Memorial

Statue 1914-18 1939-45 Town Centre

Haydon Bridge

Memorial Name: Statue 1914-18 1939-45 Town Centre (H24.01)

NEWMP Ref No.: H24.01

Parish: Haydon Bridge

Original Location:

Originally at one end of the bridge.

Present Location:

Town Centre, outside St. Cuthbert’s Church.

Which War:

a. 1914-18
b. 1939-45

Dedication, Creation or Publication date:

a. Unveiled September 25th 1921 by General Sir Loftus Bates,
dedicated by Rev. T.B. Trantor.
b. 1948

Materials Used:

Bronze statue on stone plinth, with cast iron.

Who Commissioned:

Parish War Memorial Committee (Chairman, Mr. Ainger; Secretary, Mr. W.W. Ridley, Treasurer, Mr. Swalton).

Cost:

a. £475 for figure; £425 for surround including tablets and laying on of gas; Architect’s fee £72.

Sculptor, Artist or Designer:

Designed by Mr. Charlewood, Architect;
made by Mr. Aves

Ownership and Maintenance: The memorial was handed over to Parish Council at the unveiling ceremony.

Inscription:

a.
In proud and
loving memory
of the men of the
parish of Haydon
who gave their lives
for King and Country
in the Great War
1914-1919.

b.
Also in memory of those who fell 1939-1945.

Memorial Description:

Statue of soldier, a Northumberland Fusilier in full fighting kit, on a pedestal 50 inches x 43 inches (127cms x 110cms), total height approx. 13 feet (4m).

The dedication is on a sunken panel on the main pedestal, using incised Roman capitals.

Two cast metal plaques on the wall on either side give details from 1914-18.

The names are listed in two columns on each plaque, raised in casting, using serif capitals.

On the front of the pedestal, below the dedication, is another plaque 6 inches high x 28 inches wide (16.5cms x 72cms) giving details of those killed in 1939-45, with the names listed in two columns, the lettering in raised Roman capitals.

Names:

a. 57 names, ranks and regiments.
b. 16 names, ranks and regiments.
See transcript.

Notes:

1 . Among initial proposals for a memorial were (i) a recreation ground; (ii) a hospital; (iii) Mrs. Bates promised 11 acres of land for cottages for widows and dependants of the fallen.

2. The statue was moved on 21st June 1969 by the Northumberland County Council Bridges’ section to the present site when a new bridge was built. The site had become inappropriate for holding Armistice Day parades due to increase in road traffic.

3. From the parish, 350 joined the colours; 57 men were killed, of whom four earned the Military Medal; five were commissioned officers and 21 were non-commissioned officers.

External Links:

Historic England Listing

Sources:

Photos: Philip Thirkell; old postcard: Tony Harding

Hexham Courant
08/12/1919 reports initial proposals;
12/04/1919 reports decision to erect a monument;
06/11/1998 feature Fifty years on reports unveiling of 1939-45 plaque.

Hexham Weekly News
30/09/1921 reports unveiling.

Illustrated Chronicle
26/09/1921 reports unveiling with photos.

Newcastle Daily Journal
20/09/1920 carries a letter wondering whether the men of Haydon Bridge were to be forgotten, since it was two years since peace was signed.

Newcastle Weekly Chronicle
01/10/1921 reports unveiling.

Northumberland Record Office
Minutes of meetings of Parish War Memorial Committee Ref. PC38/65.

Newcastle Central Library
War Memorial repairs (Local Biog. Vol.12 page 260)

At the Going Down of the Sun” Derek Boorman.

Imperial War Museum photograph in Mr. Saggers’ Collection

Morpeth County Library
Frith collection of photographs showing memorial in its original position; Postcard collection shows similar view.

Diocese of Newcastle
Faculty 2529 07/05/1968 allowed placing of memorial in churchyard following removal from original site.

Research Acknowledgements:

Janet Brown;
Philip Thirkell;
Mr. J. Bond;
Imperial War Museum;
Michael Newrick;
Rev. Alan Bill;
Tony Harding;
Dorothy Hall

Research In Progress:

If you are researching this memorial please contact 2014@newmp.org.uk

If you know more about this memorial, please send the details to NEWMP.

Names Documents:

HAYDON BRIDGE, Outside St. Cuthbert’s Church.

 

  In proud and

  loving memory

  of the men of the

  parish of Haydon

  who gave their lives

  for king and Country

  in the Great War

  1914-1919.

—————————————————-

First plaque: left hand column

 

  G.M. Anderson        Pte.      E. Yorks Regt.     

