London Troops War Memorial

A wonderful Memorial to the City and County of London Regiments that fought in the Great War.

Fascinating history to this memorial.

By the end of 1914, following the outbreak of the First World War, 58 battalions had been raised. By May 1915 the regiment had expanded to 82 battalions, of which 56 were involved in the hostilities across every theatre of the war. At the end of the First World War the battalions were re-formed in the Territorial Army. Following various amalgamations and reorganisation, battalions originally in the London Regiment served in the Second World War although the regiment itself had ceased to exist. Continuing reorganisation in the latter half of the C20 led to the formation in 1993 of the present-day regiment.

The City and County of London Troops memorial reflects the London units as they were constituted at the end of the First World War. This includes the eight City of London battalions, one additional City battalion (33rd, Rifle Brigade), the 18 County battalions and one additional County battalion (34th, King’s Royal Rifle Corps); the Royal Fusiliers and the Honourable Artillery Company; four Yeomanry battalions; eight artillery brigades and two heavy artillery batteries; and the London units of the Royal Engineers, the Electrical Engineers, the Royal Army Service Corps, the Royal Army Medical Corps, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Territorial Force Nursing Service, and the Voluntary Aid Detachments. A number of the battalions were originally raised by specific localities or communities: for example, the 11th (County of London) Battalion was known as the Finsbury Rifles, the 14th was the London Scottish, the 28th was the Artists Rifles. Thus, although many of the units represented also instituted their own war memorials for fallen comrades, this memorial commemorates all those men and women who served in the City and County of London Troops.

(Edward) Alfred Briscoe Drury (1856-1944) studied in London and Paris. He was elected a Royal Academician in 1913. His first major work was a statue of Circe (1894) erected in Park Square, Leeds, that is Grade II-listed. He is principally known for his architectural sculpture, which included the prophetic allegorical pairs of figures on the 1905 War Office in Whitehall of Sorrow and Joy, Horror and Dignity of War, Truth and Justice, and Victory and Fame. His best known work was his collaboration with Sir Aston Webb at the Victoria and Albert Museum. His Boer War Memorial at Clifton College, Bristol is listed Grade II*. His Grade II-listed First World War memorials include Hertford, for which Sir Aston Webb was the architect, Kidderminster, and Malvern College.
War memorial of 1920 by Sir Aston Webb with sculpture by Alfred Drury.

The London Troops War Memorial stands in tribute to the men of London who fought in World War I and World War II.

The memorial consists of a column surmounted by a bronze lion rampant and a medallion of Saint George and the Dragon. Flanking two sides of the column are life-sized bronze statues. Both of which are soldiers standing at ease with a rifle, one representing the Royal Fusiliers and the other the Royal Field Artillery.

A worthy memorial

It was a great experience on Friday afternoon that wasn't crowded.. I took many pictures in the sunshine..

Important please to know about the history

Great place. Wonderfull

A nice patch of art and history in the middle the urban landscape.

The memorial was opened on 12 December 1920 and these days includes a commemoration to the men and women who fought both World Wars. There are two life-size bronze statues, one of them representing the Royal Fusiliers and the other the Royal Field Artillery. At the top there is a bronze lion rampant bearing a medallion of Saint George and the Dragon.