The Guards Division War Memorial, London

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Located on the west side of Horse Guards Road, opposite the Horse Guards Parade in London, It commemorates the war dead from the Guards Division and related units during the Great War, and of the Household Division during WW2 and other conflicts since 1918.

The cenotaph memorial was designed by H Charlton Bradshaw. It includes a broad squat white Portland Stone obelisk 38 feet (12 m) high standing on a white stone base with three steps. On a raised platform to the east side of the memorial, facing Horse Guards Parade, are five large Bronzw Sculptures by Gilbert Ledward, one representing each of the Foot Guards Regiments.

The statues are modelled on serving guardsmen: Sergeant R. Bradshaw MM of the Grenadier Guards, Lance Corporal J. S. Richardson of the Coldstream's, Guardsman J. McDonald of the Scots, Guardsman Simon McCarthy of the Irish (with legs modelled by another guardsman, Lance Sergeant W. J. Kidd) and Guardsman A. Comley of the Welsh Guards.

Above the five statues, the cenotaph also bears an inscription written by Rudyard Kipling, whose only son John was killed in action while serving the Irish Guards at the Battle of Loos in September 1915: -

"To the Glory of God // And in the memory of the // Officers Warrant Officers // Non Commissioned Officers & // Guardsmen of His Majesty's // Regiments of Foot Guards // who gave their lives for their // King and Country during the // Great War 1914–1918 and of the // Officers Warrant Officers // Non-Commissioned Officers and // Men of the Household Cavalry // Royal Regiment of Artillery // Corps of Royal Engineers // Royal Army Service Corps Royal // Medical Corps and other // Units who while serving the // Guards Division in France & // Belgium 1915–1918 fell with them in // the fight for the World's Freedom."

The monument was built by the Birmingham Guild at a cost of around £22,000. It received Grade 11 Listing in 1970, and was promoted to Grade I in October 2014.

I recently took these images during a recent visit. The memorial look resplendent, clean and imposing.

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[Staffsyeoman]

and still bears, unrepaired, WW2 bomb damage. A memorial of its own, of sorts.

[Ghazala]

Thanks KB.

[SJ CLARK]

Thank you for the pictures,

SJC

Former G.G