Southend-on-Sea War Memorial

Southend-on-Sea War Memorial
Southend-on-Sea War Memorial
United Kingdom
	For men from Southend killed in the First World War
Unveiled	27 November 1921
Location	51°32′03″N0°42′18″E / 51.53423°N 0.70495°E ; Clifftown Parade, Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Designed by	Sir Edwin Lutyens
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name	Southend-on-Sea War Memorial
Designated	23 August 1974
Reference no.	1322329

Last updated October 29, 2023

Southend-on-Sea War Memorial, or Southend War Memorial, is a First World War memorial in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in south-eastern England. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and unveiled in 1921. Southend-on-Sea is a seaside resort famous for its pleasure pier, which was used by the military during the First World War. The town was a stopping point for soldiers en route to the front and, as the war drew on, it also became an important disembarkation point for the evacuation of injured troops. This saw the conversion of several buildings in Southend into hospitals.

A committee appointed Lutyens, the architect of The Cenotaph, to design a permanent memorial as a replacement for temporary shrines. He originally proposed a cenotaph but this was rejected in favour of an obelisk rising from a screen wall. In front of the monument is a garden, also designed by Lutyens, and the words "lest we forget" are set in stone on a lawn. Instead of carving them on the memorial, the names of the 1,338 dead from Southend are recorded on plaques fixed to the walls of Prittlewell Priory. The memorial is one of six obelisks Lutyens designed for war memorials in Britain and closely resembles those for Northampton and for the North Eastern Railway. It was largely praised by art historians but one Lutyens biographer felt the lettering in the grass detracted from it.

The memorial was unveiled on 27 November 1921 by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex and dedicated by the Bishop of Chelmsford in front of a large crowd. Invited guests included the mayor, local clergy, veterans from the district, and organisations which had contributed to the war effort in the area. The memorial became a listed building in 1974. Lutyens's memorials were declared a national collection in 2015 to commemorate the centenary of the war and Southend's was upgraded to grade II*. A statue of a soldier was added in 2019.

Background

In the aftermath of the First World War, thousands of war memorials were built across Britain. Among the most prominent designers of memorials was the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, described by Historic England as "the leading English architect of his generation".^[1] Lutyens established his reputation building country houses for wealthy clients around the turn of the twentieth century and later designed much of New Delhi, but the war had a profound effect on him. Thereafter, many of his commissions involved commemorating its casualties. He became renowned for The Cenotaph in London, which became Britain's national memorial, and for his work for the Imperial War Graves Commission.^[1]

Southend-on-Sea is a seaside resort on the Thames Estuary, 40 miles (60 kilometres) east of London. The town (which became a city in 2022) is famous for its pleasure pier.^[2] Immediately to the east is Shoeburyness, a garrison town and home to a military installation; to the north was an aerodrome (now Southend Airport), which became a naval air station. Shortly after the declaration of war, the British government began the internment of German citizens and several hundred were held on three ships moored off the pier. Many soldiers passed through Southend en route to the Western Front. The pier was frequently used to reach troop ships and Southchurch Park was taken over as an army training ground.^[3] As the war drew on, Southend also became an evacuation point for casualties and several hotels were converted to hospitals.^[4] The town was bombed by German Zeppelins twice in May 1915.^[5] Another bombing raid in 1917 caused more damage and 33 deaths.^[6]

Commissioning

The formal end of the war, brought about by the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919, saw celebrations in Southend and elsewhere. Four days of commemorative events began with a military parade in London on 19 July^[7] and on 23 July a fleet review was held in the Thames Estuary and the assembled warships fired a 21-gun salute. Multiple unofficial temporary shrines were made to commemorate Southend's casualties. At the end of the war, the town council agreed that these would be replaced with a permanent monument. A war memorial committee was founded, chaired by the mayor, to consider designs and sites. Among the proposals were a new wing for the local hospital, homes for disabled veterans, and gardens in Prittlewell Square. The committee ultimately decided on a site at the top of the cliffs, previously the location of a flagpole.^[8]

The committee commissioned Lutyens, who first suggested a variation of The Cenotaph. A sketch for the proposal is in the archives of the Royal Institute of British Architects. It is broadly similar to the Royal Berkshire Regiment's memorial in Reading in that it features an urn at the top. This was rejected in favour of an obelisk, which Lutyens designed for a fee of £5,500, and which the committee approved in 1921. Once the design was agreed, the project proceeded smoothly. To raise funds, concerts were laid on in the town and a fishing competition was held on the pier. Any surplus funds would be used to provide scholarships for children of the dead. Instead of engraving the names of the dead on the memorial, the committee decided to emboss the 1,338 names on tablets which would be fixed to the walls of Prittlewell Priory, a former religious building which became the town museum in the 1920s.^[1]^[8]^[9]

