Springhill Cenotaph

Erected by the citizens of Springhill after the First World War in honour of the local war dead, this memorial was expanded after the Second World War to include a commemoration of the local war dead of that conflict. The beautiful Soldiers’ Monument was officially unveiled on August 4, 1929. The committee appointed to the project of getting a Soldiers’ Monument consisted of: Joseph Potter, Bruce Hyatt, Harry Moore, Oscar Goldrich, Harry Slater, Roach McKay, John Hannah, C.E. MacKenzie and William Cliffee. Giving much assistance and advice to this committee was Mr. R.B. Murray. The total cost for the monument was $4,953.69. The total weight of the monument is 59 tons. Thirty-five tons of cement have been put into the foundation; the first two stones weigh four tons, the main stone weighs eight tons and the next one three and one-half tons. The wings weigh three tons each and the statue about two and a half tons. The work of construction was handled by J.A. Tingley and Company of Amherst. The statue was made in Italy of Carrara Marble. It represents a Canadian soldier standing at the head of the grave of a comrade. The soldier’s left hand rests upon the little wooden cross, his steel hat slung carelessly over his shoulder, his tunic open at the throat. A pose so characteristic of the soldier in a moment of quietness on the Western front as he gazes upon the grave of a pal. The expression which the sculptor has carved into that face of stone is one which the soldier in us can understand but no words of ours can describe; it is wonderful. To Mrs Annie Goldrich, who gave three sons to the cause, fell the honour of unveiling the memorial. The guard stood at the present and Bugler Young sounded “Last Post”. The Springhill Record, Springhill, N.S., Friday, August 9, 1929

Inscription

[front centre/devant au centre]
1914 1918

THEY SHALL GROW NOT OLD. AS WE THAT ARE LEFT GROW OLD
AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING
WE WELL REMEMBER THEM.

TO COMMEMORATE THE GLORIOUS DEEDS OF THE
MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND SERVICES
FOR KING AND COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WARS
1914-1918
1939-1945

ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF SPRINGHILL, NOVA SCOTIA

[front left/devant, à gauche]
BARRETT ALEXANDER
BOSS OSCAR J
BOYLE JOSEPH B
BRACLEY JOHN
BROWN JOHN
BROWN JOSEPH B
BROWN ROBERT R
BROWN WALLACE
BUCHANAN JOHN
BURNLEY FRANK
CAMERON SAMUEL
CHAPMAN PERCY
COATES ROBERT
COLEMAN DAVID
COOK ALBERT
COOK HERBERT
CORMIER ALFRED
CROSSON JOHN
CUMMINGS JOHN
DAVIS HARRY
DEAN HARRY
FAULDS JAMES
FOSTER ALEXANDER
FOSTER EARL
FOWLER RALPH
FRASER A.D.
FRASER JOHN
FRASER ROBERT
GILROY LLOYD
GOLDRICH ARTHUR
GOLDRICH WALTER
GOODWIN ALONZO
GREEN JOHN
GREGORY JOHN
GUTHRO HERBERT
HARVEY CHARLES
HENNESEY JOHN
HOWARD ROY
HYATT ELVIN
JONES MURRAY

[front left/devant, à gauche]
1939 1945
ASHE RAYMOND
ATKINSON G EARL
AUSTIN C M
AMON EVERETT
BICKLE FREDERICK
BARRETT JAMES R
BROWN ERNEST M
BROWN LORNE
BROWN EARL
CHANDLER JOHN
CAMERON GORDON
COOK ERNEST
CALDER REGINALD
CUMMINGS M J
CHISHOLM DANIEL
DAVIS GEORGE
DORT DAVID
DORRINGTON DOUGLAS
ELLIOTT DONALD
GILROY ROSS
HARTLEY JAMES
DHOARE DENNIS
HALL ROBER T JR
JAMES HAROLD
LETCHER WILLIAM G
LESLIE LOGAN
LOWTHER WILLIAM
RLIVINGSTONE W H
LEWIS SIDNEY C

