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The
Memorial
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"THE
MEANING OF THE TOWN MEMORIAL" PART TWO
by Marilyn Stephenson-Knight
The Town War Memorial, standing outside
Maison Dieu House, was intended both to remember those we had
lost and educate those who were to come. Seeking not to glorify
war, but to emphasise spirituality and self-sacrifice, its
design denotes Youth rising beyond the difficulties of life.
But the material Memorial is incomplete.
It's just a few blocks of granite and some shaped bronze. The
vital other component of the Memorial is intangible; it is the
mind of the person who sees it. Without that the Memorial has no
meaning. The Town Council discovered this just after the
unveiling. They'd debated the design for months, and to them the
symbolism of the bronze figure was clear. But to the people of
Dover it was not, so the Council erected a notice of
explanation.
This is the story of the Intangible Town
Memorial - the part of the Memorial that lives inside our heads.
Before the material Memorial can be created there has to be an
Intangible Memorial. That has a many-branched history thousands
of years long. But here, we'll concentrate merely on the
immediate roots in Dover!
In January 1915 came the first public
mention of a Great War memorial. The Dover Express asked for
notification of all casualties, to ensure a full list for an
eventual memorial. The death announcements from families who
contributed could be seen in themselves as, week by week,
forming a personalised memorial, which also included news of
those
 still serving. Later, in June 1917, Father Grady of St
Paul's, Maison Dieu Road, would dedicate a war shrine, and he
too spoke of a time when Dover would look back on the war. His
concern was that memories would fade, and the shrine would then
remind us of "the saddest days of our lives".
The first recognised Great War memorial in
Dover was a motor boat. Named the "Henry Gartside-Tipping"*, it
was donated in June 1916 to Missions for Seamen by the
Lieutenant-Commander's family. Embarking from Dover, he had been
killed off Zeebrugge the year before; at 67 he had been the
oldest naval officer serving. A huge crowd attended the ceremony
on the beach near the Clock Tower, along with a choir, a
drum-and-fife band, and a host of VIPs.
During the war a number of memorial
services were held in Dover. In view of the situation a commonly
used hymn was "Oh God our Help in Ages Past". The services were
often funereal - in November 1916 St Mary's, Biggin Street, used
part of the order for the burial of the dead. Naming the fallen,
the vicar commended them to "God's merciful and loving
keeping".
Seven months later when the war shrine was
dedicated at St Paul's, Father Grady advanced this, stating that
by praying for their eternal rest we can try to repay the dead
for their sacrifice. The shrine was in the form of a large
crucifix, which, he added, was appropriate, because Jesus' death
was the "supreme and model sacrifice". Those who died fighting
"for freedom and justice" imitated, because they died for us.
Thus was implied that because of the nature of their service and
death, the war dead had entered a more glorious plain. Several
church services also cited other transcendents for which the
dead had sacrificed themselves - their country, the King, the
Empire, freedom, and justice. The war shrine at St Mary's
carried the legend "For God, King, and Country".
Just as those fighting were often
remembered in prayers, shrines too were not solely for the dead.
In January 1917, one was erected for serving soldiers at
Nightingale Road. This was the Knowlton of Dover, for nearly all
the male residents were eligible to fight. Those still in combat
were also considered of higher ideals - prayers for the safety
of these "gallant men" were led by the Vicar of Barton Road, and
the shrine was unveiled by Mrs Dunn, mother of a combatant.
*
By the first anniversary of the Armistice,
in 1919, thoughts of Great War memorials had crystallised into a
need. Several villages around Dover had begun collections for a
memorial. Already one, a window at the Primitive Methodist
Church,
 had been unveiled. At the request of the King, the Last
Post and the silence had become part of Remembrance ceremonies.
Dover obediently observed the silence at 11am. Unfortunately,
without a signal for the beginning there was some confusion. By
the next anniversary, the Dover Express hoped, there would be a
Memorial and a "properly conducted demonstration".
In 1921 the poppy was adopted. The bright
red on every jacket brought a November summertime to Remembrance
in Dover. Just after Armistice Day the memorial at St Mary's had
been unveiled before a vast crowd. Although the occasion might
stir feelings of loss, said the Bishop, there should be in the
fallen, "a sense of pride in them for what they did ... It is
right to erect a memorial to their memory. Nothing is too good
for them".
