Memorial details

Memorial type
Cenotaph
District
Ogwr
Town
Bridgend
County
Mid Glamorgan
Country
Wales
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945), Second World War - civilians
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 22 November 1925
    Attended by: Lieutenant Colonel Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams Bart DSO KC performed the unveiling of the WW1 memorial.
  • Dedicated
    Date: 23 May 1948
    Attended by: The Lord Bishop of Llannaff dedicated the WW2 plaque
  • Unveiled
    Date: 23 May 1948
    Attended by: Lieutenant Colonel Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, Bart., DSO, K.C. unveiled the WW2 plaque on the memorial.
  • Dedicated
    Date: 22 November 1925
    Attended by: Rev David J Thomas MA
  • Show More (3)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
6739

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Current location

In front of the HQ building
visible from Cowbridge Road.
South Wales Police HQ
Cowbridge Road
Bridgend
Ogwr
Mid Glamorgan
CF31 3SU
Wales

OS Grid Ref: SS 91497 78822
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Previous locations
  • Glamorgan County Police HQ (Canton Police Station)
    Corner of Cowbridge Road East and Market Road
    Cardiff
    Ogwr
    Mid Glamorgan
    Wales

    OS Grid Ref: ST 16507 76591
    Denomination: Undefined
Description
Cenotaph/obelisk standing upon a plinth and five stepped base, within a paved area. The First World War face of the cenotaph has a bronze plaque bearing the dragon emblem of Glamorgan Constabulary, with a separate rectangular bronze plaque beneath that bears the inscription to its officers who died in World War 1. The opposite face of the cenotaph has a bronze plaque bearing the Prince of Wales' feathers, with a separate rectangular bronze plaque beneath that bears the inscription to those who died in the Second World War.
Inscription
WW1 plaque: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN LOYAL MEMORY OF THE GLORIOUS/ DEAD, MEMBERS OF THE GLAMORGAN/ COUNTY POLICE, WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR, 1914 - 1918./ (ERECTED BY THEIR COMRADES)/ (Names) WW2 plaque: IN MEMORY OF MEMBERS OF/ THE GLAMORGAN COUNTY/ POLICE WHO FELL IN THE/ WORLD WAR 1939 - 1945/ REGULAR OFFICERS IN ARMED FORCES/ (Names)/ AUXILIARIES IN ARMED FORCES/ (Names)/ KILLED ON DUTY THROUGH ENEMY ACTION/ (Names)
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Angus, J R
Banks, Victor
Beresford, E
Beynon, John
Blower, John K
Bowen, Evan D
Bowran, Robert B
Brown, R
Carter, W H
Channings, A J
See details for all 86 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 58
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 58
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, initials, military rank, military unit
    Order of information: Grouped by military unit, in descending order of military rank, then alphabetically by surname
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 25
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 25
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, forenames, military rank, military unit
    Order of information: Grouped by military unit, in descending order of military rank, then alphabetically by surname
  • Second World War - civilians
    Total names on memorial: 3
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 3
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, forenames, Police rank, where stationed
    Order of information: Listed by Police rank
Components
  • Cenotaph
    Measurements: height c2700mm
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Plaques
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Bronze
Condition
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Private
Details: The Cenotaph was funded by voluntary donations from members of the Constabulary
Responsibility
South Wales Police
Reference
  • Western Mail Monday 23/11/1925 printed a lengthy report of the unveiling of the memorial, which commenced: 'SPLENDID RECORD. POLICE SERVICE IN THE WAR. A GLAMORGAN MEMORIAL UNVEILED. Hundreds of people thronged the entrance to the headquarters of the Glamorgan County Police in Cowbridge-road, Cardiff, on Sunday afternoon, when the unveiling ceremony of a memorial commemorating the 58 members of the force who fought and fell in the Great War was performed by Lieut. Col. Sir Rhys Williams, Bart., D.S.O., K.C., chairman of the standing joint committee of the Glamorgan County Council, chairman of the Glamorgan Quarter Sessions, and Recorder of Cardiff. The memorial, which takes the form of an obelisk mounted on a vertical base, is set upon three steps, the whole being carried out in Portland stone. The obelisk is rectangular in shape, and stands 9ft. high from the public footway. On the front is a bronze tablet, upon which the names of the 58 fallen members of the force are cast. The designer was Mr. L. Rees, the surveyor of the Glamorgan County Police-stations. A guard of honour was supplied by the 6th Welch Regiment, in command of Lieut. W.N. Lewis. The band of the Glamorgan Heavy Brigade (R.A.), under Bandmaster T. J. O'Leary. was in attendance, by permission of the commanding officer, Major A. P. Carey-Thomas, T.D. In an impressive address Sir Rhys said for 40 years his father had been closely connected with the Glamorgan Police Force, and for the past twenty years he himself had been closely associated with them. When he looked back upon the work which that police force had done, in times of peace, it was with great pride. In times of war the record gained by that force had been a splendid one. Out of an authorised strength of 701 men, 403 served with the colours; 27 joined the Grenadier Guards, 68 the Welsh Guards, 63 the Welch Regiment, 59 the Royal Artillery, and the remainder were spread amongst other fighting regiments. Advancement in rank was earned by 193 men, showing that they served loyally and well. One member of the force became a colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, one a major, one a captain, sixteen lieutenants, three cadets, fifteen sergeant-majors, two quartermaster-sergeants, 59 sergeants, 53 corporals, and 40 lance-corporals. That they fought bravely was proved by the number of rewards granted to them. One member of the force gained the D.S.O., two the M.C. (one with bar), four the D.C.M., fifteen the M.M., four the Meritorious Medal, three the French medal (Croix-de-Guerre), and eleven were mentioned in dispatches. A glorious record for 400 men to have earned.. There were 129 members wounded (some three and even four times), and 58 gave up their lives for the county they loved in that greatest of all wars