Making sense of remembrance

Abstract

In recent years the annual cycle of war remembrance in Britain has been punctuated by major anniversaries and the inauguration of new war memorials. This paper explores whether time and forgetfulness are gradually eroding the power of twentieth century war memorials as traces of memory in the everyday landscape. It finds that at least some war memorials are retaining their significance and even evolving new significance as time passes. The paper considers how the sensuous and spectacular nature of war remembrance has contributed to this process and draws attention to the centrality of sight, sound and touch to remembrance activities. Case studies are then used to explore how war memorials in specific localities provide a locus for making sense of remembrance in the twenty‐first century.

Keywords:

• war memorial
• remembrance
• everyday
• memory

Notes

Gregory (1994) charts the contestation of, and the shifts in meaning of Armistice Day, its decline and the transfer of war remembrance celebrations to Remembrance Sunday. For recent attempts to rekindle observation of Armistice Day, see Walter 2001.

In fact there was a demonstration of this on 11 November 1920. The Times newspaper (12 November 1920: 12b) reported that women from the office of the Workers' Dreadnought caused a disturbance during the silence making ‘loud noises like the banging of tins or drums’ and were thoroughly beaten by ‘indignant women and girls’ when the ceremony was over. The subtext of The Times' report now needs some explanation that was unnecessary at the time. The Workers' Dreadnought was in fact the newspaper of the Workers Socialist Federation, previously the Workers Suffrage Federation formed by Sylvia Pankhurst. The newspaper had been opposed to the First World War. See also Bushaway (1992) and Porter (1992: 156) for further examples. Demonstrations and transgressions during the silence are, however, rare.

South Shropshire District Council Planning Report, 30 June 1999.

South Shropshire District Council Planning Report, 30 June 1999.

It would thereby contravene policy CN14 of the Draft South Shropshire Local Plan.

See Shropshire Star, 1 July 1999.

Ludlow Conservation Area Advisory Committee, notes of a Special Meeting on 21 June 1999.

For discussion of village halls as war memorials, see Grieves (1999).