A CEREMONY marking 100 years since Port Sunlight's war memorial was unveiled took place today.
The official unveiling of the Memorial took place on Saturday, December 3, 1921 before an attendance of seven thousand people.
Over 4,000 Lever Brothers employees from around the world fought in the war.
The memorial was erected to honour the memory of the 481 men from Lever Brothers who fell in the First World War. It also bears the names of 118 workers killed fighting in the Second World War.
Today, the memorial is one of the largest in the country and has the largest collection of bronze sculptures of any war memorial.
The symbolic ceremony marking its centenary this morning was led by Minister Reverend Ian Smith of Christ Church Port Sunlight.
Picture: Dan Bentley
Relatives of those who constructed the figurines on the memorial with wreaths in their memory at centenary ceremony this morning. Picture: Dan Bentley
Above and below: Relatives of those who constructed the memorial figurines lay wreaths in their memory during centenary ceremony this morning. Pictures: Dan Bentley and Craig Manning
Designed by the Welsh sculptor Sir William Goscombe John, the Monument was possibly commissioned by village founder William Lever as early as 1916 to create a memorial to the Fallen.
The memorial stands in the most prominent position in the centre of the village, at the intersection of its broadest avenues, The Causeway and The Diamond.
The figures on the plinth depict three soldiers, one of whom is wounded and is being attended by a nurse; a seated woman cradling a group of infants; a girl with her brother; and a Boy Scout. These figures are all larger than life size.
The reliefs on the parapet depict respectively the Naval, the Military, the Anti-Aircraft and the Red Cross Services.
Gathered for the centenary celebration ceremony this morning. Picture: Craig Manning
Katherine Lynch, director of heritage of Port Sunlight Village Trust said: "To mark the centenary in this way is a huge honour for the village.
"Standing prominently in the centre of our village, the memorial has and will always be a fitting tribute to the sacrifices made by Lever Brother’s employees, their families, and Port Sunlight residents."
RELATED STORY: https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/19729994.looking-back-port-sunlights-stunning-cenotaph-fitting-memorial-fallen/
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