Great Western Railway War Memorial
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| Great Western Railway War Memorial | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
 GWR War Memorial, platform 1, Paddington |
|
| For employees of the Great Western Railway who gave their lives during the First World War | |
| Unveiled | 11 November 1922 |
| Location | Coordinates: near London, UK |
| Designed by | Charles Sargeant Jagger |
The Great Western Railway War Memorial is a monument in London, United Kingdom, to the employees of the Great Western Railway who died during the First World War, and it is situated half-way along platform 1 at London Paddington station. The stonework was designed by the architect Thomas S. Tait and the bronze figure by the sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger, and the memorial unveiled on Armistice Day in 1922 by Viscount Churchill[1].
Its dominant feature is a large bronze statue of a British First World War soldier dressed in battle gear, wearing a helmet, woolen scarf, and a greatcoat draped over his shoulders. The soldier is looking down, reading a letter from home.
On the stone surround are two stylised reliefs of the emblems of the Royal Navy (rope and anchor) and the Royal Air Force (eagle in flight). Inside the plinth was placed a sealed casket, which was made at the GWR's Swindon Works, containing a vellum roll upon which was inscribed the names of the 2,524 men who gave their lives[1].
Contents |
[edit] Inscriptions
The Inscriptions on the plinth read:
| “ | IN HONOUR OF THOSE WHO SERVED IN THE WORLD WARS 1914 † 1918 1939 † 1945 3312 MEN AND WOMEN OF THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR KING AND COUNTRY. THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES ARE INSCRIBED ON A ROLL OF HONOUR DEPOSITED BENEATH THE BRONZE FIGURE. |
” |
Inside the waiting room behind the memorial is a plaque marking the unveiling of the memorial, which includes the inscription[2]:
| “ | THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY WAR MEMORIAL ON PLATFORM No 1 IMMEDIATELY OUTSIDE THIS ROOM WAS UNVEILED ON ARMISTICE DAY, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH 1922 BY THE RT. HON VISCOUNT CHURCHILL, G.C.V.Q. AND DEDICATED BY HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. THE BRONZE FIGURE WAS EXECUTED BY MR. C.S. JAGGER, M.C., R.B.S. AND THE ARCHITECTURAL WORK BY MR. T.S.TAIT A.R.I.B.A. |
” |
[edit] Images
 The memorial |
 The soldier reading his letter |
 Inscription detail |
 Inscription detail |
 Jagger's signature on the plinth |
 Jagger's signature on the plinth |
 Detail - air force embelm |
 Detail - naval embelm |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Conservation of the Paddington War Memorial - Rupert Harris Conservation
- History of Paddington Station- Crossrail
- War memorial, Paddington Station - English Heritage
- War memorial Paddington Station - Geograph
- Great Western Railway War Memorial - York University Institute of Railway Studies and Transport History
[edit] References
- ^ a b 'Great Western Railway War Memorial'. from The Great Western Railway Magazine, December 1922, pp. 537-40 (1922, reproduced 2001-11-01). Retrieved on 2007-07-09.
- ^ English Heritage. War memorial, Paddington Station. Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
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