[From The Manx Quarterly, #27]

War Memorials in the Isle of Man

Buck's Road (Douglas) Primitive Methodist Church.

The members of the congregation of Bucks-road Primitive Methodist Church (Douglas), flocked in hundreds on Sunday, June 26th, 1921, to their place of devotion, in order publicly to testify to the enormity of their debt and gratitude to the nine members of their church who sacrificed their all in order that the fair shores of England might remain undesecrated by the ruthless foot of the invader. The occasion was the dedication oaf a memorial, and singularly enough it coincided with the last appearance in the pulpit, as circuit minister, of the Rev. F. W. Henshall. The sacred edifice was well filled, while the service itself was most impressive and inspiring. The unveiling ceremony, which was performed by Mr Henshall, who was wall acquainted with all the nine fallen men, was carried out with a silence that was most solemnising. The inscription on the tablet was afterwards read as follows :-

IN HONOURED MEMORY
OF
THE MEN OF THIS CHURCH
WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR, 1914-1918.

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them."

Before the the congregation resumed their seats, Mr Councilor Quirk, one of the trustees, laid a wreath before the tablet. The order of service was as follows:- Opening hymn, Kipling's "Recessional " ; prayer and Lord's Prayer (Rev. W. C. Russell) ; hymn, " My country, 'tis of thee " ; reading of Scripture, Rev. vii, from the 9th verse (Rev. F. W. Henshall) ; anthem, " Crossing the Bar " (F. C. Maker); addresses, Revs H. H. Woodward, M.C., hon. C.F., and W. C. Russell ; hymn, " Give me the wings of faith "; Dedication of the Memorial Tablet ; prayer (Rev F. W. Henshall) ; address, Rev. F. W . Henshall ; choral song, " The Last Post " (C. Villiers Stanford), by the choir ; hymn, " For all Thy Saints" ; Benediction and Vesper.

Mr Woodward expatiated at length on the sacrifices made by the nine men whose names they were commemorating, and drew lurid pictures of the trials they underwent. In the far distant future, he concluded, when even that church had become a 'heap of ruins, and the ravages of time had erased those nine names from the tablet, they would still be retained on a far greater tablet - the Lamb's Book of Life. The names on this tablet would, however, continue to speak to several generations of worshippers within those walls. What would be the message? That freedom from the yoke, from the invaders, was ours, because they died to secure it. That the whole of the future was ours, because they shed their blood to make it so. No matter how we may succeed in the future, ended Mr Woodward, we shall never be out of our debt to the nine men whose names are chiselled on that tablet.

Mr Russell said that one of the most wonderful things in this life was that nothing was complete in itself. The Apostle Paul had told them that in various ways. He had told them that they were members of one another; that no man lived to himself, and that no man died to himself. Paul could have made that more comprehensive, and still have been quite true. Not only true in things material, but in history. The past was related to the present, the present was related to the. future. Every day and every moment was linked up with every moment of every other day. Where it would end they would not know until they had got behind the Veil; so all they could do was to mark the tendencies and observe the lines of advance, and the direction in which the things were going. And it was their duty to pull along in that direction, which they believed was the right one. It was given to this generation of ours to witness one of the biggest events that history had ever known. Bigger sacrifices for the sake of real and true ideals had never been known before. They saw the beginning and they saw those who went, and, so far as their lives were concerned, completed their work. But the work of those who were spared to return was not completed, there was still something to be dome. Though things had not turned out as they had promised, their feet, thank God, were set in the right direction. Those who had led the way beckoned them to follow on. As they looked down the arches of years, there were many signposts showing them to the way. What they, were going to do that night was to erect another milestone pointing to the City of God.

Mr Henshall said that the stone would always be eloquent. It would speak to them with the highest kind of eloquence. It was bound to something beyond itself. That something was an act of great sacrifice - a sacrifice that would speak to them through all the years. It would speak to them of many mercies vouchsafed during those critical years. It would speak to them of miracles and wonderful manifestations of resource. The stone would show them something of the cost of their liberty. Liberty had always to be won at the cost of blood. The war had been said to, have been a war to end war. It was up to them to see that that was so. It was up to them to make a resolve that they would see to it that never again would war of any sort blot the fair landscape, and that there world be peace to the end of the earth. If there was to be peace on earth and goodwill towards men, they must be done with all hate and bitterness.

