Brierley Hill War Memorial

Brierley Hill War Memorial is a war memorial in Brierley Hill,[lower-alpha 1] Dudley, England.

Brierley Hill War Memorial
The memorial, decorated with poppies for the 100th anniversary of its unveiling
Alternative names	Brierley Hill Town Memorial
General information
Type	War memorial
Address	Church Street
Town or city	Brierley Hill, Dudley
Country	England
Coordinates	52.478385°N 2.125595°W / 52.478385; -2.125595
Inaugurated	12 November 1921 (1921-11-12)
Renovated	2021
Renovation cost	£250,000
Owner	Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Designations	Grade II listed

Brierley Hill War Memorial in July 2023

The memorial's statue during restoration in 2021

Erected after World War I, the memorial stands outside St. Michael's church and was unveiled on 12 November 1921.[1] It also now commemorates the dead of World War II, the Korean War, Cyprus Emergency and Malayan Emergency, on separate tablets.[2]

The memorial, based on designs by Councillor J.T. Fereday, with additional work by local industrialist and preacher Francis Lane, consists of a statue of a charging infantry soldier, in World War I uniform and carrying a rifle with bayonet fitted, on a square granite column which also features four relief sculptures. The column sits on a limestone terrace with metal railings, supported by brick retaining walls, at the foot of which is a cannon. The statue, panels and corner columns of the plinth are of Sicilian marble.[1][3][4] The terrace and statue overlook the nearby Clent Hills.[4]

The statue was modelled from photographs of Stanley Harley, the first man from Brierley Hill awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, and made by George Brown and Sons of Kidderminster.[4]

The cannon was made by the Brierley Hill firm of Bailey and Pegg in the 18th century.[5]

The four reliefs depict:[4]

• Royal Army Medical Corps tending the wounded (facing Church Street)
• artillery in action (facing High Street)
• soldiers going 'over the top' (facing away from Church Street)
• HMS Arethusa sending out its boats to rescue German sailors from a ship it had sunk (facing away from High Street)

Below the four reliefs are the inscriptions: "For freedom", "For homeland", "For righteousness", and "For kindred".[1]

Three of the four faces of the column carry the names of the dead of World War I, numbering 205 in all. The fourth, north, face carries the inscription (all in upper case):[2]

In gratitude & admiration
this monument
was erected by their fellow
town folk to the memory of
Brierley Hill men
who loyally gave their lives
in defence of
country and civilization
against the aggressive
ambitions of
Germany,
Austria & Turkey
in the Great War
which lasted
from
August 4th 1914
to
November 11th 1918.
Their name
liveth
for evermore.

At the foot of the column are inscribed the names of four theatres of war, "France", "Flanders", "Gallipoli", and "Palestine".[1]

The memorial was afforded Grade II listed status in January 2015, for its historic and artistic interest and sculptural value, giving it legal protection from unauthorised alteration or demolition.[2] It was restored in 2021, with two new interpretation panels installed adjacent to it.[6]