Horlicks War Memorial, Slough

Summary

Stone war memorial of 1949 with sculpture 'Grief', by Sir William Reid Dick, standing in the grounds of the Horlicks Factory, Slough.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial outside the entrance to the Horlicks offices in Slough, of 1949 with bronze sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
 
Historic interest:
 
* an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the Horlick family and employees, and the sacrifices they made in the conflicts of the C20.
 
Architectural interest:
 
* as an impressive carved stone monument surmounted by a bronze sculpture by the renowned C20 sculptor Sir William Reid Dick, a major figure, noted for his monumental public sculpture.

History

The War Memorial at the Horlicks Factory in Slough was sponsored by the company to honour their family members, and employees across the world who gave their lives during the First or Second World War. The bronze sculpture entitled 'Grief' which forms the centerpiece of the monument was purchased at a cost of £2000 from the sculptor Sir William Reid Dick KCVO RA (1879-1961). The monument was set within a memorial garden and dedicated on 11 November 1949 at a service conducted by the Rector of Slough. The monument was unveiled by Lieutenant-Colonel J N Horlick OBE MC, who was Chairman of Horlicks at the time. The commemorated include two members of the Horlick family.

Reid Dick (1879-1961) was a Scottish sculptor known for his innovative stylisation of form in his monumental sculptures and simplicity in his portraits. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art, and by 1908 he was studio assistant to E Whitney Smith in London. He became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1921, and a Royal Academician in 1928. Reid Dick served as president of the Royal Society of British Sculptors from 1933 to 1938. He was knighted by King George V in 1935, and was Sculptor in Ordinary for Scotland to King George VI from 1938 until his death. Having served with the Royal Engineers in the First World War, his reputation for monumental sculpture was established, following war memorials at Bushey and Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire (1921, both Grade II-listed). His involvement in major commissions also included the Kitchener Memorial Chapel in the Cathedral Church of St Paul, London (1922-1925), and the lion sculpture for the Menin Gate, Ypres (1927).

Details

Stone war memorial of 1949 with sculpture 'Grief', by Sir William Reid Dick, standing in the grounds of the Horlicks factory, Slough.
 
MATERIALS: limestone base, and bronze statue.
 
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands to the south-east of the car park, and north of the main reception of the Horlicks Factory.
 
The stone base is in the form of a simplified classical stone pedestal with a moulded base and head. The main body of the pedestal is battered in profile, and reduces in size via three stepped bands as it extends up to the upper moulding. It stands upon a set of four stone steps, the first two of which are formed in a circle, while the upper two are square in plan.
 
The principal dedicatory inscription is on the south side and reads 'LEST WE FORGET'. There is also a subsidiary inscription below, which reads 'HORLICKS WAR MEMORIAL/TO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/IN THE WARS OF/1914-1918 1939-1945'. The remaining sides are inscribed with the name, rank, and country of the 2 family members, and the 23 Horlicks employees who lost their lives in the First or Second World War.
 
The bronze statue is life size and depicts a tall and bare-footed female figure, wearing a long shawl. Her downward-tilted face carries an expression of grief, as she grips the shawl in her left hand and holds it to her lips.

Sources

Websites
Tate Galleries, accessed 20/02/2018 from http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/sir-william-reid-dick-1003
Imperial War Museum, accessed 20/2/2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/7839
War Memorials Online, accessed 20/2/2018 from http://www.warmemorials.org/
Sir William Reid Dick, accessed 1 May 2018 from http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-32813

Other
Berkshire HER Item MSL15480

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