Streatham War Memorial facts for kids
The Streatham War Memorial is a special place in Streatham, London. It remembers the brave people from the area who died in the two World Wars. This memorial was first shown to the public in 1922. You can find it close to the northwest side of Streatham Common.
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How the Memorial Was Built
After the First World War, in 1919, a group called the Streatham War Memorial General Council was formed. They wanted to build a big Hall of Remembrance. This hall would honor the 720 soldiers from Streatham who died in the war.
The group bought land for their big plan. But they did not have enough money to build the large hall. So, they changed their idea. They decided to make the existing building on the land into a club for soldiers. They also planned a memorial garden and a war memorial.
Still, there wasn't enough money for this new plan either. The building was sold to the United Services Club in 1922. Other land was sold to London County Council. The money from these sales was then used to build the war memorial we see today. The person chosen to design it was a famous artist named Albert Toft.
What the Memorial Looks Like
The memorial is made of a square stone column. It gets narrower towards the top. On top of the column stands a life-sized bronze statue of a soldier.
The soldier in the statue is wearing his army uniform. His head is bowed, showing respect. His hands rest on a rifle that is upside down, with the butt on his left boot. At his feet, you can see an army jacket, a steel helmet, and a gas mask.
Artist Albert Toft used a similar soldier statue for other memorials he designed. You can see identical statues on memorials in Stone, Staffordshire, Leamington, Warwickshire, and Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire.
Messages on the Memorial
The bottom part of the memorial has the words "TO / OUR GLORIOUS DEAD". There are also two bronze wreaths. The top wreath has the dates "1914–1918" for the First World War. The bottom wreath has "1939–1945" for the Second World War.
In 2010, a bronze plaque was added. It says: "IN HONOUR OF / THE MEN AND WOMEN OF STREATHAM / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE / OF THEIR COUNTRY IN TWO WORLD WARS / 1914–1918 AND 1939–1945 / AND IN OTHER CONFLICTS / At the going down of the sun and in the morning / we will remember them / FROM THE PEOPLE OF STREATHAM 2010"
The last part, "At the going down of the sun and in the morning / we will remember them," comes from a famous poem called "Ode of Remembrance" by Laurence Binyon.
Unveiling and Changes Over Time
The Streatham War Memorial was officially shown to the public on October 14, 1922. General Sir Charles Monro, 1st Baronet unveiled it. The Anglican Bishop of Southwark, Cyril Garbett, gave a special dedication speech. About 6,000 people came to watch the ceremony.
Originally, a list of the war dead was kept at Streatham Library. Sadly, this important document has been lost over time.
The club building nearby was damaged by a V-1 flying bomb during the Second World War in July 1944. It was later taken down. The land where the club stood became a housing area. The memorial was then in a smaller garden.
The memorial was updated to also remember those who died in the Second World War. It was rededicated on May 8, 1959. The Mayor of Wandsworth, Councillor Ronald Ash, led this ceremony. In 1971, the war memorial garden was given to Lambeth Council. In December 2016, the memorial was given a special Grade II listing, meaning it is an important historic building.
Victoria Cross Plaques
The memorial stands on a square of grass. It is surrounded by iron railings and a paved area. In the paving in front of the memorial, there are special plaques. These plaques honor three men from Streatham who received the Victoria Cross. This is the highest award for bravery in the British military. The men honored are Frederick Henry Johnson, Geoffrey Cather, and Alfred Fleming-Sandes.
Civilian War Memorial
There is also another memorial in the gardens. It is a civilian war memorial. This means it remembers all people from Streatham who were affected by conflicts or wars, not just soldiers.
This memorial is a modern sculpture by Ekkehard Altenburger. It was put in place in 2006. It looks like a simple stone pillar made from Irish blue limestone from Kilkenny. The base of the pillar has a quote from a poem by Rohit Sapra: "Grief has no boundaries".
Images for kids
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Suffolk Soldiers Boer War memorial, Ipswich
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Leamington War Memorial
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Stone War Memorial