Design

Southend War Memorial consists of an obelisk surrounded on three sides by a screen wall, entirely in Portland stone. The obelisk tapers and rises to a height of approximately 36 feet (11 metres). It sits on a square base, below which is a moulded cornice. The cornice connects the base to a pedestal, which is in six stages of unequal size and shape. The lowest stage is incorporated into the screen wall, which narrows, forming an enclosure. Instead of the screen wall, at the front of the memorial (viewed from the north), is a flight of six shallow steps. The obelisk is approached via another two shallow steps. At the ends of the walls are bronze mounts for flags. The only sculptural features on the obelisk are two laurel wreaths on the north and south faces of the middle stage of the pedestal. The obelisk is flanked by a pair of painted stone flags which rise from the lower stages of the pedestal—the Union Flag on the west side and the White Ensign (the flag of the Royal Navy) on the east.^[1]^[10]

Above the laurel wreath on the north face are the dates of the two world wars in Roman numerals (the dates of the Second World War were added later). Below the laurel wreath is the dedication OUR GLORIOUS DEAD and at the bottom of the pedestal is the dedication:

THE NAMES OF THE 1338 MEN OF
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
IN HONOURED MEMORY OF WHOM
THIS MEMORIAL
WAS ERECTED BY GRATEFUL RESIDENTS
ARE RECORDED UPON A TABLET
PLACED IN THE REFECTORY AT
PRITTLEWELL PRIORY

At the very bottom is a quote from Laurence Binyon's poem "For the Fallen": "At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them". Later plaques are affixed—one to the base (above the lowest inscription), noting the recording of the names in the priory, and one from the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women on the screen wall.^[1]

The memorial is sited in a prominent position at the top of a cliff, overlooking the Thames Estuary. A low hedge separates it from a cliff-top footpath. The monument stands in a garden off Clifftown Parade. The garden was also designed by Lutyens as part of the memorial scheme. It consists of a lawn surrounded by paths and flower beds and is enclosed by chains suspended from low bollards. The words "lest we forget" are formed from Portland stone chippings in the grass.^[1]^[11]^[12]

The painted stone flags flanking the obelisk
The Union Flag (east side)
The flags seen from the north
The White Ensign (west side)

History

Southend-on-Sea War Memorial was unveiled by Amelius Lockwood, 1st Baron Lambourne, the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, at a ceremony on 27 November 1921. It was dedicated by the Right Reverend Dr John Watts Ditchfield, Bishop of Chelmsford. The assembled crowd was one of the largest public gatherings ever recorded in the town. Soldiers from D Company of the 6th Battalion, Essex Regiment, provided a guard of honour and representatives of local organisations who were involved in the local war effort also attended.^[8]^[9]^[10] Also present were the mayor and all members of the borough corporation and several local clergy, who gave readings. Other invited guests included decorated veterans or (for the deceased) their next of kin, and representatives of the British Legion and the Naval and Military Club.^[8]^[10] The bishop praised the efforts of the dead and returned servicemen but lamented the widespread unemployment and unrest which followed the end of the war.^[10]

The memorial was designated a Grade II listed building on 23 August 1974.^[1] In November 2015, as part of commemorations for the centenary of the First World War, Lutyens's war memorials were recognised as a national collection and all of his free-standing memorials in England were listed or had their listing status reviewed and their National Heritage List for England list entries were updated and expanded. As part of this process, Southend's memorial was upgraded to Grade II*.^[13]

To commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War, Southend-on-Sea Council commissioned a bronze statue of a soldier, which was installed in front of the memorial, at the south end of the lawn, in November 2019. The statue was created by a local sculptor, Dave Taylor, who intended it to resemble a soldier on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.^[14]^[15] Historic England consider that the "contrasting yet appropriate materials will complement the existing composition, adding a further layer of meaning".^[16]

Appreciation

Lutyens used obelisks in six of his war memorials in Britain, of which Southend's was the first to be completed. It closely resembles the obelisks on Northampton War Memorial which also support painted flags. The overall design is similar to Lutyens's North Eastern Railway War Memorial in York, which also includes a screen wall. Lutyens also used painted flags on an obelisk in Bury for the Lancashire Fusiliers War Memorial and at Étaples Military Cemetery, and he used similar obelisks to flank his Manchester Cenotaph. Obelisks were a fairly common form of memorial in larger towns after the First World War, particularly in coastal locations such as Southend, given the historical use of obelisks as navigational aids for shipping.^[1]^[17]