  J. Armstrong         Sergt.    Northd. Fus.       

  J. Archbold          2nd Lieut R.F.A.             

  J.G. Barron          Pte.      Northd. Fus.       

  J. Batey             Pte.      Northd. Fus.       

  W. Batey             Pte.      Northd. Fus.       

  H.D. Bell            Guardsman Grenadier Guards   

  J.J. Birnie          Cpl.      Northd. Fus.       

  J.M. Birnie          Pte.      Northd. Fus.       

  W.D. Brown           Pte.      Royal Dublin Fus.  

  E.J. Brown           Sergt.    Northd. Fus.       

  Winifred Carrick     Nurse     V.A.D.             

  N. Charlton          L/Sergt.  Northd. Fus.       

  W. Charlton          Pte.      K.O.Y.L.I.         

—————————————————-

First plaque: right hand column

  T.B. Cowing          Pte.      Northd. Fus.

  B. Cuffe, M.M.       Sergt.    Northd. Fus.

  J. Curry             Pte.      Northd. Fus.

  N. Davidson          L/Cpl.    Northd. Fus.

  M.S. Dove            Pte.      Worcestershire Regt.

  W.I. Douglas         Pte.      Northd. Fus.

  J. Gibson            Lieut.    Yorkshire Regt.

  W. Glendinning       Sergt.    Northd. Fus.

  J. Henderson M.M.    L/Cpl.    Northd. Fus.

  H.L. Heslop          Capt.     R.A.M.C.

  J.P. Hutchinson      Pte.      Northd Fus.

  R.G. Irwin           Pte.      M.G.C.

  J.W. Johnstone, M.M. Pte.      Northd. Fus.

  W. Kennedy           Pte.      Northd Fus.

—————————————————-

Second plaque: left hand column

    

  E. Kershaw           Pte.      R.A.M.C.           

  T.W. Kindred         L/Cpl.    Northd. Fus.       

  F. Kirby             Pte.      Northd. Fus.       

  E. Kirton            Pte.      Canadians          

  M. Kirton            Cpl.      Canadians          

  C. Law               Pte.      Northd. Fus.       

  F. Lee               L/Cpl.    Northd. Fus.       

  R.G. Little          Sergt.    Northd. Fus.       

  F. McGurk            L/Cpl.    Northd. Fus.       

  W. Paxton            Pte.      Northd. Fus.       

  H. Pearson           Cpl.      Northd. Fus.       

  A.M. Phillipson      Cpl.      Grenadier Guards   

  R.G. Rayner          Lieut.    Northd. Fus.       

  J.W. Reed            Pte.      Northd. Fus.       

  J. Robson            Pte.      Northd. Hussars

—————————————————-

Second plaque: right hand column

  J. Robinson          Cpl      Northd. Fus.

  J.E. Robinson        Pte.     Northd. Fus.

  J.W. Robinson        Cpl.     Grenadier Guards

  M. Southern          2nd Lieut East Yorks. Regt.

  T. Sowerby           Pte.     Northd. Fus.

  L. Spark             Pte.     Northd. Fus.

  W. Spark             Pte.     West Yorks Regt.

  M. Stobbart          Pte.     Northd. Fus.

  J. Stonehouse        Pte.     Northd. Fus.

  E. Taylor, M.M.      Col.     Northd. Fus.

  C. Thomson           Sergt.   Northd. Fus.

  J. Todd              Bombardier, R.F.A.

  J.N. Turnbull        Pte.     Northd. Fus.

  T.A. Willan          Rfm.     Qns. Westminster Rif.

—————————————————-

Third plaque 1939-45

 

  Also in memory of those who fell 1939-1945.

Left hand column

  J. Armstrong D.C.M.  Pte.      Green Hds.           

  T.F. Bell            L/Cpl.    R.N.F.               

  J.E. Brown           L/Cpl.    R.N.F.               

  A. Bates             Pte.      K.O.S.B.             

  P. Brown             Pte.      D.L.I.               

  C.S. Clemitson       Chief Officer M.N.             

  T. Gilmore           A.C.1.    R.A.F.               

  I. Law               Sgt.      R.A.F.V.R.           

—————————————————-

Right hand column

  J.S. Mason           Fus.      R.N.F.

  I.H. Philipson       L.A.C.    R.A.F.

  J.H. Ridley          Pte.      Dorset Regt.

  C.J. Patterson       Tpr.      R.A.C.

  R.G. Patterson       Pte.      P.C.

  A.B. Reed            Stoker    P.O. R.N.

  J.C. Wylie           Stoker    R.N.

  O. Wardle            Sgt.      R.A.F.V.R.

NamesH24.01

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