Ossett War Memorial

Heritage listing

Details This list entry was subject to a Minor Enhancement on 17 May 2021 to amend the description, update the name, add a reference to selected source and to reformat the text to current standards SE22SE 3/28 OSSETT MARKET PLACE Ossett War Memorial (Formerly listed as First and Second World War Memorial approximately 50 metres southwest of Town Hall, previously listed as First and Second World War Memorial approximately 25 metres west of Town Hall, KINGSWAY (east end)) GV II SUMMARY A First World War memorial of 1928 with Second World War additions, relocated in 1954 and 2001. 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 England. 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 Ossett as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by men from the town who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was designed by the borough surveyor Mr H Holmes and local architect Mr C Kendall. The life-sized bronze figure was sculpted by Mr R Lindsay Clark (who died before the unveiling) and cast by Walkers of Idle. The memorial originally stood on a traffic island at the east end of Kingsway near the town hall, with the statue facing east. It was unveiled in front of a large crowd on the afternoon of Armistice Sunday, 11 November 1928, by the Rt Hon the Lord Viscount Lascelles. On the day of the ceremony a procession took place, followed by the unveiling, a speech by Lord Lascelles and then the singing of hymns accompan

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.