According to the art historian Alan Borg, the Southend obelisk has "subtle echoes" of The Cenotaph in it that other Lutyens obelisks do not.^[17] A local newspaper, the Essex Chronicle , called it a "fine memorial" and "a beautiful obelisk of Portland stone" in 1921,^[10] and the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner praised the "remarkably subtly proportioned" base and pedestal.^[12] Tim Skelton, in Lutyens and the Great War (2008), felt that the lettering in the grass detracted from the memorial's setting.^[11] Historic England, in upgrading the memorial's listing, described it as "an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community" and "a simple yet elegant obelisk incorporating carved decoration and two heavily detailed, painted stone flags" and noted its importance as one of 58 memorials designed by Lutyens in the UK and abroad.^[1]

Related Research Articles

Manchester Cenotaph is a war memorial in St Peter's Square, Manchester, England. Manchester was late in commissioning a First World War memorial compared with most British towns and cities; the city council did not convene a war memorial committee until 1922. The committee quickly achieved its target of raising £10,000 but finding a suitable location for the monument proved controversial. The preferred site in Albert Square would have required the removal and relocation of other statues and monuments, and was opposed by the city's artistic bodies. The next choice was Piccadilly Gardens, an area already identified for a possible art gallery and library; but in the interests of speedier delivery, the memorial committee settled on St Peter's Square. The area within the square had been had been purchased by the City Council in 1906, having been the site of the former St Peter's Church; whose sealed burial crypts remained with burials untouched and marked above ground by a memorial stone cross. Negotiations to remove these stalled so the construction of the cenotaph proceeded with the cross and burials in situ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southampton Cenotaph</span> War memorial in Southampton, England

Southampton Cenotaph is a First World War memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and located in Watts Park in the southern English city of Southampton. The memorial was the first of dozens by Lutyens to be built in permanent form and it influenced his later designs, including the Cenotaph in London. It is a tapering, multi-tiered pylon which culminates in a series of diminishing layers before terminating in a sarcophagus which features a recumbent figure of a soldier. In front is an altar-like Stone of Remembrance. The cenotaph contains multiple sculptural details including a prominent cross, the town's coat of arms, and two lions. The names of the dead are inscribed on three sides. Although similar in outline, later cenotaphs by Lutyens were much more austere and featured almost no sculpture. The design uses abstract, ecumenical features and lifts the recumbent soldier high above eye level, anonymising him.

Rochdale Cenotaph is a First World War memorial on the Esplanade in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in the north west of England. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it is one of seven memorials in England based on his Cenotaph in London and one of his more ambitious designs. The memorial was unveiled in 1922 and consists of a raised platform bearing Lutyens' characteristic Stone of Remembrance next to a 10-metre (33 ft) pylon topped by an effigy of a recumbent soldier. A set of painted stone flags surrounds the pylon.

The Arch of Remembrance is a First World War memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and located in Victoria Park, Leicester, in the East Midlands of England. Leicester's industry contributed significantly to the British war effort. A temporary war memorial was erected in 1917, and a committee was formed in 1919 to propose a permanent memorial. The committee resolved to appoint Lutyens as architect and to site the memorial in Victoria Park. Lutyens's first proposal was accepted by the committee but was scaled back and eventually cancelled due to a shortage of funds. The committee then asked Lutyens to design a memorial arch, which he presented to a public meeting in 1923.

The South African War Memorial is a First World War memorial in Richmond Cemetery in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, the memorial is in the form of a cenotaph, similar to that on Whitehall, also by Lutyens. It was commissioned by the South African Hospital and Comforts Fund Committee to commemorate the 39 South African soldiers who died of their wounds at a military hospital in Richmond Park during the First World War. The memorial was unveiled by General Jan Smuts in 1921 and was the focus of pilgrimages from South Africa through the 1920s and 1930s, after which it was largely forgotten until the 1980s when the Commonwealth War Graves Commission took responsibility for its maintenance. It has been a grade II listed building since 2012.

Spalding War Memorial is a First World War memorial in the gardens of Ayscoughfee Hall in Spalding, Lincolnshire, in eastern England. It was designed by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. The proposal for a memorial to Spalding's war dead originated in January 1918 with Barbara McLaren, whose husband and the town's Member of Parliament, Francis McLaren, was killed in a flying accident during the war. She engaged Lutyens via a family connection and the architect produced a plan for a grand memorial cloister surrounding a circular pond, in the middle of which would be a cross. The memorial was to be built in the formal gardens of Ayscoughfee Hall, which was owned by the local district council. When McLaren approached the council with her proposal, it generated considerable debate within the community and several alternative schemes were suggested. After a public meeting and a vote in 1919, a reduced-scale version of McLaren's proposal emerged as the preferred option, in conjunction with a clock on the town's corn exchange building.

