The Grade I listed Preston Cenotaph, nestled in Market Square, Preston, England, serves as a somber testament to the servicemen who met their end in both World War I and II. Designed by the architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott with sculptural work by Henry Alfred Pegram, the memorial features a statue of Victory with her arms raised and holding laurel wreaths. Figures on either side of the statue represent those who died, while an empty coffin - the cenotaph - sits at the very top with cherubs and foliage carved around it.
The names of the World War I servicemen are contained in a Roll of Honour located in the Harris Museum, where the names of some 2,000 Prestonians are recorded on marble tablets. No Roll of Honour was produced for those who lost their lives in the Second World War, but the Cenotaph remains a monument to the deceased of both wars.
A restoration in 2012 included the carving of a new dedication to the people of the city who lost their lives in service since 1945. The memorial was originally unveiled on 13 June 1926 by Admiral of the Fleet Earl Jellicoe of Scapa and was re-dedicated in 2012, 88 years after its original unveiling.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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