Hometown Memorials to WWI Fallen or Veterans

[IrishGunner]

I've been thinking about threads that would be interesting as we edge closer to the 100th Anniversary of the outbreak of The War to End All Wars. Of course, there are the solemn and impressive memorials on the battlefields themselves like the Menin Gate or even the Cenotaph in London. Traveling around Europe, I recall seeing simple monuments in many villages to the hometown "heroes" - the fallen and veteran sons of the village. There are a couple websites that record these monuments across the UK and Germany. While perhaps not as prolific as Europe, these monuments also exist in the US - and I suspect in Canada as well.

So, let's post photos of the WWI monuments in your hometown...and preserve another virtual monument to the soldiers of the Great War.

Edited January 28, 2013 by IrishGunner

[IrishGunner]

For all intents and purposes, I left my hometown of Williamsport, PA when I was 18. I recall a few veterans' memorials growing up, but they were just "things" around town. In September of last year my mother died and I had a few days to wander alone around my hometown - and I came upon what is now called the Lycoming County Veterans Memorial Park. Williamsport is the government seat of Lycoming County - this park did not exist when I was growing up... It opened around 1998 I think and has eight monuments honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice during each of the major wars in the 20th century and beyond. There is a particular WW2 flavor, with a propellor and torpedo from the WW2 sub USS Torsk in addition to the monuments for each war. And a M60A3 tank. Here is the WWI monument...

[Paul C]

A rather plain bronze plaque in my hometown which lists all of the men who served and, at the bottom, those eight who died during the war. Of these eight only two died in combat, the others died of illness. I was able to get their service card and picture from the state archive.

[Harry the Mole]

Here is a simple memorial erected in recent years on the side of a shop in Altrincham, Cheshire. It commemorates the sacrifice made by the residents of just one small street.

On this site stood Chapel Street. And from just 60 homes there were 161 men who voluteered to fight for their country. There were 29 of them who never returned. A terrible price to pay from so few families.

[dond]

All we have is a monument to Our Confederate Dead.

[IrishGunner]

All we have is a monument to Our Confederate Dead.

Start a new thread with that theme... I'd be willing to state that for small US towns and villages, the Civil War had the same impact as WWI for European towns and villages. I think both of these topics would make an interesting coffee table book.

[219PG]

Orpington War memorial - located on a roundabout at one end of Orpington, High Street, Kent (London Borough of Bromley) UK - Remembers those of the Borough who died in service during the WWI, WWII (including residents from enemy action) and those killed in more recent conflicts.

[ColinRF]

So many of these small street memorials have now been lost. Too bad there are not more groups like the Salford War Memorials Project that agressively research and try to preserve war memorials in the Salford area. http://www.salfordwarmemorials.co.uk/

Colin

[IrishGunner]

So many of these small street memorials have now been lost. Too bad there are not more groups like the Salford War Memorials Project that agressively research and try to preserve war memorials in the Salford area. http://www.salfordwarmemorials.co.uk/

Colin

Great site; thanks for sharing.

Let's keep the thread going!

Edited April 11, 2013 by IrishGunner

[ColinRF]

SWARM also have a really good forum that assists with unit and family research, as well as memorials. Good facebook page too. These activists for the memory of those who died in WWI and II have it right.

Colin

[Markgraf]

Memorial of the K.u.K. Reitende Artilleriedivision Nr. 5 and the fallen war horses in the unit's garrison town Komárom.

[IrishGunner]

So, far, US and UK...and now Hungary! Come on I know there are more out there!

[ColinRF]

The war memorial here in Stratford Ontario - beautiful site next to the river used as the frontispiece to rhe "For King and Empire" WWI series about the CEF. BTW its a very good series and it is available on youtube.com, along with a lot of other fine Great War docs.