That year and the one before had seen a
crop of memorials dedicated, including the unusual one, offered
with thanks, of electric light at the Tower Hamlets Mission
Hall. By Armistice Day River and several outlying churches could
hold outdoor services at their memorials. Mrs Smith in Dover,
whose four sons had served, "read with envy the accounts of the
village memorials". In mind of the "great debt we owe those who
fell," she continued, "the least we can do is to possess a small
statue with the names of Dover's fallen inscribed on it".
Cost was presumably an issue though, for a
sub-committee of the Town Council had instead suggested a shrine
in Maison Dieu Hall. It would hold a book naming the fallen -
and those who had done war work. The newspaper editorial agreed
with Mrs Smith. This idea was "not good enough". Furthermore,
such a memorial was inadequate for town Remembrance ceremonies,
and mixing up the living and the dead was neither "adequate nor
suitable".
Debates raged. By 1922 the Dover Express
had called the proposed shrine "mean", and, worse, had pointed
out that functions in the Hall would most disrespectfully
obscure the shrine with benches of beer barrels. "If all that
Dover can do ... is make a niche in the wall," the newspaper
thundered, "it should be made on the outside ..." At least then
Dovorians deprived of graves for their loved ones would have
somewhere to lay their tributes. Highly critical of what it saw
as unnecessary "secrecy and delay" the Dover Express added that
the people of the town "should have been left to decide the form
and site of the War Memorial". The whole episode was
particularly painful, because the magnificent Marine Station
memorial had that year been unveiled, and at Armistice Day was
covered with wreaths. The only consolation was a street-filled
service of Remembrance at St Mary's memorial, which the Mayor
attended.
*
During the war and after the Armistice
Dover had seen many precedents for the eventual construction of
the Town War memorial. Each helped form the Intangible Memorial,
which was not only the essential counterpart but also influenced
the material design of the Town Memorial.
Personal and individual knowledge, as with
the announcements in the Dover Express, was a very strong
component of the Intangible Memorial. It shaped the material
Memorial, as this knowledge was reflected in the Roll of Honour,
including questions of who was and was not eligible. At the same
time it gave the Memorial a great meaning. This, as the years
have passed, is largely lost to us today. (It is this aspect
that the Dover War Memorial Project primarily seeks to recover.)
 A further component of the Intangible
Memorial was the collective sense of suffering and
commiseration. This would have built up over the years, with
interactions between neighbours as well as public announcements,
as in the papers. It was clearly expressed in Dover during the
memorial services and unveilings. The Intangible Memorial also
provided comfort for the bereaved. An often repeated view at the
memorials and unveilings was that families should have great
pride in the achievements of their loved ones, who had
sacrificed themselves for a greater good.
Such sacrifice was seen to give great
honour and glory, and also to provide an example for those left
behind. This was one of the reasons why those who had survived,
and civilian casualties at home were not included on the Town
Memorial.
Thanksgiving too was key - not only for and
from those who had returned, which was often expressed in
subscriptions, but for deliverance, and above all for those who
had died in bringing that deliverance. These components of the
Intangible Memorial were key to the debates that raged on the
design of a Town Memorial. A practical aspect too was that for
the many bereaved who could hold no funeral and had no grave to
tend, a memorial and a Remembrance ceremony could stand in their
stead. The Intangible Memorial thus informed the choice of a
suitable site for the Town Memorial.
Finally, the Intangible Memorial was a
bringing together, a secular and religious mix wherein the whole
community could be joined. The community was not just the
present, but the past and the future people also. For the
Intangible Memorial remembers the past and uses it as a lesson
for the future.
The Town Memorial was unveiled on 5
November 1924. It was beautiful. It may have been long in
coming, but during that time the Intangible Memorial had been
negotiated and matured. Moderate and restrained in its material
form, the Town Memorial was enormous in intangible antecedent
and meaning. In a phrase, the Town Council had "got it right".
This was a feeling shared by Dovorians of the time. As a
Councillor said, it was "one of the most popular things that had
happened in Dover for a great many years".
