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Memorial details

Memorial type
Cenotaph
District
West Lothian
Town
Bo'ness
County
Lothian
Country
Scotland
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945), Second World War - civilians
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 12 July 1924
    Attended by: Lieutenant-General Sir Walter P. Braithwaite, K.C.B.
  • Unveiled
    Date: 28 September 1947
    Attended by: Undefined
  • Dedicated
    Date: 12th July 1924
    Attended by: Rev. Robert Gardner, B.D. of the parish of B'ness. Rev. William Dundas, B.D. of the parish of Carriden
  • Show More (2)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
73100

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Current location

Near intersection with Church Wynd. Town is also known as Borrowstounness.
Stewart Avenue
Bo'ness
West Lothian
Lothian
EH51 0EE
Scotland

OS Grid Ref: NS 99681 81410
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Tall grey granite obelisk with bronze downturned sword, wreath and burgh coat of arms on six o'clock face Obelisk is mounted on a two stepped platform. Various theatres of war are carved onto the faces of the base. There are two bronze plaques for WW1 and two for WW2.
Inscription
3 o'clock face (carved into stonework)- FRANCE / BELGIUM / RUSSIA / ITALY / GALLIPOLI 9 o'clock face (carved into stonework)- SALONICA/PALESTINE/MESOPOTAMIA/EGYPT/AFRICA 12 o'clock face (carved into stonework)- TO/OUR/GLORIOUS/DEAD/1914 1918 Each of 2 WW1 Plaques- SALUTE THE MEMORY OF/THESE THY SONS/WHO FOUGHT & LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/IN THE GREAT WAR/[names in 4 columns]/AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING/WE WILL REMEMBER THEM First WW2 Plaque-1939 SALUTE THE MEMORY OF THESE THY SONS WHO FOUGHT/AND LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE WORLD WAR/1945/[names in 5 columns] Second WW2 Plaque-1939 SALUTE THE MEMORY OF THESE THY SONS WHO FOUGHT/AND LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE WORLD WAR/1945/[names in 2 columns & top of 3rd], [in column 3- MERCHANT NAVY/names; continuing in columns 4 & 5]
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Adams, Walter
Adie, Andrew
Aitken, Daniel
Aitken, Robert
Aiton, Alexander
Alexander, Robert
Allan, James Stanley
Allen, George
Anderson, Alexander D
Anderson, Carl Otto
See details for all 510 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 394
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 394
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, forenames, decorations
    Order of information: surname THEN forename
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 94
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 94
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, forenames
    Order of information: surname THEN forename
  • Second World War - civilians
    Total names on memorial: 22
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 22
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, forenames, service
    Order of information: surname
Components
  • First World War memorial
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Bronze
  • Second World War memorial
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Bronze
  • Detail
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Bronze
  • Base
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Granite
  • Obelisk
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Granite
  • Steps
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Granite
Condition
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Reference
  • Bo'ness Journal, and Linlithgow Advertiser - Friday 19 September 1947 www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001545/19470919/049/0003 BO’NESS and CARRIDEN PARISH WELCOME HOME COMMITTEE Unveiling Ceremony at Bo’ness War Memorial MEMBERS of above Committee will please meet at the War Memorial, Uo'oeia, on Sunday, 28th inst., at 2-50 p-m, prior to the Unveiling Ceremony. ROBERT BAPTIE, Secretary.
  • Linlithgowshire Gazette - Friday 20 June 1924 www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001907/19240620/091/0004 BO'NESS WAR MEMORIAL. UNVEILING ARRANGEMENTS. A meeting of the Bo'ness War Memorial Committee was held the Reference Room on the evening of Friday last.
  • More information on Carl Otto Anderson- one of the names on the memorial, but who is not commemorated by the CWGC- warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=10313&mforum=warmemscot
  • The on line resource website which supplements the book- bwm.scot/war-memorial-book/
  • 24 July 2019- The Bo'ness War Memorial Without Fear Project has culminated with the launch of our book "Without Fear - World War One Stories of the Men on the Bo'ness War Memorial". The official launch event was held at a packed Bo'ness Hippodrome on 23rd July, 2019. The book itself took 3 years to research, 8 months to write, contains 20 chapters over 568 pages, is an A4 hardback and weighs 2.3kg. The book can be bought at the Inkspot and Silverleaf bookshop in South Street, Bo’ness and in Waterstones, Falkirk.
