STEADFAST MEMORIAL TO THE WAR DEAD
After the horror of the Great War (1914-18), cities around the world began to build memorials to the millions of soldiers who sacrificed their lives. Durban initially erected a temporary memorial. In 1923 the foundation stone was laid for a permanent monument by the Governor-General, Prince Arthur of Connaught. In 1926, the completed Cenotaph was unveiled by Colonel Molyneux, a former Commanding Officer of Durban Light Infantry. The Cenotaph is one of the finest Art Deco monuments in South Africa. The postcard, from the late 1920s, shows the Cenotaph in Gardiner Street soon after its completion. The recent photo, taken before it was vandalised last week, reveals how lush the Town Gardens have become. Nine plates, bearing the names of soldiers who had fallen in various wars, were ripped from walls around the cenotaph. A 10th plate was removed from the front of the plinth, and four brass cappings that formed part of a dome. A team of Durban policemen recovered the plates and arrested eight suspects last weekend. Over the years, additions have been made. In July 1929, two bronze lions (modelled by an ex-soldier Percy Metcalfe) were mounted to guard over the dead and symbolise their courage. The first photo is of one of the lions about to be hoisted into position. The photographs are from the Local History Museum and Mark Levin. The Remembrance Parade will take place tomorrow at 10.30am. The Independent on Saturday appeals to readers who have old pictures of Durban to send them to us for consideration. If any readers are featured in the old picture, we will do our best to recreate the scene with them in it again. Readers sending pictures digitally – images should be about 1MB – can address them, with the relevant information, to satmail@inl.co.za If the pictures are in hard copy format, they can be posted to The Editor, Old Pictures, The Independent on Saturday, PO Box 47549, Greyville, 4023.