Monument 1914-18 1939-45 Cyprus Korea Westgreen

Outside the Choppington Miners’ War Memorial Institute C36.06
but moved to the present site in 1954.
See Note 4 and 9 below.

Westgreen, opposite school.

a. 1914-18
b. 1939-45
c. Cyprus 1958
d. Korea 1953

a. Unveiled 9th April 1925 by Sapper George Smith, M.M.,  who replaced Mr. F.C. Fellowes, who was indisposed.

b.  Unveiled by Rev. J. Burdon, Vicar of Killingworth.

Original memorial: Heworth stone with bronze panels.

Restored memorial is made with stone from Blagdon surface mine to represent the local mining heritage.

The new panel is made of resin.

War Memorial Committee: Chairman Mr. T. McHugh, J.P.; secretary Mr. G. Davison; treasurer, Mr. A. Crackett.

Original memorial: £250 approx.
Restored memorial: £27,000

Public subscription

Designed by Mr. G. Burn of Bebside.
Made by J.W. Reed of Newcastle.
Erected by Mr. Oliver of Bedlington.
The 2015 restoration was carried out by David Sutton, Rothbury stonemason.

a.
1914-1919
This tablet was erected
in honoured memory of the
following brave men of
Choppington Colliery and District
who gave their lives in their
Country’s cause.
(Names)
“May their reward be as
great as their sacrifice”

b.
World War
1939 to 1945
(Names)

c.
Cyprus
(Name)

Upright monument of stone with two side wings, which sits on two concrete steps on the green in front of old people’s homes.

The central panel has a plaque 48 inches high x 36 inches wide (122cms x 91cms), bearing two classical figures on either side.

The dedication is written in elongated Roman capitals.

The names are listed in three columns using sans serif capitals.

Beneath this is a small plaque 5 inches high x 9 inches wide(13cms x 23cms) bearing the Cyprus commemoration.

On this, the word “Cyprus” is in Roman capitals while the name and date are in sans serif capitals.

On the wings on either side are panels each 30 inches high x 12 inches wide (76cms x 30cms), bearing the names from 1939-45 in a single column on each using Roman capitals.

The stonework is painted with cream wash.

The metal panels are painted black.

In 2015 the memorial was completely rebuilt with different stone, with some of the original stonework retained at its core.

The four separate panels have been made into one, with the names from 1914 in three columns at the top, followed by the names from 1939-45 in three panels, and finishing with the name from Cyprus.

The names themselves remain unaltered, with no additional names nor adjustments made.

The plaque from Korea was not included.

1. Mr. Norman Brown reports that he has a certificate which was presented to Mr. Joseph Yeaman by the Choppington Colliery War Memorial Committee for services rendered in connection with the Memorial in April 1923.

2. These bronze plaques were to have been unveiled in 1925 at the same time as the hall was opened, but they were not ready in time.

3. At the unveiling, the memorial had been formally handed over to the Chairman of the Institute Committee.

4. November 27 1953: “Choppington War memorial is shortly to be moved from its present position in the grounds of the Welfare Institute to a new site in the Scotland Gate housing estate. The Scotland Gate branch of the British Legion feel that the memorial is not in a central position and also, if proposed repairs to the Institute are carried out, it may result in the memorial being damaged”. “New Post Leader 26/11/2003 “All Our Yesterdays” .

5. The memorial was moved because the Institute was having structural problems.

6. It appears that at some stage there was a small plaque placed on the memorial by the mother of a man who was killed in Korea, but the plaque came off.

7. The memorial was damaged after only having been up a few days. The Institute Committee promised they would endeavour to protect it.

8. The man who unveiled the memorial “with soldierly brevity” in 1925 was Sapper George Smith, who wore the Military Medal and Mons Star, whose distinctions were gained when he rescued three comrades in the R.E. Tunnelling Corps who had been buried in a shaft by the explosion of a land mine at Givenchy in 1917. He lost a leg, having been shot in the knee. His leg was amputated by German surgeons when he was Prisoner of War.

9. Morpeth Herald reports unveiling on the new site – re-dedication by Rev George Halden Earle, Vicar of Choppington unveiling by Mr T.E. Hedley president of the Choppington Branch of the British Legion.

10.  After the Second World War the names of those who fell were added and recently after the removal of the Memorial a further name was added -that of J.T. Bell who shortly after he was married was killed in the Korean War.

11. T Taylor-Walker on the 1939-45 names should be Ian Taylor-Watson RAFVR who died April 18th 1945 in Thailand. His initial is correct on St Paul’s memorial C36.01.

Historic England Listing

Photos: 1993 J. Brown; 2003 showing damage to memorial Morris Robinson; copy photograph of dedication in 1925.

Blyth News
14/04/1925 reports unveiling

Illustrated Chronicle
13/04/1925 reports unveiling with photos

Morpeth Herald
06/02/1925 reports that 1914-18 tablets would be ready for unveiling in a few weeks’ time;
11/11/1949 reports unveiling of 1939-45 additional plaques, with photograph.
02/07/1954 gives unveiling report and names Korean death. (Available on The British Newspaper Archive)

Newcastle Weekly Chronicle
18/04/1925 reports unveiling.

New Post Leader
26/11/2003 All Our Yesterdays” column.

The Journal
28/09/2015 reports rededication following restoration.

History of Choppington Welfare Centre by John Dawson

“Bedlington Revisited” Feb 2003 and March 2003, published by Six Townships Publications.

J. Brown;
Wansbeck Dist. Council;
Norman Brown;
Morris Robinson;
John Dawson;
Bob Bell;
Dorothy Hall

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