Dates on memorials

[armourersergeant]

Not one for having seen amny memorials (holds his head in shame) I took this one last summer in Cornwall, padstow to be exact. Meant to take one of the names but forgot!!!!

Is it common to see 1914-19 on the stones as seen below. I assume this maybe due to service in Russia?

Arm.

[armourersergeant]

closer view...

[Ken Lees]

I'm not sure how common this is, but it may have something to do with the fact that although the armistice was signed in November 1918, the war did not officially end then. Also, there were many deaths after 1918, both in 'action' during the clear-up operations and those of the men who had been wounded or sick and who survived many weeks or months before dying.

It may be that there are names on that particular memorial of men who died in 1919 and so it was thought that it would be inappropriate to inscribe 1914-18 on it.

Ken

[Terry Denham]

Whilst not very common, the dates 1914-1919 are sometimes seen on local memorials and elsewhere.

As said above the armistice was not the official end of the war and serious fighting continued in some parts of the world - notably in Russia. Presumably, many local war memorial committees decided to extend the time frame for this reason - particularly if local units/men had been engaged in further action in Russia, India, Iraq and even Ireland as well as on occupation and clearance duties.

Interestingly, CWGC always inscribes 1914-1918 on their memorials (except those which commemorate men serving in Russia when 1919 is inscribed) despite the fact that they care for men who died up to 31.08.21 - the day war was declared over by the UK government.

[armourersergeant]

thanks Ken,

Also i meant to say that the names of those died in 1939-45 were also enscribed on the memorial in a strange way they were not fitted in but added in an area that seemed almost to have been left as if some knowing person had realised that it would perhaps not be the war to end all wars.

There was also( the surname escapes me and i didnt write it down, I was going to go back another day, honest!) an unusal surname that was down three/four times in what would i am sure have been a small town/ fishing village it would have meant a family suffering greatly by loosing atleast three members.

Sorry for the vagueness but i did mean to do this sometime ago have just been clearing my snaps onto disc and remebered.

Arm.

[Clive Maier]

Dating memorials either to the armistice or the treaty seems to have been a matter of local taste. The 1918 date is the more common but 1919 is not rare. This is surprising; the treaty looks the more logical choice. The reason may be that people were quick to plan memorials after the armistice, and many committees would have had their ideas settled before the treaty was signed. There should still have been plenty of time to change the date but I can imagine chairs, having once wrestled their committees to a conclusion, being reluctant to reopen debate.

What is more unusual, at least in my experience, is the simple tribute on the Padstow memorial to those who served and returned.

[Will O'Brien]

Based on personal experience, I have researched a number of memorials dated 1914-1919.................One of the most interesting memorials I’ve seen is at Milnthorpe which splits whose listed into date of death & theatre of operation where they died. From memory I believe it lists a soldier killed in Turkey in the 1920/1921.