Tillsonburg

 

Location:  Oxford County     N 42.86208   W -80.72914

In front of a shopping mall, at 200 Broadway Street

This memorial, known as The Soldiers Memorial Monument was unveiled on Armistice Day, November 11th, 1929 to great fanfare and a celebration of remembrance for the local heroes who died in the Great War.  The monument cost the citizens of Tillsonburg $3800 and fundraising was a true community effort, spearheaded by the Lions Club.  The memorial stands nineteen feet high and is made of light grey La Casse granite from Quebec, the same as that used for the gargoyles on the Peace Tower in Ottawa.  The impressive monument has remained in the same spot where it was originally erected in 1929, but the surrounding area has changed dramatically in the many years that have passed.  It was once located in a promenade centered in the main street in front of the Town Hall, but having never been relocated, now sits in front of a shopping plaza, a black iron fence surrounding the memorial.  The names of the major battles of The Great War are engraved in the sides of the cenotaph, while a plaque on the back lists the names of the fallen from both World Wars.  In 2014, a small plaque was added to recognize the sacrifices made in Afghanistan.

 

Marker text:

Front:

1914-1918          1939-1945

IN MEMORY

OF THOSE WHO PAID

THE SUPREME SACRIFICE

AND

IN HONOUR OF THOSE

WHO SERVED

IN

THE GREAT WARS

WORLD WARS I & II

& KOREA

AFGHANISTAN

UNITED NATIONS          PEACEKEEPERS

 

Left side:

YPRES

FESTUBERT

SICILY

SANCTUARY WOOD

FRANCE

MT. SORREL

SOMME

GERMANY

VIMY

 

 

 

Right side:

HILL 70

PASSCHENDAELE

ITALY

AMIENS

BRITAIN

ARRAS

CAMBRAI

ATLANTIC

MONS

 

 

 

Back:

1914     WORLD WAR I     1918

ALLEN, A

AMOS, AH

ATTWATER, HF

BELL, S

BELLAS, J

BERRY, EG

BLATCHFORD, EA

BLATCHFORD, TL

BOYLE, FS

BYNG, JD

CAMPBELL, WH

COVINGTON, WH

CURTIS, RS

DAVIDSON, T

DICK, MW

DOVE, H

DOWNEY, JL

EASEY, AJ

ELLIS, JW

ELMER, E

FAIRS, GH

FISHER, HW

FISHER, W

FRANKLIN, C

FREED, JE

GREENWOOD, EJ

HARRIS, LW

HEAPE, W

HEARSEY, CF

HOLLINGSHEAD, EG

HOOPER, EW

JENNINGS, CT

KAAR, G

LEDBURY, B

MALCOLM, FE

MATTHEWS, HC

MOWFORTH, GR

MULDER, G

NEVILLE, HH

OATMAN, WB

OSTRANDER, H 

RICHEY, RE

RUSSELL, CS

SCOTT, SW

SINGER, C

SMITH, TM

STARKISS, SG

STOTT, A

STROUD, FL

WILLIAMS, GE

WILLIAMS, J

WRIGHT, FF

YOUNG, EE

1939     WORLD WAR II     1945

BEAVIS, WH

BREMNER, DAE

BREMNER, FC

BRINGLOE, JH

BROWN, GF

CAMPBELL, CA

COBB, NA

COLVIN, JM

DAVIS, OL

EITEL, EL

FISHER, FL

FOX, AJD

FRENCH, WE

GEROW, WJ

GRAHAM, WH

HAGELL, JG

HALL, G

HANEY, P

HAWKINS, AB

HAYCOCK, WC

HOLLINGSHEAD, J

LECKIE, JL

LESTER, RL

LEWIS, CF

LIDSTONE, RJ

LOCKEY, GJR

MARTIN, AE

MIELL, HE

MUDFORD, V

MYRICK, JF

MYRICK, PR

PALMER, L

PORTER, J

RICE, RM

ROBINSON, FV

RODGER, LR

ROUSE, HE

SMITH, KW

STROUT, AC

WALDECK, CE

WALLINGTON, S

WILKINSON, GL

WOOD, HNH

 

DONATED IN MEMORY OF F/O JIM SERGEANT R.C.A.F. WWII

 

"ALL'S WELL FOR OVER THERE AMONG HIS PEERS A HAPPY WARRIOR SLEEPS"

 

Photo from the unveiling.  November 11, 1929.  Same location as today, different surroundings.