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    © Imperial War Museums 2026

    Memorial

    Bailiwick of Guernsey

    War Memorial

    Source: Copyright Unknown

    1/2

    Current Location

    Junction with St James Street, Bailiwick Monument, Smith Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, GY1 2JH, Channel Islands

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    Names listed on this memorial

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    © WMR-10159

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    Type of Memorial
    Allegory (eg: Victory)
    WMR Reference Number
    10159
    Description
    A bronze statue of St George in medieval armour, sheathing his sword while standing over slain dragon, is set upon a stone cenotaph that is flanked on either side by a wall. The cenotaph's upper and lower plinth sections stand on a two-stepped base. Fixed o the front face of the cenotaph are a bronze wreath and two rectangular bronze plaques. The front face of the upper and lower plinth sections each has a rectangular bronze plaque, bearing the WW2 names; between them is a further rectangular bronze plaque (whose inscription is currently unknown). The upper step beneath has a rectangular plaque commemorating a Falkland War casualty. The four rectangular plaques bearing the WW1 names are affixed to the walls that flank the cenotaph. A further rectangular bronze plaque is also fixed to the memorial (believed to be on its reverse face), inscribed with details of the unveiling of the cenotaph in 1926. The whole memorial stands in a raised paved area with stone walls, within a landscaped area. ; NAME PANELS ALSO BRONZE ON FLANKING WALL (WW2 ON FRONT OF CENOTAPH)
    Inscription
    WW1 Dedicatory plaque (which is the lower of the two plaques on the cenotaph's front face): THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1918 / THIS MEMORIAL COMMEMORATES / THOSE WHO, AT THE CALL OF / KING AND COUNTRY, LEFT ALL / THAT WAS DEAR TO THEM, ENDURED / HARDNESS, FACED DANGER/ AND FINALLY PASSED OUT/ OF THE SIGHT OF MEN / AND THE PATH OF DUTY / AND SELF-SACRIFICE, / GIVING UP THEIR OWN LIVES / THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE / IN FREEDOM./ LET THOSE WHO COME AFTER / SEE TO IT THAT THEIR NAMES / BE NOT FORGOTTEN. Four associated plaques, on the flanking walls: (WW1 names) WW2 dedicatory plaque (which is the uppermost plaque on the cenotaph's front face): "MON DIEU - SOYEZ BENI:/ MON DIEU - SOYEZ REMERCIE"/ FOR THE LIBERATION OF/ GUERNSEY ON THE 9TH/ MAY, 1945 AFTER 5 YEARS/ OF ENEMY OCCUPATION Associated plaque 1 (on the upper plinth-section of the cenotaph): THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945/ (Names) Associated plaque 2, on the lower plinth-section of the cenotaph: (WW2 names) Separate plaque (on the top step): THE FALKLANDS WAR/ (1982)/ (name) Unveiling plaque (precise location on the memorial currently unknown): THIS MEMORIAL/ WAS ERECTED BY/ THE PEOPLE OF/ GUERNSEY/ AND UNVEILED ON/ SEPTEMBER 19TH 1926/ BY/ MAJOR GENERAL THE HONOURABLE/ SIR CHARLES SACKVILLE-WEST/ K.B.E. C.B. C.M.G./ LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
    War
    First World War (1914-1918)
    Number Commemorated
    916
    Died
    916
    Information shown
    Surname, initials
    Order of names
    Alphabetical by surname, arranged across four plaques
    Additional Information
    details of names list not known- no images available
    War
    Second World War (1939-1945)
    Number Commemorated
    240
    Died
    240
    Information shown
    Surname, initials
    Order of names
    Alphabetical by surname, in 9 columns across two plaques
    Additional Information
    details of names list unknown
    War
    Falklands Conflict (1982)
    Number Commemorated
    1
    Died
    1
    Information shown
    Surname, initials
    Maker(s)
    • Mr John H. Le Page, Westbrook, St. Sampson's, Guernsey, Builder