Northampton War Memorial, officially the Town and County War Memorial, is a First World War memorial on Wood Hill in the centre of Northampton, the county town of Northamptonshire, in central England. Designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, it is a Stone of Remembrance flanked by twin obelisks draped with painted stone flags standing in a small garden in what was once part of the churchyard of All Saints' Church.

Norwich War Memorial is a First World War memorial in Norwich in Eastern England. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the last of his eight cenotaphs to be erected in England. Prior to Lutyens' involvement, several abandoned proposals had been made for commemorating Norwich's war dead, and by 1926 the newly elected lord mayor was determined to see the construction of a memorial before he left office. He established an appeal to raise funds for local hospitals in memory of the dead as well as a physical monument. He commissioned Lutyens, who designed an empty tomb (cenotaph) atop a low screen wall from which protrudes a Stone of Remembrance. Bronze flambeaux at either end can burn gas to emit a flame. Lutyens also designed a roll of honour, on which the names of the city's dead are listed, which was installed in Norwich Castle in 1931.

Mells War Memorial is a First World War memorial by Sir Edwin Lutyens in the village of Mells in the Mendip Hills of Somerset, south-western England. Unveiled in 1921, the memorial is one of multiple buildings and structures Lutyens designed in Mells. His friendship with two prominent families in the area, the Horners and the Asquiths, led to a series of commissions; among his other works in the village are memorials to two sons—one from each family—killed in the war. Lutyens toured the village with local dignitaries in search of a suitable site for the war memorial, after which he was prompted to remark "all their young men were killed".

The York City War Memorial is a First World War memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and located in York in the north of England. Proposals for commemorating York's war dead originated in 1919 but proved controversial. Initial discussions focused on whether a memorial should be a monument or should take on some utilitarian purpose. Several functional proposals were examined until a public meeting in January 1920 opted for a monument. The city engineer produced a cost estimate and the war memorial committee engaged Lutyens, who had recently been commissioned by the North Eastern Railway (NER) to design their own war memorial, also to be sited in York.

The North Eastern Railway War Memorial is a First World War memorial in York in northern England. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens to commemorate employees of the North Eastern Railway (NER) who left to fight in the First World War and were killed while serving. The NER board voted in early 1920 to allocate £20,000 for a memorial and commissioned Lutyens. The committee for the York City War Memorial followed suit and also appointed Lutyens, but both schemes became embroiled in controversy. Concerns were raised from within the community about the effect of the NER memorial on the city walls and its impact on the proposed scheme for the city's war memorial, given that the two memorials were planned to be 100 yards apart and the city's budget was a tenth of the NER's. The controversy was resolved after Lutyens modified his plans for the NER memorial to move it away from the walls and the city opted for a revised scheme on land just outside the walls; coincidentally the land was owned by the NER, whose board donated it to the city.

The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment Cenotaph is a First World War memorial dedicated to members of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment and located in Maidstone in Kent, south-eastern England. Unveiled in 1921, the memorial was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens following his design for the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London and is today a grade II* listed building.

The Royal Berkshire Regiment War Memorial or Royal Berkshire Regiment Cenotaph is a First World War memorial dedicated to members of the Royal Berkshire Regiment and located in Brock Barracks in Reading, Berkshire, in south-east England. Unveiled in 1921, the memorial was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, based on his design for the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London, and is today a grade II* listed building.

The Lancashire Fusiliers War Memorial is a First World War memorial dedicated to members of the Lancashire Fusiliers killed in that conflict. Outside the Fusilier Museum in Bury, Greater Manchester, in North West England, it was unveiled in 1922—on the seventh anniversary of the landing at Cape Helles, part of the Gallipoli Campaign in which the regiment suffered particularly heavy casualties. The memorial was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Lutyens was commissioned in light of a family connection—his father and great uncle were officers in the Lancashire Fusiliers, a fact noted on a plaque nearby. He designed a tall, slender obelisk in Portland stone. The regiment's cap badge is carved near the top on the front and rear, surrounded by a laurel wreath. Further down are inscriptions containing the regiment's motto and a dedication. Two painted stone flags hang from the sides.

The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry War Memorial is a First World War memorial in the Cowley area of Oxford in southern England. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it commemorates men of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry killed in the conflict; it was unveiled on Armistice Day, 11 November 1923, and has been a grade II listed building since 1972.

