The Liverpool Scottish memorial stone
Encyclopedia
The Liverpool Scottish memorial stone is a World War I
memorial erected in Belgium in 2000.
unit of the British Army
fought in the second wave of the "Battle of Hooge", officially known as the "First Attack at Bellewaarde", in June 1915 during World War I. This action, in defence of the Ypres Salient
, was not altogether successful and resulted in the depletion of the unit. Many men from the battle are buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery
.
is made up of three parts - a carved stone
, the inscription tablet in black marble
and the flagstones around the memorial.
The carved stone, showing the badge of the 10th (Scottish) Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment), was originally the keystone of the barracks of the unit. When the barracks were demolished in 1967 the stone was salvaged and placed into storage. In 1978 it was placed in front of the new headquarters on a brick plinth. When these headquarters closed in 1999, the unit decided to move the stone, as part of a new memorial, to the Ypres
area.
A black marble inscription, describing the actions at Bellewaarde, was placed at the base of the stone. The flagstones surrounding the memorial were donated by Liverpool
City Council
and amount to 2 tonnes of paving blocks (cobbles
) from the streets of the city.
The stone is inscribed in English
and Dutch
, the language of the locality.
In English, it reads:
THE LIVERPOOL SCOTTISH BELLEWAARDE
16 June 1915
From a line 250 m. West of this point 23 officers and 519 other ranks of 1/10 (Scottish) Battalion The King's (Liverpool) Regiment, TF, advanced East up the slope towards German trenches on Bellewaarde Ridge.4 officers and 75 other ranks were killed, 11 officers and 201 other ranks were wounded and 6 officers and 103 other ranks were missing. Of the missing all the officers and - with a very few exceptions - all the men were subsequently reported killed.
In memory of all who have served in The Liverpool Scottish and have died in the service of their country.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
memorial erected in Belgium in 2000.
Unit history
The Liverpool ScottishThe Liverpool Scottish
The Liverpool Scottish, known diminutively as "the Scottish", is a unit of the British Territorial Army, raised in 1900 as an infantry battalion of the King's . The Liverpool Scottish became affiliated to the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders in the 1920s and formally transferred to the regiment in...
unit of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
fought in the second wave of the "Battle of Hooge", officially known as the "First Attack at Bellewaarde", in June 1915 during World War I. This action, in defence of the Ypres Salient
Ypres Salient
The Ypres Salient is the area around Ypres in Belgium which was the scene of some of the biggest battles in World War I.In military terms, a salient is a battlefield feature that projects into enemy territory. Therefore, the salient is surrounded by the enemy on three sides, making the troops...
, was not altogether successful and resulted in the depletion of the unit. Many men from the battle are buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery
Tyne Cot Cemetery
Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War in the Ypres Salient on the Western Front...
.
Stone history
The memorialMemorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
is made up of three parts - a carved stone
Stone carving
Stone carving is an ancient activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, evidence can be found that even the earliest societies indulged in some form of stone work....
, the inscription tablet in black marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
and the flagstones around the memorial.
The carved stone, showing the badge of the 10th (Scottish) Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment), was originally the keystone of the barracks of the unit. When the barracks were demolished in 1967 the stone was salvaged and placed into storage. In 1978 it was placed in front of the new headquarters on a brick plinth. When these headquarters closed in 1999, the unit decided to move the stone, as part of a new memorial, to the Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
area.
A black marble inscription, describing the actions at Bellewaarde, was placed at the base of the stone. The flagstones surrounding the memorial were donated by Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
City Council
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
and amount to 2 tonnes of paving blocks (cobbles
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
) from the streets of the city.
Inscription
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, the language of the locality.
In English, it reads:
THE LIVERPOOL SCOTTISH BELLEWAARDE
16 June 1915
From a line 250 m. West of this point 23 officers and 519 other ranks of 1/10 (Scottish) Battalion The King's (Liverpool) Regiment, TF, advanced East up the slope towards German trenches on Bellewaarde Ridge.4 officers and 75 other ranks were killed, 11 officers and 201 other ranks were wounded and 6 officers and 103 other ranks were missing. Of the missing all the officers and - with a very few exceptions - all the men were subsequently reported killed.
In memory of all who have served in The Liverpool Scottish and have died in the service of their country.