TO THE // IMMORTAL HONOUR // OF THE OFFICERS // NON-COMMISSIONED // OFFICERS AND MEN // OF LONDON // WHO SERVED THEIR // KING AND EMPIRE // IN THE GREAT WAR // 1914–1919 // THIS MEMORIAL IS // DEDICATED IN PROUD & // GRATEFUL RECOGNITION // BY THE CITY AND // COUNTY OF LONDON
THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE.
UNVEILED ON NOV 12TH 1920 BY // H.R.H. THE DUKE OF YORK // ON BEHALF OF // FIELD MARSHAL H.R.H. //THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT // K.G., K.T., K.P.
AND // ALBEIT MANY UNITS // NAMED HEREON // HAVE CHANGED IN // DESIGNATION AND ROLE // WE HONOUR AND // REMEMBER THE MEN // AND WOMEN WHO SERVED // IN ALL THE UNITS OF // THE CITY AND COUNTY // OF LONDON IN THE WAR OF // 1939–1945.
The memorial consists of a Portland stone column approximately 7.5 metres (25 ft) high, with buttress plinths, on a granite base, and attached bronze sculptures.[1] On each of the buttress plinths, to the north and south of the central column, is a life-size bronze statue of a soldier standing at ease with a rifle, one representing the Royal Fusiliers and the other the Royal Field Artillery. The column is surmounted by a bronze lion rampant bearing a medallion of Saint George and the Dragon, with the legend "St George for England".[2]
The sculptor of the bronze figures was Alfred Drury, with the bronzes cast at the Albion Art Foundry. The stone-carver and letterer was William Silver Frith, and the architect was Sir Aston Webb, who was President of the Royal Academy from 1919 to 1925.[5] Webb's original proposal, including masts standing 75 feet (23 m) high bearing the Royal Standard and the flag of the City of London, and statues representing Peace and Victory, was rejected by the Court of Common Council, but his second design was accepted.[6] The budgeted £7,000 for the memorial was raised by public subscription.[7]
To create space for the memorial in front of the Royal Exchange, a drinking fountain was moved to Cornhill, where it replaced a statue of Sir Rowland Hill, which was moved to St Martin's le Grand,
For some year after the memorial was unveiled, the clerks at the Bank of England nearby took upon themselves the task of maintaining the floral tributes left at the memorial. Copper replicas of the memorial were presented to the London units represented on the memorial in 1923.[8]
TO THE // IMMORTAL HONOUR // OF THE OFFICERS // NON-COMMISSIONED // OFFICERS AND MEN // OF LONDON // WHO SERVED THEIR // KING AND EMPIRE // IN THE GREAT WAR // 1914–1919 // THIS MEMORIAL IS // DEDICATED IN PROUD & // GRATEFUL RECOGNITION // BY THE CITY AND // COUNTY OF LONDON
THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE.
UNVEILED ON NOV 12TH 1920 BY // H.R.H. THE DUKE OF YORK // ON BEHALF OF // FIELD MARSHAL H.R.H. //THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT // K.G., K.T., K.P.
AND // ALBEIT MANY UNITS // NAMED HEREON // HAVE CHANGED IN // DESIGNATION AND ROLE // WE HONOUR AND // REMEMBER THE MEN // AND WOMEN WHO SERVED // IN ALL THE UNITS OF // THE CITY AND COUNTY // OF LONDON IN THE WAR OF // 1939–1945.
A brass plaque reads: "Raised by public subscription at the Mansion House in the peace year 1919 during the mayoralty of Col. The Rt. Hon., Sir Horace Brooks Marshall, K.C.V.O., LL.D." The brass plaque was added after 1945, replacing original wording that was removed from the column when a further dedication was added after the Second World War.
Details
The memorial in December 2014
Poppy wreaths laid in November 2016
London Troops memorial, Royal Exchange behind (western side, front view looking east)
London Troops memorial, Artillery figure (north)
London Troops memorial, Infantry figure (south)
Lion sculpture on top of the memorial
Coat of arms of the County of London on the memorial
