A more modern replacement for the original memorial that stood near the spot until 1968.
A 'lost' tribute to 158 Salford war heroes has been replaced after a campaign led by the M.E.N. and Cassie-Ann Creely, who had relatives on the memorial has been replaced after a year-long campaign by the M.E.N.
A two-ton £30,000 granite memorial was unveiled at 11am today (11 NOV 2015) to mark Armistice Day.
The monument is to soldiers, sailors and airmen, who all came from the Greengate district of Salford.
Many of those named made the supreme sacrifice but their memory had been dishonoured.
An original memorial to them installed in the wall of the local Dispensary in 1919 was taken down in 1968 to make way for a new road.
It was then neglected, being taken from one council depot to another for more than 40 years before being thrown away, as it was ‘uneconomical’ to repair.
But backed by the M.E.N., Cassie-Ann Creely, whose great-great uncles, Thomas and Felix Battersby were named on it – and both killed – campaigned for a new memorial.
Cassie and her family were present at the moving service of dedication.
They were joined by representatives from all three armed forces, relatives of the 158 and members of the Royal British Legion.
Standard bearers from the Legion, plus the Royal Medical Corp (Manchester) and the Fusiliers Association (Bury) lowered their standards as bugler Sgt Geoff Baines of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers played the Last Post, followed by the The Reveille.
Cassie, originally from Salford, wore on her wrist the metal identity bracelet sent home to the mother of her great-great uncle, Felix, after he was killed in action, embossed with his Army number.
After laying a wreath at the stunning new monument in Queen Street, Salford, she said: “A wrong has been rectified and the turn-out was overwhelming. A lot of fantastic people have made it possible, and the job is done."
The memorial was made possible thanks to a £13,000 donation by Salford millionaire and owner of the Betfred chain, Fred Done.
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Further information on the original:
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The memorial includes part of Wilfred Owen’s poem Anthem for Doomed Youth.