Summary

War memorial arch, unveiled in 1921.

Description

War memorial arch, unveiled in 1921.

MATERIALS: Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands approximately 3.6m tall, on a slightly raised platform at the southern end of a small garden square, within the hospital grounds. The north face of the arch bears the inscription THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE / 1914 - 1919, with the shield of Guy's Hospital to either side. The faces of the piers beneath are inscribed with the names of the fallen.

The south side of the arch bears the inscription ERECTED BY THE FRIENDS OF THE GUY'S MEN WHO / GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR. 1914 – 1919, with 1939 and 1945 inscribed to either side of the arch underneath. Again, the shield of Guy’s Hospital is present to either side, with the piers beneath inscribed with the names of the fallen.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised at Guy's Hospital in Southwark as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community. Designed by William Walford, the memorial takes the form of a Portland stone arch, which originally had a colonnade attached to either side. The memorial was unveiled by HRH the Duke of York, KG, later King George VI, at a ceremony on 16 July 1921. The memorial commemorates 144 students and members of staff of Guy’s Hospital and medical school who died in the First World War. Following the Second World War, the names of 94 more individuals were added. The memorial was originally located on Great Maze Pond, adjacent to the south-east end of the main hospital building. In the early 1990s the colonnades were removed and the arch was moved approximately 100m south-west to its present location. A rededication ceremony was held on 11 November 1994.

Reasons for Listing

Guy’s Hospital War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a dignified and imposing stone arch war memorial.

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q60578516

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)