The Railway Magazine v.51 pages 484-5 (1922)

Railway Gazette 3 November 1922 pp.555-557.

Kent & Sussex Courier - Friday 20 October 1922 (page 7) announced: 'A Memorial to the South-Eastern and Chatham Railway and Steamboat employees who fell in the war has been erected on Dover Pier, and will be unveiled by Mr. Cosmo Bonsor on October 28th'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000483/19221020/041/0007 ibid, Friday 3rd November 1922 (page 3) printed a lengthy report of the unveiling, which began: SOUTH EASTERN AND CHATHAM RAILWAY. WAR MEMORIAL UNVEILED AT DOVER. A solemn and imposing ceremony took place at Dover Marine Station, South-Eastern and Chatham Railway, on Saturday morning on the occasion of the unveiling of the war memorial to the 556 men of the Company who gave their lives in the Great war. The memorial, situated at the Calais end of Nos. 3 and 4 platforms, takes the form of a half-draped figure of Victory, bearing aloft the Torch of Truth and surrounded by a soldier, sailor and bugler. To quote the words of the sculptor "She is led by a sailor, typically eager, and by a soldier, dogged in spite of weariness." Close at hand a bugler is sounding the "Last Post." The whole Is worked in bronze, standing on a high granite base, and is the work of the well-known sculptor, Mr. W. C. H. King. The figures are above life size, and on the granite base of the memorial is cut the following inscription:-- "To the Immortal Memory of the 556 Men of the South-Eastern and Chatham Railway who fought and died for their Country in the Great War, 1914-18." Some fifteen feet behind, a twenty-five feet high Bath stone wall has been erected at the end of a block of offices, situated between the platforms, and is intended as a screen to the memorial. In the top centre of the wall a wreath has been cut, and below the inscription: "Let those who come after see that their names be not forgotten." Then follow the names, divided in the following groups: - General Offices, Goods Department, Engineers' Department, Coaching Department, Outdoor Locomotive Department, Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Department, Marine Department, other Departments. Underneath is the inscription: "5,222 men of the South-Eastern and Chatham Railway served in the Great War. Of these, 556 whose names are inscribed hereon gave their lives." [The report mentioned that approximately 1500 people attended the ceremony; that the memorial was unveiled by Mr. H. Cosmo O. Bonsor, Chairman of the South-Companies' Managing Committee (who stated in his speech that 5,000 employees of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway Companies had voluntarily enlisted during the War), and that the memorial was dedicated by the Bishop of Dover]. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000483/19221103/020/0003

A photo of the memorial at time of unveiling (1922) is viewable at https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/resources/unveiling-of-dover-marine-station-war-memorial

Illustrated London News 4 November 1922 p.704

War Memorials, by Whittick, A (pp.100, 103) Country Life 1946, London.

Kentish Express - Friday 12 December 1947 (page 1) printed a photo of the memorial, accompanied by the following text: 'WELL-KNOWN TO PASSENGERS at Dover Marine Station, this fine war memorial to the men of the former South-Eastern and Chatham Railway who gave their lives in the 1914-18 War now bears an added inscription commemorating the 278 men [sic] of the Eastern Section of the Southern Railway who fell in the late war. It was unveiled by the Chairman of the Company, Colonel E. G. Browne, D.S.O., on Monday in the presence of directors, officers and staff, together with the Mayor of Dover (Ald. A. T. Goodfellow), the Town Clerk (Mr. J. A. Johnson) and officers of the Dover Harbour Board'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003535/19471212/145/0001

Local Publication/Booklet, 'Southern Region Magazine', January 1948 (page 2): Unveiling of an inscription to the 278 men of the Eastern Section of the Southern Railway by Col Eric Gore-Brown, Chairman of the Southern Railway. (NB this inscription was evidently covered by the tablet that states 626 men died)

Historic England, Official List Entry re Grade II Listing on 21/6/1989. (Includes a detailed description and photos of the memorial). https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1273179?section=official-list-entry

For Your Tomorrow: British Second World War Memorials, by Boorman, Derek (pages 39-40). Source: Image Library NIWM; Published 1995 by Sessions, York.

Carter Postcard Collection

Railway World May 1994.

An image of the wall in 2012 is viewable at http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/d/dover_western_docks/index4.shtml

Southeastern Railway website, report dated 28/10/2022 of the rededication of the memorial: https://newsroom.southeasternrailway.co.uk/news/southeastern-celebrates-and-commemorates-the-role-of-armed-forces-veterans

The Dover War Memorial Project website: http://www.doverwarmemorialproject.org.uk South Eastern and Chatham Railway Memorial

Roll of Honour website: http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Kent/DoverMarine.html