Memorial details

Memorial type
Board / Plaque / Tablet
District
Copeland
Town
Whitehaven
County
Cumbria
Country
England
Commemoration
Second World War - civilians, First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 22 July 1949
    Attended by: Rev Robert Kennaugh (of Barrow-in-Furness) and Rev Arnold G Myers (Curate of Harrington)-old boys of the school
  • Rededicated
    Date: 1 June 1996
    Attended by: Revd Jim Baker and Reverend James Johnston
  • Show More (1)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
3936

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Current location

On the south galllery
St James' Church
High Street
Whitehaven
Copeland
Cumbria
CA28 7PZ
England

OS Grid Ref: NX 97668 18436
Denomination: Church of England

View location on Google Maps
Previous locations
  • at the head of the hall
    WW1 and WW2 plaques beneath each other
    Whitehaven County Secondary School (called the Grammar School until the 1950's)
    Catherine Street
    Whitehaven
    Copeland
    Cumbria
    England

    OS Grid Ref: NX 976 179
    Denomination: Undefined
Description
Two bronze plaques (one for each conflict) each on a wooden backboard. The WW2 one has the school crest in the top left hand corner.
Inscription
1914-1918 / FOR HONOUR, FOR FREEDOM, FOR BRITAIN, THEY GAVE THEIR LIVES / (Names) IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING OLD STUDENTS OF WHITEHAVEN COUNTY GRAMMAR SCHOOL WHO MADE THEIR SUPREME SACRIFICE DURING THE WORLD WAR 1939-1945 / [Names in two columns]
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Allen, G
Appleby, Jad
Bawden, H
Beattie, Wht
Bewsher, R
Birkett, Wf
Birney, J
Birnie, J
Borrowdale, Jl
Bradley, James
See details for all 51 names
Commemorations
  • Second World War - civilians
    Total names on memorial: 2
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 2
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, Forename or Initials
    Order of information: Surname
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 6
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 6
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, forename
    Order of information: surname
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 43
    Served and returned: 1
    Died: 42
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, initials of forenames
    Order of information: surname
Components
  • Second World War memorial
    Measurements: depth 10mm, height 970mm, width 600mm
    Materials: Bronze
  • First World War memorial
    Measurements: depth 15mm, height 765mm, width 610mm
    Materials: Bronze
  • Backboard
    Measurements: depth 50mm, height 1045mm, width 680mm
    Materials: Wood
  • Backboard
    Measurements: depth 50mm, height 835mm, width 690mm
    Materials: Wood
Listing information
Condition
Costs

Comments: The WW2 plaque cost £75 in 1948 (see Whitehaven Parish.org Reference).

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Responsibility
PCC & Churchwardens of the Parish
Reference
  • West Cumberland Times 27 July 1949 page 1c reports the dedication
  • Whitehaven News 15 June 1996 about the rededication
  • Whitehaven News 25 May 1995 letter to the editor about the current location of the memorial with a then image of it;
  • Whitehaven News 18 May 1995 two letters to the editor about the current location of the memorial in a library storeroom and about WW2 evacuees at the school from Heaton, Tyneside;
  • Whitehaven News 11 May 1995 about the former locations, Len Wright (served and returned in WW2), Thomas Pinckney Pratt and Phil Murphy ( 2 of the WW2 names)
  • Obituaries are on Whitehaven Parish.org, www.whitehavenparish.org.uk/about-us/st-james-church/guided-tour-st-james/grammarcounty-secondary-school-war-memorials.php, accessed 8th April 2024

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-3936

For queries, please contact [email protected].