The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Adam Brown

Royal Artillery Great War Memorial
Location: Hyde Park Corner
OS Ref: TQ 283 797
Latitude: 51:30:09N (51.50238)
Longitude: 0:09:07W (-0.15181)
Google Maps Street View

Although you can say this isn't a specifically Scottish war memorial thousands of Scots served in the RFA and RGA in the First World War and their names will be listed on the Rolls of Honour placed under the memorial during its construction. Another reason for including this memorial is that it is possibly the finest war memorial in London and is Charles Sargeant Jagger's greatest monument. Although it is Lionel Pearson's design, Jagger was responsible for the relief carvings and the bronze statues.

I have taken a few photographs of it but like the Scots-American memorial in Edinburgh this memorial could be visited again and again and be photographed many times and you'd still find something new.

In fact I only had a very short space of time at this memorial and if anyone has the time to visit this memorial in London then more photographs would be great to see. (I had come out of the wrong exit from Hyde Park tube station but luckily just across from all the war memorials at this corner of Hyde park and only had a short window of opportunity for photographs. The exit I took was at Apsley House, the Duke of Wellington's old house, and there are carvings along the walls of the entrance / exit tunnel of scenes from the Battle of Waterloo which would also be worth photographing).

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:34 am Post subject:

The memorial was unveiled in October 1925 by the Duke of Connaught and takes the form of a 9.2 inch howitzer on a Portland stone plinth. The howitzer is said to be pointing towards the battlefields of France. Around the top of the plinth are battle honours from the war. Underneath are relief panels showing scenes from the front and each side of the plinth has one bronze sculpture. The represent a gunner, a driver, and officer and a corpse.

The inscription above the gunner reads

In Proud Remembrance Of The
Forty-Nine Thousand & Seventy-Six
Of All Ranks Of The
Royal Regiment of Artillery
Who Gave Their Lives for King
And Country in the Great War
1914—1919'

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:38 am Post subject:

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:39 am Post subject:

The corpse is shrouded by a greatcoat. His feet and left hand exposed. On his chest is a helmet with a Royal Artillery badge and around his pedestal are the words "Here was a Royal fellowship of Death" taken from Shakespeare's "Henry V".

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:43 am Post subject:

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:46 am Post subject:

In front of the memorial are three plaques added in 1949. I don't have any details of the inscriptions on the plaques.