The memorial, which takes the form of a white marble tablet, enclosed in a brown. granite border, mounted on grey granite, is of handsome design, and is the work of Mr T. H. Royston, Peel-road.

St. Matthew's Church (Douglas).

The memorial in honour of the eighty-four men connected with the church and parish of St. Matthew's, Douglas, who gave their lives in the Great War, was, on July 28th [1921], dedicated by the Vicar, the Rev. H. S. Taggart, and unveiled by the Lieutenant-Governor, Major-General Sir William Fry. The memorial takes the form of a shrine in the grounds of the church, on the Ridgeway-street side. In keeping with the church, it is made of sandstone, with rubble corners, and design is of the Early English character-The figure of the crucified Christ been supplied by Mr H. Ems,[sic H. Hems] of Exeter; the names of the eighty-four - among whom is one V.C., Abraham Acton- have been enscrolled by Mr A. Knox, and have been gilded; and the erection of the shrine has been carried out by Mr T. Quayle, stonecutter. Beneath the names, are inscribed the last two lines of J. M. Neale's translation of the great Latin hymn, the " Dies Irae," "Lord all-pitying, Jesu blest, grant them Thine eternal rest."

In the church before the ceremony, the Rev. H. S. Taggart briefly recited the history of the memorial. St. Matthew's was in need of many things, but they made up their minds that the war memorial was not to be a means benefitting the living, except in the purely spiritual sense of inducing the living to strive to prove themselves worthy of the inestimable sacrifices made for them, and it was felt that the most suitable memorial from that standpoint was the form of the Redeemer pouring out His life for mankind. The money had been given willingly, without any begging, or sales of work, or other such social functions. He trusted that the memorial would always be cared for, and that those who passed it would pray for the rest and refreshment and reward of those for whom it was in many cases the only tomb, and would endeavour, as in their own measure those men did, to copy the example of Christ in loving service and sacrifice.

The Governor also lauded the unselfishmess and courage of the men who gave their lives for the honour and the existence of their country, and expressed his gladness that this shrine was being erected to honour these men's memory not for this generation only, but for all time. He trusted that the daily spectacle of this memorial would lead the dead men's comrades to resolve always to resist temptation, and never besmirch the honoured name, and would teach everyone the great lessons of unselfishness, courage, and fortitude.

At the close of the ceremony, the Last Post and Reveille were sounded, and a wreath of laurel placed on each side of the shrine. Floral wreaths were subsequently deposited by large numbers of the relatives and friends of the men, whose names are contained in the inscription.

The names of the men inscribed on the memorial are as follows : -

ARCHIBALD ALBERT.
JOSEPH H. ADDISON.
ABRAHAM ACTON, V.C.
THOMAS A. ARMROYD.
RICHARD ATKINSON.
J. HAROLD ALLEN.
ATHOL G. BLAKEMORE.
FRANCIS BROMILOW.
CHARLES M. BROADBENT.
WILLIAM H. BERESFORD.
ROBERT H. CAREN.
ROBERT A. CANNON.
JOHN K. CAIN.
WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN.
VICTOR CHILDS.
THOMAS W. CHRISTIAN.
WILLIAM J. CLAGUE.
WILLIAM H. CLUCAS.
WILLIAM CLUCAS.
ALFRED N. CALLISTER.
THOMAS R. CLARKE.
ALFRED CONNOR.
ROBERT COWIN.
ROBERT J. COWIN.
CHARLES E. CORLETT.
ROBERT C. COLLISTER.
ISAAC R. CORRIN.
ALFRED V. CRAMPTON.
HARRY K. CUBBIN.
JOHN C. CUBBON.
EDWARD CURPHEY.
JOSEPH CLAGUE.
HENRY F. CREETCH.
ROBERT S. DEVEREAU.
EDWARD H. DIXON.
JOHN DOUGLAS.
PERCY FALLON.
JOSEPH A. FARAGHER.
JOHN J. FARAGHER.
EDWARD GORRY.
JOSEPH GALE.
WALTER E. GLEW.
JOHN ALFRED GARRETT.
JOHN W. HANNAH.
RAYMOND HOPKINS.
THOMAS E. HALSALL.
HUGH E. JONES.
STANLEY KELLY.
ROBERT J. KELLY.
HERBERT KINVIG.
ROBERT H. KNEALE.
ROBERT W. KEWIN.
JAMES LINDSAY.
MATTHEW McCAULEY.
JOHN R. McKISSACK, M.M.
M.M WILLIAM E. MOORE.
JAMES H. MULLEN.
FRANK MOUGHTIN.
JAMES A. MOORE.
JOHN E. MOORE.
ARTHUR ONIONS, D.C.M.
WILLIAM QUIGGIN.
FRANK QUILLIAM.
JOHN T. QUAYLE.
DOUGLAS QUARRIE.
JOHN B. RADCLIFFE.
JOHN E. RADCLIFFE.
JOHN R. RONEY.
WILLIAM H. SAYLE.
EDWARD SKILLICORN.
THOMAS A. SHIMMIN.
JOSEPH SHIPSIDES.
CHARLES STEPHENSON.
JOHN J. SHIMMIN.
JOHN J. TAGGART.
THOMAS H. TAGGART.
JAMES TAYLOR.
JAMES TOBAN.
WILFRED UREN.
JOHN H. WEDDLE.
RALPH M. WILDIG.
WILLIAM E. WHITE.
JOHN WILLIAMSON.
JOSEPH WILSON.

