Figure of Victory atop Exeter War Memorial

Exeter War Memorial, also known as The Northernhay War Memorial is a

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

Northernhay Gardens Northernhay Gardens are located in Exeter, Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the E ...

in the city of

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

. Designed by John Angel, it was erected by public subscription in 1923 and cost over £6,000.

History

At the time, John Angel was spending four years as an assistant to Sir

George Frampton Sir George James Frampton, (18 June 1860 – 21 May 1928) was a British sculptor. He was a leading member of the New Sculpture movement in his early career when he created sculptures with elements of Art Nouveau and Symbolism, often combinin ...

, and his influence is apparent in the

allegorical As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory throughou ...

style. The figure of "Peace" (also known as ''Victory'' .) was exhibited by Angel at The Royal Academy in 1922, being exhibited in the courtyard of

Burlington House Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in Mayfair, London. It was originally a private English Baroque and then Neo-Palladian mansion owned by the Earl of Burlington, Earls of Burlington. It was significantly expanded in the mid-19th cent ...

, as were other studies of this and the Bridgewater War Memorial on several occasions. Quarried from Blackingstone Quarry, near

Moretonhampstead Moretonhampstead is a market town, parish and ancient manor in Devon, situated on the north-eastern edge of Dartmoor, within the Dartmoor National Park. The parish now includes the hamlet of Doccombe (), and it is surrounded clockwise from the ...

, and erected by Messrs. Easton & Son of Exeter, it is a total of high, with a high pedestal. The figure representing Victory, tall, is said to hold "aloft a spray of laurels in token of gratitude to Heaven. Boldly modelled, and with considerable action, this figure, standing on a dragon, forms an interesting silhouette from all sides." On each of the four arms of the cross is a bronze figure representing the war, including a soldier, a sailor on the hull of a ship, a prisoner of war, and a

V.A.D. The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) was a voluntary unit of civilians providing nursing care for military personnel in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire. The most important periods of operation for these units we ...

nurse in uniform holding a bandage. The figures would each be in height if they were standing. The dedication ceremony for the memorial was celebrated by the

Bishop of Crediton The Bishop of Crediton is an episcopal title which takes its name from the town of Crediton in Devon, England. The title was originally used by the Anglo-Saxons in the 10th and 11th centuries for a diocese covering Devon and Cornwall. It is no ...

Robert Trefusis. It was unveiled by the Right Honourable

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

David Beatty. Ceremonies were concluded by a trumpeter on Athelstan's Tower who played

The Last Post The "Last Post" is a British and Commonwealth bugle call used at military funerals, and at ceremonies commemorating those who have died in war. Versions The "Last Post" is either an A or a B♭ bugle call, primarily within British infantr ...

. During World War II a tall brick wall was built around the memorial, leaving just the figure on top visible, to protect it against possible bomb damage. After the war additional bronze plaques were added on the base to honour the soldiers killed in that conflict. The memorial is one of two civic memorials in Exeter, the other being the

Devon County War Memorial The Devon County War Memorial is a First World War memorial, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and situated on Cathedral Green in Exeter, the county town of Devon, in the south west of England. It is one of fifteen War Crosses designed by Lutyens ...

Sir Edwin Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memorials ...

, in the form a simple cross outside

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The presen ...

. The two memorials were the responsibility of separate committees; the city and county memorial committees conspicuously failed to work together. According to Sir James Owen, chairman of the Exeter City War Memorial Committee, the city offered a joint committee but the county "slammed the door in our face", while

Hugh Fortescue, 4th Earl Fortescue Hugh Fortescue, 4th Earl Fortescue (16 April 1854 – 29 October 1932), styled Viscount Ebrington from 1861 to 1905, was an English Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1881 until 1892 and later in the House of Lords havin ...

, chairman of the Devon County War Memorial Committee, accused the city of proceeding with its own project without any discussion with the county.

21st century events

In November 2010, following the death of

Harry Patch Henry John Patch (17 June 1898 – 25 July 2009), dubbed in his later years "the Last Fighting Tommy", was an English supercentenarian, briefly the oldest man in Europe, and the world's last surviving trench combat soldier of the First World ...

, the last English survivor of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

trench warfare Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising Trench#Military engineering, military trenches, in which combatants are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from a ...

, a ceremony was held at the memorial. Devon historian Dr. Todd Gray noted that with his death, the time for remembrance had arrived: Now ". . . we are at that point. . . . The city's Great War memorial was created so that future generations would know about the sacrifices men made on their behalf. In the years that have followed this monument and all others have evolved into memorials for all war and I would encourage any Exonian who has a few moments to show their respect." As Dr. Gray observed, this is one of hundreds of World War I memorials scattered around Devon. He believes that even though they are nearly a century old, they are relevant today, as they are community centers for sharing and grief. On 10 September 2012, a new memorial to honour those from Exeter who gave their lives since World War II was dedicated. It is said to be a "complement" to the 1923 memorial. The dedication was hosted by

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...

Sir

Stuart Peach Air Chief Marshal Stuart William Peach, Baron Peach (born 22 February 1956) is a British retired senior Royal Air Force officer. After training as a navigator, Peach commanded IX (Bomber) Squadron and then became Deputy Station Commander RAF Br ...

. The memorial will honour ten Exeter servicemen who "lost their lives in conflicts overseas", including those in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

, Iraq, and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. Family members of the soldiers were consulted as to its form. Attendees included the

Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

Councillor Rob Newby, the

Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The current bishop is Mike Harrison (bishop), Mike Harrison, since 2024. From the first bishop until the sixteent ...

the Rt. Rev. Michael Langrish, and battalion and regimental representatives from the units in which the fallen had served. Mayor Newby stated, "As a city, we already honour our dead from the two Great Wars, and it is fitting that we honour those who have fallen since 1945. This memorial allows us to do just that." The polished granite tablet has a remembrance exhortation and lists ten names. The

Exeter City Council Exeter City Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the city of Exeter in Devon, England. Exeter has had a city council since medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1974 it has been a non-met ...

commissioned it upon the suggestion of Kirianne Curley, widow of one of the honoured fallen. It will continue to be the site of local services on

Remembrance Sunday Remembrance Sunday is held in the United Kingdom as a day to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts. It is held on the second Sunday in Nov ...

. Like the original dedication ceremony, this too concluded with a playing of ''The Last Post''. In September 2014,

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...

designated the original memorial as a Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. File:Exeter War Memorial, Northernhay Gardens (17).jpg, Detail of the VAD nurse File:Exeter War Memorial, Northernhay Gardens (21).jpg, Detail of the sailor File:Exeter War Memorial, Northernhay Gardens (24).jpg, Detail of the soldier File:Exeter War Memorial, Northernhay Gardens (13).jpg, Detail of the prisoner of war File:Angel at the Exeter War Memorial.jpg, John Angel at his memorial in the 1950s File:Exeter City War Memorial, Northernhay Gardens in springtime.jpg, The memorial in its setting in Rougemont gardens

References

External links

* {{cite web , url=http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/story/2012-09-10/exeter-memorial-unveiled/ , title=Exeter War Memorial Unveiled , date=10 September 2012 , accessdate=10 September 2012 , format=video , publisher= ITV Buildings and structures in Exeter Monuments and memorials in Devon Grade II* listed buildings in Devon Grade II* listed monuments and memorials Buildings and structures completed in 1923 British military memorials and cemeteries Bronze sculptures in the United Kingdom World War I memorials in England World War II memorials in England Victory monuments Tourist attractions in Exeter

History

21st century events

See also

References

External links