The Leeds Rifles War Memorial is a First World War memorial outside Leeds Minster on Kirkgate in Leeds, West Yorkshire in northern England. The memorial was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, one of 15 instances of his War Cross and the only one commissioned by a regiment. The memorial, dedicated to members of the Leeds Rifles who fell in the First World War, was unveiled on Remembrance Sunday, 13 November 1921, and is today a grade II listed building.

The Welch Regiment War Memorial, also known as the Maindy Monument is a First World War memorial at Maindy Barracks in the Cathays area of Cardiff in Wales. The memorial was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and follows his design for the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London. Unveiled in 1924, it commemorates men of the Welch Regiment who fell in the First World War, and is today a grade II listed building.

Hove War Memorial is a First World War memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and located on Grand Avenue in Hove, part of the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. Hove was the site of one of the earliest recruiting events at the beginning of the war and later of several military hospitals. Over 600 men from the town were killed during the war, a quarter of them from the local regiment alone. A war memorial committee was established in 1919 and Lutyens was engaged as architect. A design was agreed in 1920 after two unsuccessful proposals; Lutyens chose the site from several options.

Lower Swell War Memorial is a First World War memorial in the centre of the village of Lower Swell in Gloucestershire in south-western England. The memorial, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, was unveiled in 1921 and is today a grade II listed building.

Muncaster War Memorial is a First World War memorial in the parish of Muncaster on the west coast of Cumbria in the far north-west of England. The memorial is one of fifteen War Crosses designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens; it was unveiled in 1922 and is now a grade II listed building.

References

Bibliography

Bettley, James; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2007). Essex. The Buildings of England. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300116144.
Borg, Alan (1991). War Memorials: From Antiquity to the Present. London: Leo Cooper. ISBN 9780850523638.
Clamp, Frances (2014). Southend-on-Sea in the Great War (Kindle ed.). Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 9781473841307.
Skelton, Tim; Gliddon, Gerald (2008). Lutyens and the Great War. London: Frances Lincoln Publishers. ISBN 9780711228788.

Citations

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Historic England. "Southend-on-Sea War Memorial (1322329)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 21 February 2016.
↑ Clamp, p. 4.
↑ Clamp, pp. 16–17.
↑ Clamp, p. 29.
↑ Clamp, pp. 32–41.
↑ Clamp, p. 118.
↑ "This month in history: Peace Day, July 1919". The London Gazette . Retrieved 21 July 2023.
1 2 3 4 Clamp, p. 163.
1 2 Skelton & Gliddon, p. 75.
1 2 3 4 5 "Southend's Obelisk: Fine Memorial Dedicated". Essex Chronicle . 2 December 1921. p. 6.
1 2 Skelton & Gliddon, p. 176.
1 2 Bettley & Pevsner, p. 698.
↑ "National Collection of Lutyens' War Memorials Listed". Historic England. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
↑ Hackett, Kloe (31 October 2019). "Long Awaited Soldier Sculpture Comes to Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday". The Echo . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
↑ "Life-size WW1 Statue Unveiled in Southend". ITV News. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
↑ "Erect bronze statue of soldier in front of Cenotaph War Memorial (Listed Building Consent and Planning Permission)" (PDF). Southend City Council. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
1 2 Borg, p. 88.

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[NHLE-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Historic England. "Southend-on-Sea War Memorial (1322329)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 21 February 2016.

[2] Clamp, p. 4.

[3] Clamp, pp. 16–17.

[4] Clamp, p. 29.

[5] Clamp, pp. 32–41.

[6] Clamp, p. 118.

[7] "This month in history: Peace Day, July 1919". The London Gazette . Retrieved 21 July 2023.

[Clamp_163-8] 1 2 3 4 Clamp, p. 163.

[p75-9] 1 2 Skelton & Gliddon, p. 75.

[chronicle-10] 1 2 3 4 5 "Southend's Obelisk: Fine Memorial Dedicated". Essex Chronicle . 2 December 1921. p. 6.

[SK_176-11] 1 2 Skelton & Gliddon, p. 176.

[Pevsner-12] 1 2 Bettley & Pevsner, p. 698.

[13] "National Collection of Lutyens' War Memorials Listed". Historic England. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2016.

[14] Hackett, Kloe (31 October 2019). "Long Awaited Soldier Sculpture Comes to Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday". The Echo . Retrieved 9 April 2023.

[15] "Life-size WW1 Statue Unveiled in Southend". ITV News. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2023.

[16] "Erect bronze statue of soldier in front of Cenotaph War Memorial (Listed Building Consent and Planning Permission)" (PDF). Southend City Council. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2023.

[Borg-17] 1 2 Borg, p. 88.

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