Memorial details

Memorial type
Allegory (eg: Victory)
District
Guernsey
Town
St Peter Port
County
Channel Islands
Country
Channel Islands
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945), Falklands Conflict (1982)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 19 September 1926
    Attended by: SIR CHARLES SACKVILLE-WEST KBE CB CMG
  • Unveiled
    Date: 22 May 2022
    Attended by: The Falklands War plaque on the memorial was unveiled by the Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey, Lt Gen Richard Cripwell CB CBE and Richard McMahon, the Bailiff of Guernsey.
  • Dedicated
    Date: 19 September 1926
    Attended by: The Very Rev. the Dean of Guernsey dedicated the memorial.
  • Show More (2)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
10159

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Current location

Junction with St James Street
Bailiwick Monument
Smith Street
St Peter Port
Guernsey
Channel Islands
GY1 2JH
Channel Islands

OS Grid Ref: Undefined
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
A bronze statue of St George in medieval armour, sheathing his sword while standing over slain dragon, is set upon a stone cenotaph that is flanked on either side by a wall. The cenotaph's upper and lower plinth sections stand on a two-stepped base. Fixed o the front face of the cenotaph are a bronze wreath and two rectangular bronze plaques. The front face of the upper and lower plinth sections each has a rectangular bronze plaque, bearing the WW2 names; between them is a further rectangular bronze plaque (whose inscription is currently unknown). The upper step beneath has a rectangular plaque commemorating a Falkland War casualty. The four rectangular plaques bearing the WW1 names are affixed to the walls that flank the cenotaph. A further rectangular bronze plaque is also fixed to the memorial (believed to be on its reverse face), inscribed with details of the unveiling of the cenotaph in 1926. The whole memorial stands in a raised paved area with stone walls, within a landscaped area. ; NAME PANELS ALSO BRONZE ON FLANKING WALL (WW2 ON FRONT OF CENOTAPH)
Inscription
WW1 Dedicatory plaque (which is the lower of the two plaques on the cenotaph's front face): THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1918 / THIS MEMORIAL COMMEMORATES / THOSE WHO, AT THE CALL OF / KING AND COUNTRY, LEFT ALL / THAT WAS DEAR TO THEM, ENDURED / HARDNESS, FACED DANGER/ AND FINALLY PASSED OUT/ OF THE SIGHT OF MEN / AND THE PATH OF DUTY / AND SELF-SACRIFICE, / GIVING UP THEIR OWN LIVES / THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE / IN FREEDOM./ LET THOSE WHO COME AFTER / SEE TO IT THAT THEIR NAMES / BE NOT FORGOTTEN. Four associated plaques, on the flanking walls: (WW1 names) WW2 dedicatory plaque (which is the uppermost plaque on the cenotaph's front face): "MON DIEU - SOYEZ BENI:/ MON DIEU - SOYEZ REMERCIE"/ FOR THE LIBERATION OF/ GUERNSEY ON THE 9TH/ MAY, 1945 AFTER 5 YEARS/ OF ENEMY OCCUPATION Associated plaque 1 (on the upper plinth-section of the cenotaph): THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945/ (Names) Associated plaque 2, on the lower plinth-section of the cenotaph: (WW2 names) Separate plaque (on the top step): THE FALKLANDS WAR/ (1982)/ (name) Unveiling plaque (precise location on the memorial currently unknown): THIS MEMORIAL/ WAS ERECTED BY/ THE PEOPLE OF/ GUERNSEY/ AND UNVEILED ON/ SEPTEMBER 19TH 1926/ BY/ MAJOR GENERAL THE HONOURABLE/ SIR CHARLES SACKVILLE-WEST/ K.B.E. C.B. C.M.G./ LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 916
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 916
    Exact count: no
    Information shown: Surname, initials
    Order of information: Alphabetical by surname, arranged across four plaques
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 240
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 240
    Exact count: no
    Information shown: Surname, initials
    Order of information: Alphabetical by surname, in 9 columns across two plaques
  • Falklands Conflict (1982)
    Total names on memorial: 1
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 1
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, initials
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Figure
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Bronze
  • Plaques / Panels with names
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Bronze
  • Cenotaph
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
  • Wall
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
Condition
History
2022: On 22nd May 2022 a plaque commemorating a Falkland War casualty was unveiled, which is fixed to the upper step of the column's front face.// 2016: On 15/6/2016 the War Memorials Trust published a public statement, regarding its objection to a proposal to move the memorial to a different site (the Sunken Gardens), and recommending that 'the States of Guernsey designate the war memorial as either a Protected Building or Protected Monument -(see reference section notes'. (As of March 2023, the memorial is not included in the States of Guernsey's list of Protected Monuments).// Date uncertain: a further plaque (wording unknown) was added to the plinth (between the two WW2 names plaques).// Post WW2: The bronze laurel wreath was relocated to the upper section of the column, to make way for a rectangular plaque (believed to bear the WW2 dedicatory inscription); two further plaques, bearing the names of the WW2 casualties, were fixed to the column's plinth.// 1926: When the memorial was unveiled on 19/9/1926, the main column's front face bore solely the bronze laurel wreath, fixed immediately above the WW1 dedicatory inscription plaque; a pair of bronze plaques, reportedly inscribed with 910 names of WW1 casualties*, were fixed to the walls on either side of the column; attached to a separate part of the memorial (believed to be its reverse face) was a plaque inscribed with details of the unveiling ceremony. [*Further names were later added].
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Responsibility
STATES OF GUERNSEY
Reference

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-10159

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