*
The story above is but one version of many
of the Intangible Town Memorial. Too, the tale does not end at
the unveiling. There is much more to tell about the Meaning of
the Town Memorial, and the next part of this series will explore
further. But in the meantime, next time you pass, do have a look
at the Town Memorial. What does it mean to you? Which version of
the Intangible Town Memorial lives inside your
head?
with thanks to:
Mr Tony Belsey
Mr Simon Chambers
The Dover Express
This article first appeared in the Dover
Society Newsletter for December 2006
Footnotes:
A further element in the meaning of the Memorial, and
appropriate ways of remembering those who had died, may be
detected in correspondence received by Mr Knocker, then Town
Clerk, from a resident at 15 East Cliff. In November 1923, an
E Hayward, probably Captain Edward Haywood, stating that the dead must be honoured indeed,
enquired stated that "nothing is being done, or we are kept
entirely in the dark". Mr Knocker explained that the design of
the Memorial had changed, from a shrine to a material monument,
and that these considerations, along with the need to raise more
money, which they were attempting to do by means of matinee
performances of suitable films at cinemas, had contributed to
the delay in the creation of a Memorial.
This, however, did not console E Hayward, who rather acidly
responded, "I think it is a very sad business when for
such a purpose funds cannot be obtained and and hard to
believe. I should say it was far better to return the
subscriptions than to wait for money to dribble in from
entertainments etc. A memorial erected by this means can be of
no honour to the dead, and rather the reverse." By 7th
January 1924, E Hayward had lost patience, and wrote, "Dear
Knocker, I shall be obliged if you will cause my subscription to
the Dover War Memorial to be returned to me. I never anticipated
that such delay in the matter would take place. I consider this
delay dishonouring to the men who died for England and I wish to
have no share in it." E Hayward's subscription
of £5 was returned. (This would have been worth around £200
today) It was resent after the Town Clerk wrote again to E.
Hayward in October 1924, just before the unveiling, blaming the
former Town Council for the delays. *
Despite the efforts, the War Memorial was unveiled in debt.
Discussing the possibility of adding extra names in October
1925, the treasurer of the War Memorial Committee revealed that
there was a balance of £4 17s 2d, but that there was still £10
due to Mr Goulden (who had received £1,190). Mr Goulden,
appealed to for help, stated that his work was complete, and,
feeling it would affect the artistic merit of the
design, was rather sniffy at the thought of additions. However,
after hoping that there would be no more names put forward, he
conceded that an extra plate could be put at the rear and
promptly estimated some £20 to £25 to do so. The Town Clerk
meanwhile commented, with a weary and somewhat self-justifying
air to the committee that they had tried to make the list
complete, but as soon as the memorial was unveiled people who
admitted they never read the papers had turned up to say their
relatives' names should be on it. By the time the committee met
again, two weeks later, another eight names had come in.
The whole episode proved academic, as the Mayor, at that second
meeting, with an eye to the practical, said that the first thing
to do was to find the money. Asked, perhaps with a rhetorical
mien, by an Alderman if the relatives had offered to collect
money, the Mayor reasoned that as they did not read the
newspapers they were probably poor people. The answer, then,
presumably, and as expected, was "no". The clincher was that
there was by now a debt of £5 10s 2d on the memorial, as well as
the £25 to consider. With Councillor Norman's helpful
matter-of-fact summary that if they couldn't collect the money,
they couldn't add the names, the Mayor, with some relief,
stated, "We are free from blame". The motion that the names
should not be added was carried unanimously . It would be
another nine years before they appeared, and by then there were
more.
* Mrs Mary
Gartside-Tipping was later also to lose her life owing to the
war. She had worked for nearly a year at the Munitions Workers'
Canteen, Woolwich, before, in January 1917, joining the Women's
Emergency Corps for service in the war zone in France. There she
was shot by a (French) soldier, whose "mind was disordered" on
4 March 1917. She was posthumously awarded a Croix de Guerre,
which had been withheld from women since November 1916, and
given a full military funeral. She was buried at Vauxbuin
French National Cemetery. Plot III.B.5 Mrs
Gartside-Tipping had married Mr Gartside-Tipping in 1890, and
was the daughter of the late Captain Flynn RA.
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