Midland Railway War Memorial

Midland Railway War Memorial
England
For The Great War
Unveiled 15 December 1921 (1921-12-15)
Location 52°54′56″N 1°27′53″W / 52.91556°N 1.46472°W / 52.91556; -1.46472
near Derby
Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (architect)
Total commemorated
 2833
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name Midland Railway War Memorial
Designated 24 February 1977
Reference no. 403266

The Midland Railway War Memorial was erected in Derby, England in 1921 to commemorate employees of the Midland Railway killed during The Great War.

History and design

During The Great War, 22,941 employees of the Company enlisted, 7,068 were wounded and 2,833 were killed. The memorial was commissioned by the Midland Railway and is located adjacent to Derby railway station in front of the Midland Hotel. It cost £10,958 in 1920 (equivalent to £396,953 in 2015)[1] and was built by Parnell and Son.[2]

It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens RA, who also designed the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval. The Midland Railway War Memorial is one of eight cenotaphs (empty tombs) constructed to his designs after the First World War, including The Cenotaph in Whitehall, others include Southampton Cenotaph, Manchester Cenotaph, Rochdale Cenotaph, and the Norwich Cenotaph. It is one of two commissioned by a railway company the other is the North Eastern Railway War Memorial in York.

The memorial is constructed from Portland stone and is 31 feet in height, with semi-columns supporting the prostate body of a fighting man, laid to rest, on a catafalque mounted on the heads of four lions. The coat of arms of the Midland Railway sits inside a wreath located on either side. The inscription is carved at the front and reads

TO
THE BRAVE MEN
OF
THE
MIDLAND
RAILWAY
WHO GAVE
THEIR LIVES
IN
THE GREAT WAR

Each side is carved with MCM XIV † XIX (1914–1919)

The Cenotaph is flanked by a 7 foot high wall, set back from the road to form two rectangular alcoves, each 20 feet wide by 10 feet deep. Attached to the back wall of these alcoves are bronze plaques inscribed with the names of the 2833 dead with a small step in front, to allow children to view the names of the fallen close-up. The names are listed in alphabetical order with no indication of military rank or service. The names are published in a contemporaneous book.[3] A copy of the book complete with a line drawing of the memorial was sent to the families of the dead along with a free travel pass to the parents, widows and children of the fallen in order to see the memorial.[4]

On the 15 December 1921, a service of dedication was led by The Right Reverend Edwyn Hoskyns, then Bishop of Southwell and Mr. Charles Booth, Chairman of the Midland Railway.[5]

The memorial was listed as Grade II* by English Heritage on 24 February 1977 [6]

Bronze theft

Two men were jailed in 2010 for stealing four bronze plaques from the Memorial.[7] The plaques were recovered [8] and restored by Network Rail and the Railway Heritage Trust at a cost of £18,000.[9] A service of re-dedication took place on 17 December 2010 using the original Prayer of Dedication from the 1921 service, read by the Rev James Lindsay.[10]

State of preservation

The memorial is known locally only as “The Statue” and although the Cenotaph has been refurbished, the remainder of the site is neglected suffering from vandalism, litter and a general lack of care. As the site is North facing it remains damp, attracting moss which makes the whole area look dirty. The rear of the Memorial is overgrown with shrubbery from the adjacent hotel gardens and the surrounding area is rundown and impoverished.

Since 2002, responsibility for the maintenance of the memorial has lain with Network Rail.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Midland Railway War Memorial, Derby.

References

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