The Shrine, the First War Memorial at Southend, Mumbles
1918
A Village Memorial to the fallen of The Great War, The Shrine was unveiled on Saturday 14th September 1918 in Parade Gardens.
'About 400 people gathered in the Mumbles Park on Saturday afternoon, 14th September 1918, when the ceremony of unveiling a war shrine was performed by the Vicar (Rev. Harold S. Williams). Among those present were the Revs, H. W. Green. Latimer Davies (Rector of Oxwich), Councillors John Harris, C. P. Bell, Edmund Bevan and H. Davies. Prior to the unveiling ceremony the church choir, fully surpliced, marched from the church to the park. A Firing party was in attendance, and the Last Post was sounded.
Herald of Wales
The 'Shrine' was made of wood and painted black and is shown draped with flowers
'It is computed that about 120 Mumbles Boys have made the supreme sacrifice'.
Herald Of Wales
It is sometimes recorded that Mumbles was the last place to produce its memorial to Honour the Fallen of the Great War.
But, the 'Hut Badge Boys', local ex-servicemen (pictured above) raised the £40 pounds needed for the construction of the wooden Shrine which was unveiled on 14th September 1918.
Sadly, Mumbles Press reported on 10 October 1918 that the Shrine and flowers had been damaged and flowers stolen and so, after discussion the Oystermouth District Council agreed to open the gates to the Shrine only between 10 and 4 each day.
1939
However, in July 1939, the UKs final stone memorial to the Great War was unveiled in Mumbles.
The photo shows Mrs. Ann Hixson of Newton, wearing her son's medals.
Her youngest son, David John Stanley HIXSON, was killed in the Great War, (not her only son, as reported in the newspaper cutting, shown above) performing the unveiling ceremony of the original memorial at Parade Gardens (as it was then known), 3th July 1939.
Mrs Hixson's great granddaughter, advised us and Parish records show that Ann and her husband Solomon had six daughters and four sons.
This ceremony took place 21 years after the end of the First World War and within five weeks of Britain’s entry into the Second.
The new grey granite monument was dedicated by The Vicar of Oystermouth, the Reverend W.D.G. Wilkinson and the service concluded with the Last Post and Reveille by the Royal British Legion bugler.
Cutting from a local newspaper
After the Second World War
After the Second World War, the inscription on the Mumbles 1914-1918 Memorial was re-carved and ‘1939—1945’ (by W A Morris, stonemason) thereby commemorating the fallen of the to wars on its single plinth.
2006
Mumbles Community Council rededicated the memorial by adding granite plinths placed either side, inscribed with the names of the Great War and Second World War local casualties.
The New Mumbles Memorial rededicated on 11th November 2006.
Mumbles British Legion at the dedication
Mr Bill Baringtom, Verger of All Saints'Church, is a veteran of the Second World War and knew many of those named on the 1939-1945 Roll of Honour.
The two names shown above, have been added to the Southend War Memorial commemorating those who died after 1945 in the service of their country and their details are recorded on the page:
George J Isaac & Son Ltd., Monumental Masons, Mumbles
updated the stone on two occasions, first in 2006 when there was the addition of the names and secondly, in 2011 when the rear of the stone had an inscription added along with the two post WW2 names. They also maintain the memorial when requested by Mumbles Community Council.
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