[front face right/devant, à droit]
LETCHER GRANVILLE
LETCHER HARRY
LIGHT RICHARD
MARCHALL JOHN
MEADES HENRY
MEEKINS JAMES
MILBURN WILLIAM
MURPHY HAROLD
MCBURNEY TENNIS
MACDONALD ROBERT
MCDONALD R.A., M.M.
MCDONALD SAMUEL
MACINNIS JAMES M.M.
MACINNIS JOHN
MCKAY ARCHIE
MCLEOD COLIN D.C.M.
MCLEOD JOHN
MCPHEE JAMES
MCPHERSON ALLEN
MCPERSON MATTHEW
OULTON DOUGLAS
PAUL HERBERT
PIERCE N.F.
PRICE BASIL
PRICE JOHN
ROACH WILLIAM
ROBERTSON PETER V.C.
RONAN EDWARD
SCOTT ALBERT
STERLING GEORGE
SUTHERLAND GEORGE
TERRIS DELBERT
TERRIS GARDNER
TERRIS GUY
WELSH ARTHUR
WHITE PHILIP
WILSON ANDREW
WILSON LAWRENCE
WRIGHT COLIN
REA ARTHUR

[back/arrière]
IN FLANDERS FIELDS

IN FLANDERS FIELDS THE POPPIES BLOW
BETWEEN THE CROSSES, ROW ON ROW.
THAT MARK OUR PLACE
AND IN THE SKY THE LARKS, STILL BRAVELY SINGING, FLY
SCARCE HEARD AMID THE GUNS BELOW.

WE ARE THE DEAD, SHORT DAYS AGO
WE LIVED, FELT DAWN, SAW SUNSET GLOW,
LOVED AND WERE LOVED, AND NOW WE LIE,
IN FLANDERS FIELDS.

TAKE UP OUR QUARREL WITH THE FOE

TO YOU FROM FAILING HANDS WE THROW
THE TORCH: BE YOURS TO HOLD IT HIGH.
IF YE BREAK FAITH WITH US WHO DIE
WE SHALL NOT SLEEP THOUGH POPPIES GROW
IN FLANDERS FIELDS.

Ce mémorial, érigé par les citoyens de Springhill après la Première Guerre mondiale en hommage à leurs morts, a été agrandi après la Seconde Guerre mondiale pour rappeler les pertes subies au cours de ce conflit. Ce magnifique monument militaire a été inauguré officiellement le 4 août 1929. Le comité chargé du projet de construction de ce monument se composait de Joseph Potter, Bruce Hyatt, Harry Moore, Oscar Goldrich, Harry Slater, Roach McKay, John Hannah, C.E. MacKenzie et William Cliffee. M. R.B. Murray a aussi fourni au comité une aide et des conseils appréciables. Le monument a coûté en tout 4 953,69 $. Son poids total est de 59 tonnes. Trente-cinq tonnes de ciment ont été utilisées pour sa fondation; les deux premières pierres pèsent quatre tonnes, la pierre principale, huit tonnes, et la suivante, trois tonnes et demie. Les ailes pèsent trois tonnes chacune, et la statue, environ deux tonnes et demie. Les travaux de construction ont été réalisés par la J.A. Tingley and Company, d’Amherst. La statue a été réalisée en Italie, en marbre de Carrare. Elle représente un soldat canadien debout près de la tombe d’un camarade. Le soldat, dont la main gauche repose sur une petite croix de bois, a rejeté son casque d’acier sur son dos, et le col de sa tunique est ouvert, dans une pose caractéristique d’un soldat profitant d’un moment de quiétude sur le front de l’Ouest, la tête baissée vers la tombe d’un compagnon. L’artiste a sculpté sur ce visage de pierre une expression que comprendra facilement le soldat qui sommeille en chacun de nous, mais qu’aucun de nos mots ne saurait exprimer; elle est magnifique. C’est Mme Annie Goldrich, qui a sacrifié trois fils à la cause, qui a eu l’honneur de dévoiler le mémorial. La garde a présenté les armes, et le trompette Young a exécuté la sonnerie aux morts. The Springhill Record, Springhill (N.-É.), le vendredi 9 août 1929

Le texte de l’inscription figure dans la section anglaise.