Skipsea War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, erected in 1919, by Messrs King and Co of Hull, with later additions.

Reasons for Designation

Skipsea War Memorial, erected in 1919, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* a well-executed and handsome memorial in the form of a red granite obelisk, employing good quality design and craftsmanship.

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, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Skipsea as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. A parish meeting was held in March 1919 to discuss plans to erect a war memorial and a committee was formed to decide on the design of the memorial and to collect subscriptions for its construction. Messrs King and Co, Ironmongers and Builders of Hull were chosen to build the memorial, which was unveiled at a well-attended ceremony on 28 June 1919. The name of a soldier who died in hospital in Leeds in 1920 was subsequently added to the memorial. In 1948, the names of three servicemen who died in the Second World War were added, and subsequently an additional name from the Second World War was added, giving a total of 12 names commemorated. The iron railings which surround the memorial are replacements. In 2016 the memorial was conserved with grant aid administered by War Memorials Trust.

Details

First World War memorial, erected in 1919, by Messrs King and Co of Hull, with later additions.

MATERIALS: granite and concrete, set on a square-plan flagstone base.

DESCRIPTION: Skipsea War Memorial takes the form of a polished red granite obelisk, surmounted by an urn, which rises from a chamfered pedestal, raised on a concrete podium. The upper edge of all faces of the pedestal plinth and dado, have central triangular projections. The inscriptions on the pedestal are picked out in gold leaf. The south face of the dado bears the inscription THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 - 1918/ THE CALL CAME - WE ANSWERED/ (seven NAMES). The face of the plinth is inscribed ERECTED/ BY VOLUNTARY SUBSCRIPTIONS/ AS A LASTING TRIBUTE/ TO THE MEMORY OF THE ABOVE/ WHO NOBLY MADE/ THE SUPREME SACRIFICE. A secondary inscription on the step below reads
(NAME)/ 12th DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY./ DIED APRIL 21st 1920,/ AT BECKETTS PARK HOSPITAL, LEEDS. The west face of the pedestal bears the inscription WORLD WAR/ 1939 - 1945/ (NAMES). The memorial stands on a flagged area.

Sources

Websites
IWM War Memorials Redister - Skipsea, accessed 7 March 2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/35105
War Memorials Online - Skipsea, accessed 7 March 2019 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/89313
War Memorials Trust - Skipsea, accessed 7 March 2019 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=1387

Other
Skipsea, Names Added, Driffield Times, Page 4, Column 5, 11 September 1948

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