Memorial
Cross 1914-18 1939-45 Roadside
Willington Wear Valley
Memorial Name: Cross 1914-18 1939-45 Roadside (W120.02)
NEWMP Ref No.: W120.02
Parish: Willington Wear Valley
On south side of A690 from Crook, at the entrance to Willington Park.
a. 1914-18
b. 1939-45
a. Unveiled 8th November 1924 by Earl of Durham, Lord Lieutenant of Durham;
dedicated by Rev. J. Duncan, O.B.E., Rector of Willington.
Creetown granite
War Memorial Committee, Chairman Mr. R.L. Weeks.
Public Subscription; RBL “Mile of pennies” scheme raised £25.10s
Present Condition: See Note 1 below.
Designed and made by Wm. Allison & Son, Bishop Auckland.
Ownership and Maintenance: The memorial was accepted by Cllr. W. Hateley at the dedication “to be kept for the inhabitants for all time”. Cllr. Hateley was Chairman of the Willington Urban District Council.
a.
To the glory of God
and in sacred memory of the gallant men
of
Willington, Oakenshaw and Page Bank
who sacrificed their lives in the Great War
1914-1918
b.
And the World War 1939-1945.
“They died that we might live”.
Cross of St. Cuthbert style on tall tapering column, total height 22 feet. (6.7m)
This stands on a large rectangular base with two steps, 72 inches x 78 inches (183cms x 198cms)
The dedication is on the front face.
The names from Willington for both wars are on the right and back faces, those for Oakenshaw and Page Bank are on the left face.
The lettering is raised and blackened, using Roman capitals for the dedication and sans serif capitals for the names.
a.
Willington 114 names,
Oakenshaw 27 names;
Page Bank 9 names
b.
Willington 53 names,
Oakenshaw 10 names;
Page Bank 2 names.
See transcript.
1. In 1922 ”over 3,000 people attended an open air meeting in Albion Square Willington. The Willington Silver Prize Band were present, and the Willington Church Lads’ Brigade buglers sounded the ‘Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’. Messrs. Strakers and Love, owners of the local collieries, erected a temporary wooden cross upon which wreaths were laid by Willington British Legion and C.L.B. and poppies by relatives of men who fell in the war”.
2. A public meeting called in October 1919 to discuss the commemoration of the Armistice and the raising of a war memorial had only 20 people attending.
3. “The sculptors, Messrs. William Allison & Son, Bishop Auckland, in designing the cross head have followed as near as possible the original cross of St. Cuthbert, the patron saint of Durham, which is now deposited in the library at Durham.”
4. Mr. David Hodgson, a Willington disabled ex-serviceman, who unveiled the 1939-45 memorial, had been wounded in that war. He lost his right arm, an eye and part of his right leg while crossing the Rhine. His father had been killed in 1914-18.
5. The area around the memorial has been landscaped into an open brick pavement, with stainless steel seat. There is also a flat hemisphere supported by two ?marble blocks. The hemisphere has at top a pierced design of laurel leaves with the word “Peace” beneath in several languages, viz:- on the front ‘Friede’ ‘Peace’ ‘Paix’; on the rear: ‘Mir’, ‘Peace’, ‘Shalom.
6. Major landscaping in 2005 was carried out by Groundwork, West Durham, with the war memorial as the focus for restoration.
Men who served with the Yorkshire Regiment
Historic England Listing
Photos: Simon Raine, C. Sanders; Dorothy Hall; old post cards Frith WTN 3: Tony Harding; Andrew Brooks; George Nairn
Auckland and County Chronicle
30/10/1919 reports poor attendance at a meeting;
11/01/1923 reports fund raising;
13/11/1924 reports unveiling;
12/02/1925 reports successful fund raising with very little left outstanding
Durham Chronicle
15/11/1924 reports unveiling of 1914-18 memorial;
19/08/1949 reports unveiling of 1939-45 memorial.
Durham County Advertiser
04/11/1924
Illustrated Chronicle
10/11/1924 reports unveiling with photos.
Newcastle Weekly Chronicle
04/10/1924 reports proposed unveiling;
15/11/1924 reports unveiling.
Northern Echo
13/11/1922 reports erection of temporary wooden cross in Note 4 above;
08/04/1924 reports that the tender of Messrs. Wm. Allison and Sons, sculptors, has been accepted;
10/11/1924 page 5 reports unveiling.
Sunderland Echo
10/11/1924 page 5 reports unveiling.
Willington in old Picture Postcards; Olive Linge. Dewey classification 942.864. ISBN 902886083 5/CIP carries a picture of the unveiling and a reference to Sgt Thomas Venn 6 D.L.I., who was killed in action.
