The War Memorial stands in a central position in village of Port Sunlight.
"The village of Port Sunlight was founded by ‘Soap King’ William Hesketh Lever in 1888. The village was built to house Lever’s ‘Sunlight Soap’ factory workers. Today Port Sunlight is home to a fascinating museum, beautiful architecture, a world-class art gallery, stunning parkland and a thriving community." SOURCE: (
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The memorial was commissioned by William Lever the founder of the village and employer of its residents. He was anxious to have a memorial to commemorate those of his workers who had been lost in the First World War.
The memorial was designed by the sculptor, Sir William Goscombe John, R.A., built by Messrs William Kirkpatrick LTD and the sculptures cast at A B Burton Foundry.
It was unveiled on 3rd December 1921 by two of William Levers employees, Sergeant E.G. Eames of Port Sunlight who lost his sight at the First Battle of the Somme in France 1916 and by Private R. E. Cruickshank of the London branch office who was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1918 for his actions in Palestine.
The memorial is Grade I listed. The description given by Historic England reads as follows;
Reasons for DesignationThe war memorial, Port Sunlight, unveiled in 1921 is listed at Grade I for the following principal reasons:
* Sculptural interest: as the work of a notable C20 sculptor, Sir W. Goscombe John, R.A., who combined classical architectural composition with high-quality bronze sculpture and relief panels;
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Community value: of significant value as an artistic representation of the paternalistic nature of the Lever Brothers firm;
* Group value: the memorial stands in a prominent place within the wider context of Port Sunlight and has a strong relationship with the buildings and layout of the complex.
MATERIALS: bronze sculptural group and relief panels; granite cross, plinth and radiating steps.
DESCRIPTION: memorial and sculpture by William Goscombe John RA. The memorial was built by Messrs William Kirkpatrick Ltd and the sculpture was cast at the A. B Burton Foundry at Thames Ditton.
The memorial stands in the most prominent position in the centre of Port Sunlight village, at the intersection of its two major streets, The Causeway and The Diamond.
It consists of a runic granite cross with a chamfered shaft on an octagonal podium with eleven surrounding figures and twelve relief panels.
The bronze figural group is clustered around the base of the cross and comprises three soldiers, two women and six children.
Four of the round-headed panels have reliefs depicting different services - ambulance men with wounded soldiers, gunners, sailors and anti-aircraft - and on the other eight panels children are depicted holding wreaths or palm leaves. All the figures are depicted larger than life.
There are 511 names on the memorial, 117 of these from the Second World War.
The theme for the sculpture was ‘Defence of the Realm’ which John expressed in strong narrative detail with the soldiers depicted, guns raised, defending the women and children behind from an impending imaginary invasion, in a powerful and melodramatic tableau.
The sculpture makes clear distinctions between the genders and their separate, but equally significant, roles during wartime and powerfully reflects the emotional cost and impact of war on the home front.
The inscription reads;
THEIR NAMES SHALL LIVE
FOR EVER AND
THEIR GLORY
SHALL NOT BE
BLOTTED OUT
SOUTH PANEL:
THESE ARE NOT DEAD
SUCH SPIRITS NEVER DIE
ON THE ADJOINING PANELS ARE INSCRIBED
THE NAMES OF THOSE
FROM THE OFFICES AND WORKS OF
LEVER BROTHERS LIMITED
AND THEIR ASSOCIATED COMPANIES OVERSEAS
AND ALSO FROM PORT SUNLIGHT
WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR
1914 1919
(NAMES)
NORTH PANEL:
THIS MEMORIAL
ERECTED BY LEVER BROTHERS LIMITED
AND THE COMPANY'S EMPLOYEES IN ALL
PARTS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND IN
ALLIED COUNTRIES WAS UNVEILED ON
DECEMBER 3RD 1921 BY
SERGEANT E.G. EAMES OF PORT SUNLIGHT
WHO LOST HIS SIGHT AT THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE SOMME IN FRANCE 1916 AND BY PRIVATE R.E. CRUICKSHANK OF THE LONDON
BRANCH OFFICE WHO WAS AWARDED THE
VICTORIA CROSS IN 1918 FOR CONSPICUOUS
BRAVERY AND DEVOTION TO DUTY IN PALESTINE
(NAMES)
BASE OF PLINTH - SOUTH SIDE:
THE NAMES OF ALL WHO SERVED NUMBERING OVER FOUR THOUSAND AND RECORDED IN A BOOK DEPOSITED BENEATH THIS STONE AND ALSO IN SIMILAR BOOKS IN CHRIST CHURCH AND IN THE LADY LEVER ART GALLERY WALL SURROUNDING CENTRAL PLATFORM: DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI
THEIR NAME SHALL REMAIN FOR EVER AND
THEIR GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT
REVERSE OF WALL:
TO OUR GLORIOUS DEAD
This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 27 January 2017.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:215406"