that Great Britain has ever had, to keep for the Empire her greatest possession—her freedom. It was in deep gratitude of the sacrifice that their comrades had made that those who had survived had erected that memorial which he was truly proud to unveil. Capt. Lionel Lindsay handed over the memorial to Sir T. Mansel Franklin, who, accepting it on behalf of the Glamorgan County Council, said that he was proud to accept the custody of [the] memorial on behalf of the police authority. It had been erected by the members of the Glamorgan Constabulary at their own expense to record the lasting memory of their comrades. They were all friends of the police, and the people of Glamorgan knew that their police force would always do its duty. Sir Thomas added that all the names on the memorial were recorded on a tablet in the county hall. Amongst those prevent were:...' [The report then concluded by listing the main dignitaries and Police officers present]. www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000104/19251123/153/0008
  • Details of the WW1 casualties can be found on the South Wales Police Heritage Centre website, at www.south-wales.police.uk/police-forces/south-wales-police/areas/about-us/about-us/south-wales-police-heritage-centre/heritage-news/The-First-World-War/ www.south-wales.police.uk/search?q=centenary and www.south-wales.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/images/south-wales/about-us/heritage-centre/2749-20-great-war-concluding-the-story.pdf
  • Glamorgan Advertiser Friday 28/5/1948 reported at length on the unveiling of the WW2 plaques on the memorial, which opened: 'Memorial to Police War Dead. UNVEILED AT COUNTY H.Q. BRIDGEND. Col. Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, Bt., K.C., on Sunday afternoon unveiled a tablet in memory of the 28 members of the Glamorgan Constabulary and Police Auxiliaries who lost their lives in World War II. Despite the rain, a large crowd of people assembled at the County Police Headquarters, Bridgend, to witness the ceremony. The memorial service was conducted by the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Llandaff, assisted by the Rev. William Evans, pastor of the English Congregational Church, Bridgend (Wil Ifan, the Archdruid of Wales). The Bishop opened the service with a reading from the Psalms, after which the hymn "O God, our help in ages past" was sung. The Archdruid then read the Lesson, which was the 23rd Psalm "The Lord is my Shepherd"'. Following the recording of further details of the service, the report continued: 'After reading the roll of honour, Mr. Joseph Jones. C.B.E., Chief Constable of Glamorgan, said: "Let us remember the sacrifice made in their country's cause by those we honour today."... There followed the unveiling ceremony, performed by Col. Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, who said that the Glamorgan Police and the County Standing Joint Committee, in inviting him to do so, had paid him a great honour. It brought back to him amongst other things, the remembrance of his long association with the Standing Joint Committee, of which he was chairman for so many years. He said that in the first world war 403 members of the Glamorgan Police Force joined the colours. They won 48 decorations and 11 mentions in despatches—a magnificent record. Of these men, 58 paid the supreme sacrifice-20 of them Welsh Guardsmen: 150 were seriously wounded. In the second world war, only a certain number of the regular police were allowed to join the armed forces, as danger also threatened on the home front. In spite of this condition, 251 regular police officers joined the colours and many more tried to get leave to join. They won many decorations. Of these men 11 lost their lives and 40 were wounded. Of the auxiliary police, 17 lost their lives and 41 were wounded. The total of 86 police officers killed in both wars included three who lost their lives whilst on their civilian police duties. Col. Rhys-Williams closed with the words: “By their devotion to devotion to their native land, they helped considerably to win the victory which gave us the freedom of Europe. They have earned for themselves undying glory"' After giving details of the two-minute silence and sounding of Reveille, the report continued: 'When the bugler had sounded the "Reveille," the Lord Bishop performed the dedication, and County Alderman William Arthur Jones, J.P., chairman of the Glamorgan Police Authority, accepted the custody of the memorial tablet from the Chief Constable. Prayers were offered by the Archdruid, and the hymn. "Wele'n sefyll rhwng y myrtwydd" was sung. The hymn ended, relatives, friends and members of the public placed wreaths at the base of the memorial. The Lord Bishop pronounced the Benediction, and the crowd sang "Mae Hen Wlad fy Nhadau" and "God Save the King." (The service closed with a march past by 300 members of Glamorgan Constabulary, plus other units in uniform, the salute being taken by Colonel Sir Gerald T. Bruce KCB., CMG., DSO., TD., Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan). www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003446/19480528/035/0003
  • Western Mail Monday 24/5/1948 (page 1) printed a photo of the Remembrance service at Bridgend HQ, with the caption: 'A memorial service in memory of members of the Glamorgan Police Force and Police Auxiliaries who lost their lives in the war was held at Police Headquarters, Bridgend, yesterday. Our photograph shows a general view of the ceremony. Inset the Chief -constable of Glamorgan (Mr. Joseph Jones) reading the roll of honour'. www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000104/19480524/009/0001
  • Western Mail 17/2/1947 (page 3) printed a lengthy report of the ceremonial opening of the Police HQ at Bridgend: 'THE new Glamorgan Constabulary Headquarters at Bridgend —formerly the administration block of the Royal Ordnance Factory and purchased by the county authority for £68,000—was formally opened on Saturday by Mr. Chuter Ede, the Home Secretary'. www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000104/19470217/038/0003
  • Western Mail Tuesday 10/12/1946 (page 2) reported the Chief Constable's Annual Report, in which mention was made that: 'Incidental to the arrangements being made for the change of the county police headquarters from Canton to Bridgend will be the removal of the 1914-18 War Memorial, and permission is to be sought to fix a tablet in memory of the force's casualties in the second World War'. www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000104/19461210/028/0002

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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