Kirk Braddan  

(later photo)

At the foot of that road which runs between the old Kirk Braddan Churchyard and the existing parish church, there stands unpretentiously, but majestically, Braddan's memorial to its gallant dead. The unveiling took place on Sunday, Sept. 4th, in the presence of a huge assemblage, and those of that crowd who were acquainted with any of the forty-one men whose names were being immortalised, confessed that Sunday was both the proudest and saddest day in Braddan's history.

Hallf-an-hour before the unveiling ceremony had commenced, all classes had gathered around this monument. One saw members of the Keys, officials of the law, and tradesmen, successful and otherwise; tinkers and tailors; soldiers and sailors; humble farm labourers, and humble servant girls. Many of them were relatives of the men who had given their all, and who,, seeing in the simple inscriptions on the memorial the familiar faces of their loved ones, wept long and bitterly. Others groaned at the thought of what might have been while two or three who, not to their discredit, suffered not the boss of any relative, vainly endeavoured to enter into a full comprehension of the feelings of those who had. But in the background of this concourse there stood, not unnoticed, some of the men who had been " out," but who had returned with bodies pulsating with the joy of life. There was a strained look in all their eyes, and occasionally an involuntary shudder took possession of them. No doubt the realisation was forced upon them that it was only a kindly Fate that had saved them from having their names engraved on the same monument.

It was fitting for such an occasion that the sun shone in all its splendour, and with its rays just peeping between the leafy trees which 'hung overhead, and the green stretches of healthy grass which met the eye on all sides, and the long rows of blackberry bushes bowing under the weight of its luscious fruit, and the white robes of the officiating minister, to say nothing of the quietude of the adjacent cemetery, and the occasional mournful howl of a dog, the occasion was just given that touch of solemnity which made everyone feel very very near to something which, at the same time, seemed very far away. What was it? The invisible Forty-one?

But down the leafy lane came the strains of an organ, and one's meditations were interrupted. The service had commenced. We recognised the tune, and soon everyone was singing, as well as the lumps in our throats would allow, the hymn, " O God our help in ages past." Then followed prayer by the Rev. 'A. Smith, and the lesson (Rev. vii., from verse 9) by the Rev. A. H. Whitely.

Then came the address from the Captain of the Parish, Mr G. Drinkwater, M.L.C., J.P. Simple, yet pregnant with a great understanding, delivered with obvious emotion, it was profoundly impressive. Mr Drinkwater, unconsciously no doubt, simply because he was feeling as we all felt, struck the two dominant notes, the note of pride and the note of sadness. The first note was struck when he proudly, lifted his head and declared that for all our sorrow we did not want them back again, and the second note when, quoting Tennyson, he mourned for the touch of a vanished hand and the sound of a voice that is still. He made it apparent to is, as it must have been apparent to himself, that we know not what we want. - At one moment we want it otherwise, and the next moment we want it as it is". We are both inexpressibly gratefull and indescribably sorrowful.

