Memorial Details
Memorial
Plaque 1914-18 Post Office
Reference
NUT021
Place
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Map ref
NZ 249639
Original Location
Central Post Office, St. Nicholas Street (Closed)
Present Location
Royal Mail Processing Centre, Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead.
Which war
1914-18
Dedication, Creation or Publication date
Unveiled Saturday 19th March 1921 by Cllr. T.W. Rowe, Lord Mayor of Newcastle. Dedicated by Canon Newsom, Vicar of Newcastle.
Memorial Description
Plaque of popular design 3 feet 9 inches high x 1 foot 10 inches wide. There is a wide border of Celtic knotwork standing proud on a black background. In the four corners is a circle containing the cypher of "G.R." At the top are two crossed Union flags with a crown between. The dedication is in a mixture of sans serif capitals and fancy lower case lettering with some letters in red. The names are in four columns, divided by a single vertical line between each, using sans serif capitals.
Materials used
Brass
Inscription
This tablet is erected by / the members of the Staff in the / Newcastle upon Tyne Postal Area / and the / Northern Engineering District / in honour of their colleagues who served their / King and Country / and to perpetuate the memory of those who / lost their lives in the Great War 1914-1918.
Names
How money was raised
Subscriptions from employees of all grades in the Newcastle Postal District and the Northern Engineering Area.
Sculptor, Artist or Designer
Cowell and Gatiss, Sunderland.
Ownership and maintenance
Royal Mail
Notes
1. Of those who served, there were several medals 1 DSO., 1 OBE (Military), 9 Military Cross, 5 DCM., 1 DSM., 22 MM., 8 MSM., 4 Croix de Guerre and 5 others, plus 19 mentioned in dispatches.
2. Of 2,000 postal employees, 1,500 joined up, including 10 women. 153 died.
3. The memorial was "set up above the counter, to the right of the public entrance", originally in an oak frame.
4. Approx. £100 had been over-subscribed for the monument, and this was distributed between the Newcastle Orthopaedic Centre, Post Office Sanatorium at Benenden and the Rowland Hill Benevolent Fund.
5. This may well have replaced at least one earlier one which was unveiled on 25/4/1917 by Mr. J. Chambers, Postmaster.
6. When first moved to Team Valley, the memorial was in the public lobby, where it was unnoticed. Moved in 2009 to the lobby through the efforts of Peter O’Donnell (retired postman) and Bill Sadler (Royal Mail engineer). Mr. Sadler and Mr O' Donnell have put together information on the names on the memorial which is held in an A4 file to the left of the WW1 memorial.
2. Of 2,000 postal employees, 1,500 joined up, including 10 women. 153 died.
3. The memorial was "set up above the counter, to the right of the public entrance", originally in an oak frame.
4. Approx. £100 had been over-subscribed for the monument, and this was distributed between the Newcastle Orthopaedic Centre, Post Office Sanatorium at Benenden and the Rowland Hill Benevolent Fund.
5. This may well have replaced at least one earlier one which was unveiled on 25/4/1917 by Mr. J. Chambers, Postmaster.
6. When first moved to Team Valley, the memorial was in the public lobby, where it was unnoticed. Moved in 2009 to the lobby through the efforts of Peter O’Donnell (retired postman) and Bill Sadler (Royal Mail engineer). Mr. Sadler and Mr O' Donnell have put together information on the names on the memorial which is held in an A4 file to the left of the WW1 memorial.
Newspaper cuttings, photos or archival material
Photos: R.W. Gould; Dorothy Hall; Peter O'Donnell Collection
Shields Daily News 21/03/1921 reports the unveiling.
Illustrated Chronicle 21/03/1921 reports unveiling with a photo.
Northern Echo 21/03/1921 reports unveiling.
Newcastle Weekly Chronicle 26/03/1921 reports unveiling.
Royal Mail Courier December 2009 carries an article on the removal of the memorial to the lobby in Note 6 above.
Shields Daily News 21/03/1921 reports the unveiling.
Illustrated Chronicle 21/03/1921 reports unveiling with a photo.
Northern Echo 21/03/1921 reports unveiling.
