Centenary of war memorial to be marked with rededication
Shetland Times
The centenary of the unveiling of the county war memorial will be marked this week with rededication event on Saturday.
The public are invited to an event at the Lerwick Town Hall at 10am to hear more about the history of the War Memorial from historian Jon Sandison, convener Andrea Manson and Lord Lieutenant Bobby Hunter.
Historical photographs and documents from the period will also be on display in the Town Hall, outlining some of the background to the memorial and social context of the time.
A short service of rededication will then take place at the War Memorial from 10.40am, before a wreath is laid at 11am by the convener and Lord Lieutenant.
The memorial at Hillhead in Lerwick was unveiled on Sunday 6th January 1924 by Mrs Janet Hardy in a solemn ceremony in front of a large crowd.
Mrs Hardy and her husband, Thomas, had lost three sons in the First World War – Thomas Jr died of wounds in France in 1914, Charles died in 1916 – his ship torpedoed – and William was accidentally drowned in 1917.
The loss of life in the First World War had deeply affected many communities – the County War Memorial lists the names of 624 men from the isles who never returned.
Almost 4,200 men from Shetland had served in the armed forces – around 35 percent of the male population of the islands.
Among those assembled at the Hillhead on the day of the ceremony were families of men who had died in the war, alongside servicemen from the navy, army, air force and the merchant navy, known then as the ‘Mercantile Marine’.
The new memorial was the first opportunity since the Armistice in November 1918 for a public act of remembrance of those lost in the war.
The design of the County War Memorial was finally agreed in early 1922, having been discussed at some length in the preceding years by a committee formed by Zetland County and Lerwick Town Councils, led by Mr John William Robertson, former Convener.
The final design agreed was by Edinburgh-based architect Sir Robert Lorimer, who designed over 300 war memorials in Britain and overseas. He was also responsible for the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh and conceived the simple and elegant design of the Commonwealth gravestone.
The County War Memorial design features a cross-shaped base, a column above and a sword on the front, all made in Aberdeen-granite which was shipped to Lerwick and constructed in late 1923.
Bronze panels arrived in November to complete the construction at a total cost of £2,547 and unveiling took place on the first Sunday in 1924 – after the New Year and before Up-Helly-A’, which were not considered suitably solemn occasions.
In 1995, the large side panels on the North and South side of the memorial were added, carrying 359 names of those who died in the Second World War.
The County War Memorial is the focal point for remembrance events each year, and also for any visiting dignitaries or military personnel to pay their respects to those lost in previous conflicts.
Council convener Andrea Manson said: “The County War Memorial is a special place for our whole community, to commemorate the men of Shetland who fought for our freedoms in the First and Second World Wars. The centenary of its unveiling is an important day to reaffirm it as a place of remembrance for future generations.”
Lord Lieutenant Bobby Hunter said: “The huge loss of life experienced during the great war had a lasting effect on many families and communities across Shetland.
“Mrs Hardy, having lost three sons, was among those who suffered the most.
“Since 1924, the County War Memorial has been a place where we as a community turn to for Remembrance and we must continue to preserve the memory of those of our own who have died in conflict.”
Lerwick Town Hall will be open from 9.30am on Saturday.
