Seaton Delaval War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 1922, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Seaton Delaval War Memorial, which stands on Elsdon Road, 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: an elegant memorial cross 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. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Seaton Delaval as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the men and women of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The memorial was unveiled on 2 September 1922 by Mr John Charlton, Headmaster, and dedicated by the Bishop of Newcastle. It commemorates 73 local men and women who died in the First World War. The memorial first stood close to the train station on a site donated by the Seaton Delaval Coal Company. The obelisk, paid for by public subscription, was sculpted by DW Forster of North Shields and the railings that enclosed the monument were wrought by Hosley Bros, Iron Founders of North Shields.

In the 1930s the memorial was moved a short distance to the Memorial Garden on the east side of Double Row opposite the schools. It was moved once more in 1965, c1.1km south-east to Elsdon Avenue. In 1999 a roll of honour of 32 men and women who died in the Second World War was added to the memorial, and it was unveiled on 10 October that year by Councillor Margaret A Parker. At that time a Millennium Garden was planted around the memorial.

Details

The memorial stands in a garden to the north side of Elsdon Avenue. In Creetown granite, c6.5m tall, it takes the form of a small Latin cross rising from a tapering and buttressed shaft. The shaft rises from a moulded pedestal, decorated to each side with carved wreaths suspended from ribbons, that stands on the corniced top of the plinth. The plinth stands on a four-stepped base.

The principal dedicatory inscription to the front face of the plinth reads FOR THE MOTHERLAND/ 1914 - 1918/ THESE MEN OF OURS, AT THE/ CALL OF KING AND COUNTRY/ LEFT ALL THAT WAS DEAR TO/ THEM, ENDURED HARDNESS,/ FACED DANGER, AND FINALLY/ PASSED OUT OF THE SIGHT OF/ MEN, BY THE PATH OF DUTY/ AND SELF-SACRIFICE; GIV-/ ING UP THEIR OWN LIVES/ THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE IN/ FREEDOM./ LET THOSE WHO COME AFTER/ SEE TO IT THAT THEIR NAMES/ ARE NOT FORGOTTEN. The commemorated First World War names are listed on the other three faces.

The Second World War dedication is recorded on the tread of the upper-most step, reading TO THOSE WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ 1939 – 1945. The commemorated names are listed on the risers of the step.

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, 23 November 2017.

Sources

Websites
North East War Memorials Project, accessed 03/10/2016 from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=8887
War Memorials Register, accessed 27 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/33646
War Memorials Online, accessed 23 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253269

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