The Cenotaph located along Connaught Drive at the Esplanade, facing the old Courthouse was built in memory of the 124 British soldiers born or who resided in Singapore who gave their lives in World War One (1914-1918) with a second dedication added in remembrance of those who died in World War Two (1941-1945) on the reverse side of the monument. It was designed by Architect Denis Santry of Messrs Swan & McLaren and re-modeled after the Sir Edwin Lutyens Whitehall Cenotaph of 1920. This monument was completed in 1922 and unveiled on 31 March 1922 by the young Prince Edward of Wales, later Duke of Windsor and King Edward VIII during his tour in the Asia-Pacific region.

During the unveiling ceremony, a chaplain blessed the Cenotaph with the words, "The stone is well laid and truly laid to the Glory of God and the memory of the illustrious dead." Against the backdrop of the sea then fronting Queen Elizabeth Walk, Governor Guillemard awarded medals of courage to those who had served in the war.

The Cenotaph is made of local granite and is nearly sixty feet high. Bronze tablets on both sides of the Cenotaph bears the names of the men from the Straits Settlement who perished in the war. Five steps lead up to the monument bearing the dates 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918, marking the war years of World War I. Crowning the structure is a sarcophagus with a bronze lion beneath a bronze medallion consisting of a laurel wreath of victory enclosing a crown. It symbolises the crown to which these men had rallied and is also a reflection of the Crown Colony.
Lower down is the inscription "The Glorious Dead" and below the inscription are the dates 1914-1918. On the reverse side, though no names are listed to commemorate the World War II heroes, the stark phrase "They died so we might live" is inscribed in the four main languages: English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil. There are 14 pylons on both sides of the stone structure bearing the names of famous battles with each battle surmounted by a laurel wreath. Overall it is a simple granite structure wrought with just a hammer and a chisel.

Labels: cenotaph, world war 1

posted by glenn

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