The "right vs might" statues are by W.S. Allward who is famous for the sculpting and design of Canada's famous Vimy Memorial in France. His "Canada Weeps" is a favourite work of mine. The Stratford memorial carries 346 WWI names from the town and surrounding Perth County. See http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onperth/classified.html

I attended last Remembrance Day here and the was surprised to see my favourite Celtic singer, Loreena McKennit, in uniform as an honourary Colonel of the RCAF's 435 Transport & Rescue Squadron. She sang the national anthem. http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/or-re/hc-ch/nr-sp/index-eng.asp?id=7995

Also potentially of interest is this site which is an inventory of Cdn war memorials, inspired by the UK site http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/nic-inm/index-eng.asp

Colin

Edited April 13, 2013 by ColinRF

[Markgraf]

A relief for memory of the K.u. K. 9. Reitende Artillerie Regiment (Mounted Artillery Regiment) in Komárom, on the side wall of the Roman Catholic Church. Erected in 1930, the sculptor was a decorated WWI veteran.

[IrishGunner]

A relief for memory of the K.u. K. 9. Reitende Artillerie Regiment (Mounted Artillery Regiment) in Komárom, on the side wall of the Roman Catholic Church. Erected in 1930, the sculptor was a decorated WWI veteran.

02 005.jpg

Nice. I really like these little memorials all over Europe. Quite interesting. This one will cause me to make a coffee stop in Komárom should I ever be in the region.

[ColinRF]

A relief for memory of the K.u. K. 9. Reitende Artillerie Regiment (Mounted Artillery Regiment) in Komárom, on the side wall of the Roman Catholic Church. Erected in 1930, the sculptor was a decorated WWI veteran.

02 005.jpg

Nice! And love your Willie McBride signature too.

Colin

[Markgraf]

Nice. I really like these little memorials all over Europe. Quite interesting. This one will cause me to make a coffee stop in Komárom should I ever be in the region.

IrishGunner: Komárom was a garrison town (since the Roman times) - so we have three more WWI memorials in the southern side. In addition we have fortresses, maritime museum and thermal spa so Korárom worth more than a coffe break.

Nearly on all Hungarian settlement can you find WWI memorials - as an 1917 act prescribed for every municipality. Later I will show some of them.

Colin: Thanks, I love this song. And I collect old photograps...

[IrishGunner]

IrishGunner: Komárom was a garrison town (since the Roman times) - so we have three more WWI memorials in the southern side. In addition we have fortresses, maritime museum and thermal spa so Korárom worth more than a coffe break.

Nearly on all Hungarian settlement can you find WWI memorials - as an 1917 act prescribed for every municipality. Later I will show some of them.

Colin: Thanks, I love this song. And I collect old photograps...

Well, I was hoping for an invitation for gulyás with csipetke to go along with the coffee.

[Markgraf]

Well, I was hoping for an invitation for gulyás with csipetke to go along with the coffee.

Anytime you want, you are a welcome guest!

[torscot]

For all intents and purposes, I left my hometown of Williamsport, PA when I was 18. I recall a few veterans' memorials growing up, but they were just "things" around town. In September of last year my mother died and I had a few days to wander alone around my hometown - and I came upon what is now called the Lycoming County Veterans Memorial Park. Williamsport is the government seat of Lycoming County - this park did not exist when I was growing up... It opened around 1998 I think and has eight monuments honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice during each of the major wars in the 20th century and beyond. There is a particular WW2 flavor, with a propellor and torpedo from the WW2 sub USS Torsk in addition to the monuments for each war. And a M60A3 tank. Here is the WWI monument...

interesting that they quoted a northern neighbor (

Canadian)

[Markgraf]

Probably the world's most informative WWI memorial: the commemorative plaque of the m. kir. 15. Honvéd Infantry Regiment and the 15. Népfelkelő (Landsturm) Infantry Regiment.
Budapest, courtyard of the Hungarian Military Museum.

[Tony]

Here's a photo of a memorial where I grew up.

Tony

[Tony]

The same memorial in 1921 I believe.

Tony

[Tony]

And this is the nearest memorial to where I live today, about 7km down the road.

Tony

[IrishGunner]

American art historian sets out to locate First World War memorials across the country