  • December 2017- As part of the Bo'ness War Memorial - Without Fear project we have found the following information. PRIVATE MICHAEL MULDOON 18, Royal Scots Fusiliers, was accidentally killed on 14th November, 1917 at Whinnyhill Range, Burntisland. He was buried with military honours at Bo'ness Cemetery on 17th November, 1917, Section B Lair 197 (thanks to Anne Anderson for help with that). There is no family headstone. Michael Muldoon's name was added to the CWGC Debt of Honour Register on 2 July 2019. Private MULDOON, MICHAEL Service Number TR/2/13417 Died 14/11/1917 Aged 18 55th Training Reserve Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers Son of Patrick and the late Helen Muldoon of Bo'ness, West Lothian. (a CWGC headstone will be added)
  • Carter Postcard Collection
  • warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=2822&mforum=warmemscot
  • Linlithgowshire Gazette - Friday 25 October 1946 www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001908/19461025/075/0005 BO’NESS WELCOME HOME PLANS Open-Air Religious Ceremony SOUVENIR BOOK Bo'ness Welcome Home Committee, at a largely attended meeting in the Council Chambers on Wednesday evening last week, decided to hold a religious service in the Glebe Public Park on a Sunday still to be fixed to welcome home Service and ex-Service personnel who served in the recent war. It was arranged that at the end of the service, men and women eligible for the committee's gratuity will proceed to the Town Hall where they will receive, in addition to the £2 gratuity, a souvenir book containing a full list of the names on the Roll of Honour and the Service Roll. BRONZE PLAQUES APPROVED Councillor John Collee, convener of the committee, announced that the number of men who made the supreme sacrifice was 116, Including 20 who served in the Merchant Navy. The Service Roll bears the names of 1885 men and women. The committee are arranging to add to the Blackness War Memorial the names of two men from the village who died on active service. The gratuity will be presented to 44 men and women belonging to Blackness and district. The meeting decided, after inspection, to accept artistic designs for two plaques bearing the names of the fallen. These will be fashioned in bronze and will be erected on the east and west sides of the Cenotaph at a level of three feet above the top step. The drawings were prepared by Messrs Galt & Barr, architects. Glasgow, who designed the memorial unveiled in July. 1924.
  • Linlithgowshire Gazette - Friday 18 July 1924 www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001907/19240718/062/0004 BO’NESS WAR MEMORIAL. (photograph of unveiling) (full list of names)
  • Falkirk Herald - Saturday 19 July 1924 www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000733/19240719/141/0003 BO’NESS WAR MEMORIAL. UNVEILED BY SIR WALTER BRAITHWAITE The ceremony of unveiling the Bo’ness War Memorial took place, with full military honours, at Bo'ness on Saturday afternoon. The memorial occupies a prominent site on the crest ot the hill at the junction ot Stewart Avenue and Church Wynd. It consists ot pedestal and shaft, the hitter rising to Height of 27 feet. On the shaft a bronze sword, in relief, is placed, and on bronze panel are the names of the 400 men from the district who laid down their lives in the war. Lieutenant-General Sir Walter P. Braithwaile, K.C.B., performed the unveiling in presence of a large crowd of townspeople. General Braithwaite, addressing the gathering, said he regarded it a great privilege to have been asked to come to Bo’ness to unveil that monument. What, he asked, was the greatest sacriflce and the highest achievement of these men whom they honoured that day? Was it not that, putting aside all personal interest, they did their duty—their duty to their country. It was never an easy thing to do. In times of peace it did not often involve risk of life and limb, but it always required qualities of heart, moral courage, and self-sacrifice. In time of war it required all these and it required fortitude, constant courage, bravery—moral and physica l— and, in fact, all the bedt qualities which lay at the heart of every man if would use them and let them have play. On reading the names of their sons or brothers or friends on the memorial. doubtless a wave of sadness came over them, and perhaps the old grief broke out afresh. That was natural, but there was another aspect. There was the aspect of thankfulness and pride. Let them, therefore, temper their sadness with these. War was very terrible, full of horrors, but redeemed from some of its vileness the uncomplaining self-sacrifice of our unforgotten dead, and by the qualities of heart and mind of these who fought the good tight in defence of the country’s honour. The dedication prayer was offered the Rev. Robert Gardner, B.D.. of the parish of Bo'ness. Thereafter one minute's silence was observed, followed by the hymn, ‘‘For all the Saints.’ The guard of honour was furnished by the Ist Battalion K.O.S.B.. whose buglers sounded the “Last Post." The pipers from the same regiment, played the Lament, and the “Reveille” was sounded. The Rev. William Dundas. B.D., of the parish of Carriden. handed over the memorial to the care and custody of the Provost.

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.

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