Newcastle Weekly Chronicle 26/03/1921 reports unveiling.
Royal Mail Courier December 2009 carries an article on the removal of the memorial to the lobby in Note 6 above.
Links to Source Material :
Research acknowledgements
The late R.W. Gould; F. Furness; P. Thirkell; Ted Dodds; John Windsor; Tony Harding; Dorothy Hall; Bill Sadler; Peter O'Donnell
Research In Progress
Bill Sadler and Peter O'Donnell have shared their research with NEWMP and are allowing us to add it to the website.
Plaque 1914-18 Post Office (NUT021)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE. Main Post Office, St. Nicholas Street.
This tablet is erected by
the members of the Staff in the
Newcastle on Tyne Postal Area
and the
Northern Engineering District
in honour of their colleagues who served their
King and Country
and to perpetuate the memory of those who
lost their lives in the Great War 1914-1918.
FALLEN
Adams, W. Crozier, A.R. Hudspith, H. Rae, J.W.
Aitken, R. Cullis, J.W. Hudspith, T.W. Reed, C.F.
Anderson, R. Currey, W.J.L. Jackson, H.W. Reid, M.
Angus, W. Curry, F.W.P. Jones, T. Renwick, R.S.
Armstrong, F. Curry, J.A. Jordon, W. Robinson, E.J.
Atkinson, R. Davidson, R.C. Keir, J. Robson, B.R.
Attwood, W.H. Davis, G. Kelly, P. Robson, R.
Bailes, A. Davison, T. King, A. Rowland, W.
Baker, W. Davison, W.R. King, M. Scaife, T.J.
Barron, C.S. Dellow, J. Kingston, J.E. Schoolar, W.
Bell, W. Dodds, E.P. Leech, J.W. Shadforth, L.H.
Binks, R. Donaldson, W.H.R. Lennox, J.R. Shaw, J.
Blacklock, R.W. Donnelly, R.H. Longstaff, J.H. Sim, B.
Blench, W. Dow, J. Longstaff, J.W. Sivill, S.C.
Blenkarn, G. Drummond, W.J. Lourie, E.J. Smith, A.B.
Bone, J.A. Elliott, N.W. Lowrey, T.B. Smith, S.
Brittain, W.D. Emery, E.J. Luke, J. Spark, F.W.
Brown, J.W. Etherington, R.E. Lynes, A. Stearman, C.
Bruce, F.M. Fahey, J.F. Makepeace, T.W. Stobbs, J.O.
Bryne, I.W. Ferguson, W.C.E. Maxwell, T. Sutherland, F.
Buckham, A. Featherstonehaugh,W.S. McDermott, M. Taylor, H.C.
Bunting, T.H. Fielding, G. McGurk, E. Thompson, J.
Burke, C.S.P. Findlay, G.E. McIntee, J.P. Todd, H.G.
Bushell, J.F.G. Gale, F.J. McMillan, T. Turnbull, F.W.
Cain, J.E. Gall, W.A. McVay, P. Vernon, F.L.
Cameron, J.S. Gallon, W.E. Milet, J.M.R. Vincent, G.
Carr, J. Gill, H. Moor, T.M. Waddington, J.T.
Carroll, J. Glendinning, J. Morton, W. Waitt, H.E.
Carter, R.G. Goodall, A.C. Mullen, H.H. Wallace, G.
Clark, H.F. Graham, N.V. Noble, R.E. Watson, J.
Conlan, A. Grant, J.W. Octon, R.W. Waugh, J.W.
Coulson, T. Hall, A.R. O'Halloran, W.H. Weightman, W..
Counsellor, J.M. Harrison, W.S. Parker, W.F. Westgarth, D.H.
Counsellor, T. Haw, J. Payne, J.H. Whittle, S.J.
Craggs, E. Heppell, R. Pearson, W.F. Wilson, M.D.
Craig, A. Hewitt, J.M. Piddock, T.C. Wilthew, W.N.
Craig, I. Hopper, T.H. Quince, T.J. Wood, T.
Crone, W.L. Howell, W. Quinn, W.H. Wright, J.I.
Wright, J.T.
NamesNUT021
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Parish Notes
Every Name A Story
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