Source of quotation
“They died that we might live” “Hail! and Farewell” John Oxenham 1915
Additional Research Documents
Fitzhugh Collection, Middleton in Teesdale;
C. Sanders;
Tony Harding;
John and Mavis Dixon;
Dorothy Hall;
Andrew Brooks;
Yorkshire Regiment Remembrance;
Mr. C. Glendenning
If you are researching this memorial please contact 2014@newmp.org.uk
WILLINGTON Roadside.
On pedestal
To the glory of God
and in sacred memory of the gallant men
of
Willington, Oakenshaw and Page Bank
who sacrificed their lives in the Great War
1914-1918
And the World War 1939-1945
“They died that we might live”.
———————————————
First side (1914-18)
WILLINGTON
Adamson M. Douglas J.W. Lucas E.P.
Adamson T.W. Elliott P. Marsden M.
Alder E.A. Emmerson M. Minns R.A.
Allan G. Ferens F. Mitchell R.
Allan J. Ford C. Firth L. McGrath P.
Arkley J.H. Ford T.W. McNiff J.
Barton J. Foster G.W. Naisbitt W.T.
Bell A.W. Freeman J. Nicholson T.M.
Bell C. Galley F. Parker J.S.
Bell H.D. Gatiss T.W. Paylor J.
Bell J.H. Gill D. Plumpton W.H.
Bennett R. Glendenning J. Purvis F.
Bird J. Gott J. Richards H.W.
Blackett C. Graham J. Robinson J.
Blenkinsopp G. Hird H.N. Robinson J.B.
Booth G. Hird R. Robson A.J.
Bousfield T. Hodgson D. Rutherford G.
Brown G.W. Hope R.A. Sayer E.
Brown J. Hopkinson W. Sayer H.
Brown J.H. Hopper M. Small S.W.
Buckley A. Jackson R. Smithson F.
Charlton J. Jackson H. Snowball J.R.
Clarke L. Jopling J.R. Stonehouse A.E.
Cook T. Kennedy J.W. Stout W.
Cook W. Kidd T.W. Tobin P.J.
Cooper G.W. Lamb J. Todd G.W.
Craggs J.H. Larnach A.C. Towers H.
Cross J. Laws J. Turner W.
Dale T.H. Laws R. Venn T.
Daley F. Lawson J. Walker F.
Daley J. Letby A.H. Walker W.A.E.
Davison J.W. Lister A.E. Waller G.
Defty W. Little H. Ward T.W.
Devine S. Littlewood H. Watkins J.S.
Dinsley J. Longstaff J.W. Weir S.R.
Dodds J. Lowes E. Young W.
———————————————
Second side
WILLINGTON
(1914-18)
Burns F. Fenwick H. Martin J
Dodds R.L. Foreman T.W. Walker F.
——
(1939-45)
Adamson A.S. Dent L. Pallister F.
Adamson C.R. Dinsley J.W. Perkins W.
Alderson H.A. Fletcher J.G. Plews W.S.
Aspinall E.W. French M. Richards F.
Banister N. Glasper J. Robinson C.S.
Barron T. Glendinning J Robinson F.
Blackburn J.W. Hardy F. Rutter J
Blackett H. Harland A. Simpson J.W.
Blackett R.J. Harle N. Simpson P.N
Bond J. Hutchinson W. Slack J.
Brown E. Jackson E. WAAF Stephenson A.
Burton E.R. Jackson S. Stonehouse J.
Carolan T. Jopling J.R. Suffield S
Casey J. Larnach C. Watson H.H.
Christon J. Lee D. Watson L.M. WAAF
Clark G.W. Letby R.E. Weir S.R.
Cockerill A. Nicholls W. Young O.L.
Cottrell P.C. Palliser J.
Carlton J
———————————————
Third side
(1914-18)
OAKENSHAW
Armstrong W.G. Elsbury E. Middlemass J.
Barker A. Ferguson J.L. Murphy J.P.
Barrass N.S. Gilpin J. Nattrass S.
Brooks J. Grundy R. Payne G.
Brown D. Henderson R. Robinson G.
Carpenter S.J. Hewitt J. Sides E.
Castle J.J. Kyle G. Stephenson R.
Collin W. Longstaff E.W. Wilson R.
Coulson R. Marr J.W. Snowdon F.
——
(1939-45)
Howe R.L.G. Ramshaw J.G. Smith V.
Johnson J. Rowlandson S.R. Snowdon F.
Lomax H. Tones W.
Lowes E. Wearmouth A.
PAGE BANK
(1914-18)
Bowes G. Gould R. Ramsay H.M.
Brentley G.W. Hall J.T. Stringer H.
Evans E. King W.E. Thompson G.
——
(1939-45)
Fletcher J.G. Johnson F.
NamesW120.02
War Memorial Indexes
County Durham Index
Newcastle Index
Northumberland Index
Over The Tees Index
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