After his address, Mr Drinkwater, from where he stood, outstretched his, hand and tagged at a cord, and in the twinkling of an eye, the Union Jack, which shrouded the monument, slid to the ground, and the memorial in its pure nakedness was revealed to us. For a moment there was a pause, during which the Rev. W. A. Rushworth, M.A., Vicar of the Parish, came forward, and with outstretched hands said:-

" In the faith of Jesus Christ, we dedicate this cross to the glory of God, and in grateful memory of those men of Kirk Braddan, who laid down their lives at the call of duty.- In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

Further hymns and prayers ensued before the sounding of the " Last Post," which was impressively done by Mr H. Dunn - ex-sergeant.

The ceremony over, crowds flocked around the memorial, and numerous wreaths were laid at its base. The first wreath was laid by the Captain of the Parish.

MR. DRINKWATER'S ADDRESS. The following is a complete text of Mr Drinkwater's address:-

We are met on this very solemn occasion to dedicate this memorial to those from the parish of Braddan, who fell in the war, and to do homage to those brave men.

Let me first of all tell you about this monument. In Old Kirk Braddan Churchyard, we have an odd Runic stone, of great antiquity, probably 800 to 1,000 years all. It was erected by a father to the memory of his son, who fell in battle ; and we thought we could not do better than follow the model of it. We copied its design and enlarged upon it, and we entrusted the work to Mr Royston, whose work and great skill you will particularly notice ; as for carrying out the work we owe him our thanks. It is work into which he has put his heart and also his brain; and this is the result of his labour. The upright stone its a monolith, and weighs about one and a quarter tons, and was carved by Mr Royston out of a stone about three tons in weight. It is of the same blue slate as the old Braddan cross, a fact which speaks well for its lasting capacity,. We shall all pass away, and the trees which surround us will pass away; the old buildings will probably pass away; but that stone will be there in a thousands years' time. It is graceful in outline, adequate in size, and in the beautiful surroundings of old Kirk Braddan, and I hope that you, and not only you, but those who come after us, will consider it a memorial fit for the men of Braddan who fell in the greatest of all wars. Out of a parish containing under two-thousand souls, 279 able-bodied men went at the call of duty to the war, but, alas! 41 have not returned. One in seven gave their lives far us, and to them we have erected this memorial. But though they are gone from us, the should not grieve for them ; we can grieve for ourselves, for who that has lost dear ones hasn't felt that inexpressible anguish, that longing for the touch of the hand that has vanished, to hear the sound of a voice that is still ? But still we would not recall them if we could. Possibly we cannot tell those forty-one men are about us to-day; and if they could tell us, they would say: " Do not grieve for us, we are happy ; we await your coming when you, too, will pass through the vale, and stand with us before Almighty God." Therefore, let us take courage. Let us profit by the example afforded us here, especially in unselfishness, and as we pass this monument, let us consider to the full the significance of the words engraved on the stone, below the cross : " To the glory of God, and in everlasting memory of those men of Kirk Braddan who perished in the War, 1914-1919."

I hava now the great honour of unveiling this memorial.

BRADDAN'S GALLANT FORTY-ONE. Below is appended the names of the forty-one men of Braddan who fell in the Great War, and who were mourned for by their fellow-parishioners on Sunday.

Bigggs, George
Bridson, Harald G.
Bridsom, Robert H.
Bridson, Ronald G.
Cain, Nelson E.
Callow, William
Cannon, John
Cannell, Wilfred S.
Carter, Harold
Cheesman, Arthur
Childs, Victor
Christian, Percy
Collister, Frederick
Condè, Charles
Corrin, Thomas
Corkill, C. R.
Cowin, Harald
Cowin, John„ M.M.
Cowin,William D.
Cowley Stanley C.
Cox, Hugh B. H.
Creetch, Henry F,
Faragher, William
Fraser, George
Goldie-Taubman, Gerald
Gray, Frederick
Howland, Herbert C.
Kelly, Philip
Kelly, Wilfred
Kerruish, R. W.
Kneen, Alfred R.
Lockerby, Walter
Margerison, G. d.
Moore, J. J.
Moore, W. G.
Mylchreest David
Mylrea, William
Parry, Thomas
Quayle, John T.
Russell, Harold
Santer, Sydney