Georgetown Cenotaph
Encyclopedia
The Georgetown Cenotaph is a war memorial
in Georgetown, Guyana
, located at the junction of Main and Church Streets.
The Cenotaph was unveiled on August 14, 1923, by the then Governor, Graeme Thomson
, and the first Armistice Day
observance took place at the Church Street Monument on 11 November 1923. On the four faces of the base of the Cenotaph are inscribed the four words - Devotion, Humanity, Fortitude and Sacrifice.
The Cenotaph is a national memorial to Guyanese soldiers who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. Guyanese soldiers served and fought in such far off places as Egypt
, France
, Belgium
and East Africa
.
After the end of the Second World War in 1945, Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day
or Remembrance Sunday, and observed on the first or second Sunday of November. Since 1956, it was internationally agreed to observe Remembrance Day on the second Sunday of November.
Before 1923, the site where the Cenotaph now stands was occupied by an ornate drinking fountain which was erected in 1867 to mark the completion of the Water Works in 1866. That drinking fountain, no longer functional, now stands on the green opposite St. Rose's High School in Church Street, just a few hundred feet from its original location.
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
in Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown, estimated population 239,227 , is the capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and it was nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.' Georgetown is located at . The city serves...
, located at the junction of Main and Church Streets.
The Cenotaph was unveiled on August 14, 1923, by the then Governor, Graeme Thomson
Graeme Thomson
Sir Graeme Thomson G.C.M.G. K.C.B. was a British Civil Servant in the Admiralty, who served as a colonial civil servant and then governor in several British colonies.-Civil Servant:...
, and the first Armistice Day
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
observance took place at the Church Street Monument on 11 November 1923. On the four faces of the base of the Cenotaph are inscribed the four words - Devotion, Humanity, Fortitude and Sacrifice.
The Cenotaph is a national memorial to Guyanese soldiers who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. Guyanese soldiers served and fought in such far off places as Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
.
After the end of the Second World War in 1945, Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
or Remembrance Sunday, and observed on the first or second Sunday of November. Since 1956, it was internationally agreed to observe Remembrance Day on the second Sunday of November.
Before 1923, the site where the Cenotaph now stands was occupied by an ornate drinking fountain which was erected in 1867 to mark the completion of the Water Works in 1866. That drinking fountain, no longer functional, now stands on the green opposite St. Rose's High School in Church Street, just a few hundred feet from its original location.