The War Memorial in Hanley was originally built to commemorate the dead of World War I, and stands outside the Town Hall in Albion Street. The sculptor was Harold Brownsword and the memorial was unveiled on 11th November 1922 by Mrs Cecil Wedgwood, JP.
It is Grade II listed. (
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"The bronze female figure of Victory, (one and a half times life size) stands atop the plinth, her helmet plumed with a lion and a snake beneath her feet. She holds up a sword encircled by a wreath in her right hand, and there is a shield behind her at her left heel. It is circular and its design is of five circular roundels, each containing a royal crown surrounded by a wreath. Victory wears a short chain mail top over a laced bodice and a full-length skirt, and her cloak is swept over her shoulder.
Symbolism:
The snake beneath Victory's feet alludes to the defeat of evil, in this case by force of arms (the sword in her right hand). The wreath is another signifier of Victory, while the lion on the female figure's helmet and the two Tudor roses either side of the Stoke on Trent coat of arms symbolise the English nation."
"On the front of the memorial plinth the Stoke on Trent coat of arms appears encircled by a wreath and flanked by two Tudor roses. On each of the two sides of the plinth are further wreaths, again in bronze.
Additional black stone tablets with incised inscriptions have been added to two sides of the plinth."
front of plinth, bronze lettering:
TO
OUR VALIANT
DEAD
1914-1918
&
1939-1945
back of plinth, bronze lettering:
THEY DIED
FOR
OUR FREEDOM
left side of plinth, on small slate plaque in incised gold lettering
NORTH STAFFS BRANCH
DEDICATED TO OUR COMPANIONS WHO FOUGHT IN
THE BURMA CAMPAIGN
1941-1945
"WHEN YOU GO HOME, TELL THEM OF US AND SAY,
FOR YOUR TOMORROW WE GAVE OUR TODAY." Kohima Epitaph
LEST WE FORGET.
rear of plinth, on small slate plaque in incised gold lettering:
NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE EX FAR EAST
PRISONERS OF WAR ASSOCIATION
TO THOSE WHO SERVED IN THE FAR EAST IN
THE 1939-1945 WAR AND DIED IN JAPANESE
PRISON CAMPS OR LATER AS RESULT OF CAPTIVITY.
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"12 Victoria
Victoria (minor planet designation: 12 Victoria) is a large main-belt asteroid.
It was discovered by J. R. Hind on September 13, 1850.
Victoria is officially named after the Roman goddess of victory, but the name also honours Queen Victoria. The goddess Victoria (Nike for the Greeks) was the daughter of Styx by the Titan Pallas. The coincidence with the name of the then-reigning queen caused quite a controversy at the time, and B. A. Gould, editor of the prestigious Astronomical Journal, adopted the alternate name Clio (now used by 84 Klio), proposed by the discoverer. However, W. C. Bond, of the Harvard College Observatory, then the highest authority on astronomy in America, held that the mythological condition was fulfilled and the name therefore acceptable, and his opinion eventually prevailed.
The path of the Main Belt asteroid 12 Victoria
Radar and speckle interferometry observations show that the shape of Victoria is elongated, and it is suspected to be a binary asteroid, with a moon of irregular shape.
Victoria has only ever been observed to occult a star three times since its discovery." Source: (
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