Cobourg

 
Location:  Northumberland County     N 43 57.572   W -78 09.725
Located in Victoria Park, between King Street and Queen Street.

This memorial was rebuilt in 1990, and stands proudly in the centre of Victoria Park.  The cenotaph itself consists of a large cross with an engraved base paying honour to those who have served.  The gates of the park, at the north side off King Street, pay tribute to the heroes of WWII and lists the names of those lost in the Second Great War.  The names of those lost in WWI do not appear to be listed on any monument in the park, unless I have missed their location, in which case I apologize and will return to document those.
The Cobourg Branch 133 of the Royal Canadian Legion is widely regarded as one of the most active forces in the promotion of the Highway of Heroes, the stretch of Highway 401 from Trenton to Toronto.  It is here, during the Afghanistan War, that as fallen soldiers were repatriated back home, their remains and their families would be driven along the highway, and thousands of everyday people began to pay their respects of the fallen heroes and the motorcades by standing on the bridges and overpasses of the highway, waving flags and showing support for our troops.  This became a huge tribute to all our troops and to this day, remains a strong tradition of respect and honour.

Marker text:
Cenotaph:
Front:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD,
IN GRATEFUL TRIBUTE
TO THOSE FROM COBOURG
WHO SERVED
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
THOSE WHO DIED
FOR KING AND COUNTRY
IN THE GREAT WAR
1914     1918
THIS MEMORIAL
HAS BEEN ERECTED BY
THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS
 


Side:
WORLD WAR II
1939     1945


CANADIAN MERCHANT NAVY
MARINE MERCHANDE CANADIENNE
1914-18     1939-45     1950-53
THE LIFE LINE OF THE WORLD
POUR LA SURVIE DU MONE LIBRE



Side:
"STANDING BENEATH THIS CROSS
OF SACRIFICE, WE REMEMBER,
AND MUST CHARGE OUR CHILDREN
TO REMEMBER, THAT AS OUR
DEAD WERE EQUAL IN SACRIFICE
SO THEY ARE EQUAL IN HONOUR
FOR THE GREATEST AND LEAST
OF THEM HAVE PROVED THAT
SACRIFICE AND HONOUR ARE
NO VAIN THINGS BUT TRUTHS
BY WHICH THE WORLD LIVES."
 

Side:
KOREA
1950  -  1953





Park Gates:
Left side:
THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD AS WE
THAT ARE LEFT GROW OLD,
AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM, NOR
THE YEARS CONDEMN.
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN
AND IN THE MORNING
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

ERECTED TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN GRATEFUL MEMORYBY
THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL
WOMEN'S CLUB OF COBOURG
AUGUST 1, 1948
 


Right side:
TO THE FALLEN
1939---1945

BEACH, ROY F.
BOLSTER, JOHN
BOUNDY, ALLAN
BOSWELL, DAVID D.
BOWEN, HENRY L.
BRADBURY, CLIFFORD D.
BROWN, RALPH
BULGER, LLOYD
CREIGHTON, JOHN
CLEMENT, ROGER
CHAPMAN, JOHN
DENTON, DOUGLAS
DREWRY, FREDERICK W.
EDWARDS, ROBERT
FICHT, DONALD
FLESCH, ARNOLD L.
GALLAGHER, GERALD
HAYWARD, PETER
HIE, ELWOOD
STEWART, DAVID

JACOBSON, CHARLES M.
LEETHAM, HARRY
LONSBERRY, FRED
MEDHURST, GEORGE
MITCHELL, EUGENE
McDONNELL, MURRAY E.
McGUIRE, HARRY F.
McIVOR, ELGIN
McKENZIE, DONALD F.
McMURDO, JOHN
NICHOLSON, ALLAN L.
PAGE, DONALD
PHILLIPS, CAMERON
ROLLINGS, WILLIAM A.
SCHLEIHAUF, HOMER
TITFORD, C.K. (BILL)
THOMPSON, ALEX
WAGHORN, JACK
WHYTE, LLOYD