Whitehaven News 17 June 1920-
Note that on 15th June 1920 a Verdun Oak Tree was planted in St Nicholas' Churchyard as part of the conversion of the old churchyard into an ornamental gardens. The churchyard was laid out to grass in 1946-1947, which is when the tree is believed to have been lost.
West Cumberland Times 24 January 1923 page 3b
West Cumberland Times 3 November 1923 page 12 a-c
Whitehaven News 8 November 1923 page 6 d-g
Various minutes of Whitehaven Borough Council Soldier's Memorial Committee (minute books held at Whitehaven Archives)- A permanent memorial at the end of the war had first been discussed by the Council on 25th October 1915. The first meeting of the Soldier's Memorial Committee of Whitehaven Borough Council was on 11 Dec 1918 when the plan was to have a new Town Hall as the memorial. By February 1919 the plan was for a new Public Park. In March 1919 it was decided to look at the possibility of designating the existing Bransty Arch on Tangier Street as a war memorial. In April it was decided to build a new Infirmary as the War Memorial. In October 1919 it was decided that there were insufficient funds for a new hospital, the idea of a nurses home as a memorial was reviewed and rejected, and it was decided to look at the idea of a monument. On 30th January 1920 it was decided to build either a single memorial, or two smaller ones at each Lowther Street corner, in the churchyard of St Nicholas' Church, of granite, and to invite competitive designs, for a prize of £100, the memorial to be funded by public subscription. By January 1921 Whitehaven Castle had been purchased by an anonymous donor who had also provided £20,000 for the Castle's conversion into a War Memorial Hospital, so this now became the Memorial Scheme. In December 1921 the Infirmary Committee decided to make the Castle Grounds available for the use of the Public. The Cenotaph derived from that decision.
On 3rd November 1915 it was decided by the Council to open a public subscription list to make awards to those who obtained military distinction. The first 3 to be Pte Acton VC, Captain Blair DSO, and Lance Corporal Bewsher DCM. The award of a Sword of Honour to Captain Blair (made by Mr W T Storey, jeweller of Barrow in Furness was on 27 Nov 1915. It cost £44/10. Pte Acton's parents were awarded a clock (after his death in action) costing £6/8/6 and made by A Lockhart & son, also a purse of money value 8/9. LC Bewsher was awarded a gold watch made by R Sutton costing £11/10. In 1916 gold watches were awarded to Cpl Ewing DCM, Sergt Major Aitken DCM, & Corporals Corkish (watch awarded 23 Oct 1917) and McGlennon DCM. In 1917 similar awards were made to Gunner Jacob Glaister DCM MM (awards made 14/11/1916 and 9/12/1916)-watch awarded 10/4/1918 & Private Robert Dixon DCM, also the expenses of the parents of the late Pte Acton VC, to Buckingham Palace for the investiture were paid by the council.
On 11th September 1918 the council awarded his MM to the widow of the late Gunner/Acting Bombardier J Edwards, 715288, RFA, of Mosswell Cottage, Whitehaven.
On 9 Oct 1918 a gold watch was awarded to the widow of the late Lance Corporal Todd DCM,26994 1st/5th Border Regiment, also his medal.
On 10th December 1918 the mayor presented the MM to Corporal E Wilkinson.
On 23rd April 1919 award of a gold watch to Sgt J Fallowfield DCM, 240542 5th KOSB, of 31 Chapel Street was approved (awarded 9th July 1919) similarly to Lance Sergt R Rule DCM, 240255, 7th Border, of 14 Carter Lane (awarded 13th August 1919).
On 13th August 1919 the mayor presented the DCM to Sergt JL Kneale, 40459, 1/8th Lancashire Fusiliers of Isle of Man.
On 30th April 1919 award of a gold watch to Nurse Isabella Thompson, of 27a Tangier Street was approved. She had been awarded the Decoration of the Royal Red Cross, the Serbian Samaritan Cross and the Silver Medal of the Serbian Red Cross Society.
On 14th May 1919 the mayor presented the MM to Mrs Graham of 16 Marlborough Street, which had been awarded to her son, the late Samuel Larkin, 240212 of the Border Regiment.
On 11th June 1919 award of a gold watch to Lance Bombardier John Hully DCM, 27632, RGA, was approved. It was awarded on 11th February 1920.
By 14th October 1919 the council had expended £265/15/11 on these awards of which £241/11/9 was from subscriptions.
On 13th July 1921 the Mayor presented the OBE to Major Hogarth, the Borough Electrical Engineer, awarded for his war service.
Infirmary Minute Books YTHOS 2/1/4 and 2/1/5 at Whitehaven Archives (see pg 339, 343 & 366 of YTHOS 2/1/4 for the bed endowment).
See page 348 that the new hospital be considered to be a War Memorial Hospital.
On Page 365 £1,000 being part of the sum raised by the Town Council towards building a war memorial was donated towards the alteration of the Castle as the new Hospital.
Whitehaven News 28 March 1929 for the unveiling of the Cross of Sacrifice at Whitehaven Cemetery (which confirms it was CWGC provided) on 24 March 1929 by Mr S Turner, Chairman of Whitehaven Burial Board, dedicated by Very Reverend H V Stewart, Dean of Carlisle
West Cumberland Times 15 November 1950 page 4d
Carter Postcard Collection