National War Memorial (Newfoundland)

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National War Memorial
Newfoundland Canada

For soldiers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment World War I
Unveiled	1 July 1924
Location	near St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Designer	Father Thomas Nangle
erected by "a grateful people to honour its war dead"

Unveiling the National War Memorial in St. John's, Newfoundland.
(Memorial Day, July 1, 1924)

The National War Memorial in St. John's, Newfoundland

The National War Memorial in St. John's, Newfoundland is the most elaborate of all the post World War I monuments in Newfoundland. It was erected at King’s Beach on Water Street where, in 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed Newfoundland for England. It was formally unveiled on Memorial Day, July 1, 1924 by Field Marshal, Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig.

[edit] Design

The Great War Veterans' Association and the Newfoundland Patriotic Association launched the campaign to have it established. They developed a committee to establish the design and undertake the fund-raising to pay for the proposed memorial. Construction of the National War Memorial was supervised by Lieutenant-Colonel Father Thomas Nangle, the Roman Catholic Padre of The Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

The design was for a semi-circular, graduated plateau rising from the entrance stairway on Water Street to the cenotaph on Duckworth Street. The five figures were designed by two English sculptors, F.V. Blundstone (top and sides) and Gilbert Bayes (front), and were cast in bronze by E.J. Parlanti from London, England. These figures represent Newfoundland's involvement in World War I.

At the top of the central pedestal is a figure of a woman. It symbolizes Newfoundland's willingness to serve and the spirit of loyalty to the Empire. She is holding a flaming torch in her left hand as a symbol of freedom. In her right hand, she is holding a sword poised and ready to battle, if she must. From the sides of the central pedestal, two wings of granite protrude. On the west wing, representing the Newfoundlanders who joined the Royal Naval Reserve, is a sailor holding a spyglass. On the east wing, representing the men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, is a soldier in full battle gear, loading his rifle, searching the horizon for "the enemy".

Out in front, on the lower pedestal, are fishermen in oil skins and rubber boots, and a lumberman with his axe slung over his shoulder, symbolizing the Newfoundlanders who served with the Merchant Marine and the Forestry Corps. Over their heads is a granite cross symbolizing the sacred nature of the war memorial. Below, is a bronze plaque stating that the memorial was erected by "a grateful people to honour its war dead". Similar plaques were added on both sides of the pedestal to commemorate the Newfoundlanders who died in World War II and in the Korean War.

[edit] Ceremonies

Each year the National War Memorial is the site of several ceremonies to comemmorate those soldiers who died in past wars.

April 25 is the date of the commemoration of the Gallipoli offensive in World War I
July 1, also known as Memorial Day, is the date of remembrance of Battle of the Somme at Beaumont-Hamel
November 11, is Armistice Day, the anniversary of the official end of World War I