisk, square on plan, is ornamented with a small swag and PRO/ PATRIA carved in low relief to the front face. The obelisk’s foot is decorated with laurels on each side, carved in low relief.

The obelisk rises from a tall corniced pedestal, that stands on a three stage base. The commemorated First World War names are listed on the four faces of the pedestal. The top stage of the base is inscribed with the principal dedicatory inscriptions:

(north-east face) SEE TO IT THAT THESE SHALL/ NOT HAVE DIED IN VAIN/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE

(north-west face) IN THANKFUL RECOGNITION OF/ THE MEN WHO GAVE THEIR SERVICES,/ AND IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THOSE WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR.

(south-east face) ERECTED/ BY THE INHABITANTS OF/ GREENSIDE

(south-west face) FOR RIGHT, FREEDOM/ AND FOR PEACE

The commemorated Second World War names are recorded on the front faces of the middle stage of the base. On the top of the middle stage, to the front, is incised 1939 – 1945, whilst on the front face of the bottom stage is 1914 – 1918, carved in low relief. A small rectangular bronze plaque fixed to the north-west face of the bottom stage repeats one group of First World War names. The memorial is enclosed by a low stone kerb ornamented with eight plain stone cubes.

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, 7 February 2017.

Sources

Websites
North East War Memorials Project, accessed 29/06/2016 from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=7365
War Memorials Register, accessed 7 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/34418
War Memorials Online, accessed 7 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/179448

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