Memorial details

Memorial type
Cenotaph
District
Wirral
Town
Birkenhead
County
Merseyside
Country
England
Commemoration
Boer War; Second (1899-1902), First World War (1914-1918), First World War - civilians, First World War - civilians, Second World War (1939-1945), Second World War - civilians, Second World War (1939-1945): Far East Prisoners of War, Post-1945 war or conflict, Civilian (19th; 20th and 21st Centuries)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 5 July 1925
    Attended by: Lieutenant-General Sir Richard H K Butler KCB KCMG
  • Dedicated
    Date: 5 July 1925
    Attended by: The Right Reverend Lord Bishop of Chester Dr. Paget
  • Show More (1)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
1260

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Current location

Opposite Town Hall
Hamilton Street
east side of Hamilton Square
Birkenhead
Wirral
Merseyside
CH41 6AU
England

OS Grid Ref: SJ 32582 88993
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Cenotaph with moulded base, frieze and name panels on longer sides and reliefs at short ends, surmounted by sarcophagus. Reliefs at shortest sides depict mourning female figures with 1) next of kin plaque 2) laurel wreath and palm branch. Above both the name and figure panel is a frieze protected by a cornice. A band of laurel wreaths is also incorporated on base mouldings. Below name panels - relief shields of the army, navy, air force and merchant navy. The civic arms of Birkenhead are embossed upon oval escutcheons above the figure panels. The dates 1914-1919 are carved below figure panels. Cenotaph originally flanked by flagstaffs to NE and SW, these were over 45ft high with metal bases resting on steps, decorated with laurel festoons, shafts originally painted orange vermillion and finials gilded. Cenotaph is flanked to north and south by rectangular capstones, with lettering carved in black- these relate to men of the Wirral peninsula, other than the Borough of Birkenhead- see separate reports plus some parts included in this report. On the 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock sides the names are arrayed in 3 ranks of slate tablets, with 3 tablets side by side in each rank, and each tablet having 3 columns. The top tier of tablets has 19 names, per column (thus 57 per tablet, 171 on the rank), the middle tier of tablets has 33 names per column (thus 99 per tablet, 297 on the rank), the bottom tier has 21 names per column with some variations. Overall the 6 o'clock face has 654 names (from Abbot-Kerr) and the 12 o'clock face 649 (from Kernish onwards) (all figures correct on 30 March 2019)- these two faces are understood to be those who died in the course of the war. The tablets on the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock faces are understood to be those who died subsequent to the war, either from wounds or from other war related causes. The north plaque has 102 names from Aldridge to Nancey, the south side 67 names from Nelson onwards. On the ground, between the Cenotaph and Hamilton Street are 9 of the VC government plaques (as of 30 March 2019)- Edgar Cookson, William Congreve, Christopher Bushell, Thomas Neely, John O'Neill, Arthur Procter, Cyril Gourley, John Davies and Frank Lester.
Inscription
Six o'clock face: IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF BIRKENHEAD/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR Twelve o'clock face: [names] Three o'clock face: ALL THESE WERE HONOURED IN THEIR GENERATIONS/ AND WERE THE GLORY OF THEIR TIMES/ (Names) Nine o'clock face: [names] Base: 1939-1945 WAR/ THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE MAY BE INSPECTED IN THE TOWN HALL Capstone on the return of the wall to the south of the cenotaph [the return from the north end of the east wall toward Hamilton Street]: THOSE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES SINCE 1945/ WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM/ (Names) Capstone on the return of the wall to the north of the cenotaph [the return from the south end of the east wall toward Hamilton Street]: IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF WIRRAL WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE/ SOUTH AFRICAN BOER WAR 1899-1902/ (Names) Capstone on the return of the wall to the north of the cenotaph [the return from the south end of the east wall toward Hamilton Street]: : THIS MEMORIAL PLAQUE IS DEDICATED/ TO THOSE CIVILIANS, MEMBERS OF THE EMERGENCY/ AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES/ WHO HAVE DIED AT HOME AND ABROAD/ DURING ENEMY ACTION IN DEFENCE OF THEIR COUNTRY./ THEIR SACRIFICE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN/ BY THE PEOPLE OF WIRRAL. Capstone on the return of the wall to the north of the cenotaph [the return from the south end of the east wall toward Hamilton Street]: THIS PLAQUE IS DEDICATED TO/ THE MEN WHO ENDURED SUCH HARDSHIP/ IN THE JUNGLES AND JAPANESE PRISONERS OF/ WAR CAMPS DURING WW2/ THE IMAGE DEPICTS THEIR DEPENDENCE ON/ EACH OTHER TO GET THROUGH THOSE DARK DAYS/ "When you go home,/ tell them of us and say,/ for their tomorrow,/ we gave our today."
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Abbott, J F
Acton, S
Adams, A M
Agnew, G
Ainscough, D
Aitken, A C
Alderwood, A
Alderwood, S
Aldridge, N
Allan, F W
See details for all 1510 names
Commemorations
  • Boer War; Second (1899-1902)
    Total names on memorial: 23
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 23
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, initials of forenames
    Order of information: surname
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 1469
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 1469
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, initials of forenames, regiment (to distinguish between those men who have the same name only)
    Order of information: surname THEN forename
  • First World War - civilians
    Total names on memorial: 3
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 3
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, initials of forenames
    Order of information: surname
  • First World War - civilians
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
  • Second World War - civilians
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
  • Second World War (1939-1945): Far East Prisoners of War
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
  • Post-1945 war or conflict
    Total names on memorial: 25
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 25
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, initials of forenames
    Order of information: no obvious order- possibly by date of death
  • Civilian (19th; 20th and 21st Centuries)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Cenotaph
    Measurements: depth c.5500mm, height c.9000mm, width c.6000mm
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Relief
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Green Westmorland
  • Tablets
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Slate - Westmoreland
  • Tablets
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Slate - Westmoreland
  • Tablets
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Slate - Westmoreland
  • Tablets
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Slate - Westmoreland
  • Lamp or Lighting
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Undefined
Listing information
  • Birkenhead War Memorial (including flagpoles to north and south)
  • Grade II*
  • This memorial is protected, and listed on the National Heritage List for England maintained by Historic England. View list entry
  • More about listing and the protection of historic places can be found on the Historic England website
  • Historic England
Condition
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Responsibility
Wirral Borough Council
Reference
  • Full Names List (but treat with caution- may not be entirely up to date- www.carlscam.com/warmem/birkenhead.htm
  • Carter Postcard Collection
  • Wirral News Group 7 November 2007 - War Hero's Name is Imortalised at Last - By Kevin Core
  • Wirral Globe 29 October 2003 - Still, the Day Went Well pg.27
  • Wirral Globe 29 October 2003 - A Fitting Memorial To Our Lost Generation pg.26.
  • Unveiling of the Towns War Memorials Order of Proceedings. Booklet printed by William Bros. Co. Ltd. of Chester Street Birkenhead - Available at Birkenhead Reference Library.
  • FOR YOUR TOMORROW: BRITISH SECOND WORLD WAR MEMORIALS by BOORMAN, DEREK 145 Source: Image Library NIWM Published:SESSIONS 1995 YORK

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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