    • Messers J. W. Singer & Sons, Ltd., Frome., Founder / Foundry

    Sponsor Type
    public
    Maintenance History
    2022: On 22nd May 2022 a plaque commemorating a Falkland War casualty was unveiled, which is fixed to the upper step of the column's front face.// 2016: On 15/6/2016 the War Memorials Trust published a public statement, regarding its objection to a proposal to move the memorial to a different site (the Sunken Gardens), and recommending that 'the States of Guernsey designate the war memorial as either a Protected Building or Protected Monument -(see reference section notes'. (As of March 2023, the memorial is not included in the States of Guernsey's list of Protected Monuments).// Date uncertain: a further plaque (wording unknown) was added to the plinth (between the two WW2 names plaques).// Post WW2: The bronze laurel wreath was relocated to the upper section of the column, to make way for a rectangular plaque (believed to bear the WW2 dedicatory inscription); two further plaques, bearing the names of the WW2 casualties, were fixed to the column's plinth.// 1926: When the memorial was unveiled on 19/9/1926, the main column's front face bore solely the bronze laurel wreath, fixed immediately above the WW1 dedicatory inscription plaque; a pair of bronze plaques, reportedly inscribed with 910 names of WW1 casualties*, were fixed to the walls on either side of the column; attached to a separate part of the memorial (believed to be its reverse face) was a plaque inscribed with details of the unveiling ceremony. [*Further names were later added].

    Ceremonies

    Unveiled

    19 September 1926

    SIR CHARLES SACKVILLE-WEST KBE CB CMG

    Dedicated

    19 September 1926

    The Very Rev. the Dean of Guernsey dedicated the memorial.

    Unveiled

    22 May 2022

    The Falklands War plaque on the memorial was unveiled by the Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey, Lt Gen Richard Cripwell CB CBE and Richard McMahon, the Bailiff of Guernsey.

    Custodian
    STATES OF GUERNSEY

    Components

    Wall

    Made from: Stone


    Condition: Good


    Cenotaph

    Made from: Stone


    Condition: Good


    Figure

    Made from: Bronze


    Condition: Good


    Plaques / Panels with names

    Made from: Bronze


    Condition: Good


    • Carter Postcard Collection
    • BUILDINGS AND MEMORIALS OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS by LEMPRIERE, RAOUL 175 Source: Image Library Published:ROBERT HALE, 1980 LONDON
    • Daily Mirror 22/9/1926, printed a photograph of the memorial, captioned 'CEREMONIAL UNVEILING OF GUERNSEY WAR MEMORIAL. The Dean of Guernsey dedicating Guernsey's war memorial after its unveiling by the Lieutenant-Governor of the island, Major-General the Hon. Sir Charles Sackville-West. The Bailiff of Guernsey, Sir Havilland de Sausmarez, presided at the ceremony, at which a guard of honour and the band of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry were on duty'. (In thhat photo, it can be seen that the bronze laurel wreath was set immediately above the WW1 dedicatory plaque). https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19260922/065/0005
    • A detailed history of the memorial (including a transcript of the unveiling report from the Guernsey Weekly Press on 25/9/1926, describing its location as being 'set up on the site of the old plantation at the top of Smith Street – an area commanding access to six streets of St Peter Port', and stating that the memorial listed 910 casualties) can be found at http://www.greatwarci.net/memorials/guernsey/bailiwick/bailiwickmem.htm
    • 'Statues Hither and Thither' website's record of this memorial is at https://statues.vanderkrogt.net/object.php?webpage=ST&record=gg04
    • BBC News report on 22/5/2022, re the addition of the Falklands War plaque to the memorial, re Petty Officer Peter Brouard, is at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-61535073
    • The War Memorials Trust's record of the memorial is at https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/230656 (The Public Statement they issued on 15/7/2016, objecting to a proposed relocation of the memorial, can be found at https://www.warmemorials.org/uploads/publications/577.pdf ).
    • A list of the WW1 casualties on the memorial can be found at http://www.greatwarci.net/memorials/guernsey/lists/island.php
    • Some details re the WW1/WW2 casualties can be found at https://www.roll-of-honour.com/Guernsey/StPeterPort.html