TOPIC:

What's left of the memorial is in Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool - the rifle was stolen in early 1968, quickly followed by the whole of the bronze statue in March (the fallen helmet too?). The plinth and inscriptions are still there.
www.hhtandn.org/venues/3788/boer-war-memorial
West Hartlepool was created in 1854, adjacent to the older town of Hartlepool, which is why the town's football club used to be called Hartlepools United. Hartlepool, West Hartlepool, and Seaton Carew combined in 1967 to form the county borough of Hartlepool, and the club is now called Hartlepool United.






It was unveiled on the 19th of July, 1905, and the postcard featuring it bears the franked post date of 18th August 1905, so someone was quick off the mark in producing a souvenir postcard. Intriguingly, the first sentence written was "How do you like this it is better than the other." The other what? Another memorial - perhaps there was a temporary memorial before this one - or an earlier postcard? Sent by J. B. to Miss Robinson, of Houghton-le-Side, a village between Darlington and Bishop Auckland.



It's looking like there will be some good news concerning the memorial -

From the Hartlepool Mail .



By Mark Payne
Tuesday, 5th November 2019

....Hartlepool History Group is trying to raise £25,000 to replace a statue that was stolen over 50 years ago from Ward Jackson Park.
....The initiative for a new statue that has been designed by Ray Lonsdale has received a number of generous donations and the fund currently stands at over £8,000.
....As remembrance season approaches, the latest boost has been a cheque for £500 from ex Durham Light Infantry (DLI) soldier Frank Peers to the appeal’s chief fundraiser Stephen Close.
....He said the project is on schedule to be constructed within the next 18 months.
....Stephen said: “The remaining £17,000 is achievable within that time frame but we still need donations large and small to complete the project on time.
....“We are not expecting any contributions from the council, and so far only two companies have shown any interest.
....“Most of our fundraising to date is from private individuals and members of Ye Old Durhams Social Club.”
....Twenty-three local men died in the Boer War in South Africa from 1899-1902 and in 1906, the people of Hartlepool paid for a bronze statue by public subscription of a soldier in the park.
....It was stolen, presumably for scrap value, in 1968 and just the stone plinth remains.
....A new statue has been designed by the creator of Seaham’s Tommy statue on the sea front.
....Frank said: “I am honoured to contribute to a replacement statue for my fallen comrades from the DLI and other regiments and will continue to help with the fundraising effort until the job is complete.
....“This is a project that will remind our young citizens of the futility of war and the importance of peace in their lifetime.”
....The park’s original statue was designed by the famous English sculptor FW Doyle-Jones, who was commissioned to create many similar memorials to the Boer War dead.
....Donations can be made online at www.gofundme.com/the-replacement-boer-war-statue .

A sketch of the replacement Boer War statue due to be put Ward Jackson Park. Original picture by Frank Reid.

www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/retro/campaign-...another-boost-828303




By Mark Payne
Thursday, 22nd April 2021

....Town businessman and history enthusiast Stephen Close is spearheading the project for a new statue designed by Ray Lonsdale in Ward Jackson Park.
....Stephen recently auctioned off a framed original 1906 Healthful Hartlepool tourism poster which raised £800 for the cause.
....And he was gobsmacked when an 85-year-old retired soldier handed him a cheque for £1,000.
....Together with previous public donations given in recent years, the project is now half way to its total and gathering pace.
....The Healthful Hartlepool poster was won by former Hartlepool Mail employee Steve Dawson, who now lives in Hertfordshire.
....He said: “I was more than happy to bid whatever required to secure the 115-year-old framed poster.
....“I come home every few months to visit family and am honoured to support such a worthy cause by honouring our war dead; an amazing project.”
....Just days later Stephen was presented with the cheque for £1,000 from the former soldier who wishes to remain anonymous.
....Stephen, proprietor of Just Blinds in York Road, said: “He wants it to happen before he passes and that the ‘smaller wars’ are just as important as Word War One and World War Two.
....“I was gobsmacked and told him I would finish the project as quickly as possible.”
....It means there is now £12,000 to raise with work on the new statue due to start in less than a year.
....It has been designed by North East artist Ray Lonsdale of Seaham’s Tommy statue fame.
....Hartlepool’s original Boer War statue was stolen in 1968, leaving just the granite plinth with the names of 23 town men killed in the Boer War.
....Stephen is trying to raise the money for its replacement by public donations as the original was paid for by public subscription in 1906.
....He added: “We have many more people taking a keen interest now that the campaign is on a roll.”
....Any supporters interested in raising money for the project can contact Stephen by email at [email protected]
....Donors can also contribute on a Go Fund Me Page at www.gofundme.com/the-replacement-boer-war-statue

www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/people/har...-fundraisers-3208115


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_(statue)

As I post this, the amount raised stands at £16,810.

Edit - at 30th August 2021 the amount raised stood at £19,447.
Edit - at 4th November 2021, the total is £22,060. The statue will be unveiled in 2022.
Edit - at 2nd December 2021, £24,175.

ANDERSON J.A. Private, Colonial Regiment

BLENKINSOP H.J. [Llisted as BLENKINSON in "The Boer War Casualty Roll 1899-1902" by Alexander Palmer] [Listed as Private on memorial] trooper 22739, South African Light Horse, Comander-in-Chief's Body Guard. Killed in action near Reitz 3rd January 1901.

BUTCHER E. Private 4059, 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died of disease at Kroonstad 16th August 1900.

CAMERON A. Private, 3rd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry

CAMERON J. Private 5465, 1st Battalion, Princess Of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment). Died of disease at Wynberg 17th March 1900.

CLOSE J. Private 3718, Army Ordnance Corps. Died of disease at Middleburg 19th March 1901.

CRAWFORD F.H. Private, Northumberland Fusiliers.

DIXON J. Private 1696, 1st Battalion, Princess Of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment). Died of disease at Johannesburg 22nd October 1900.

DUFFY B. Private 3149, 1st Battalion, Princess Of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment). Killed in action at Slingersfontein 15th January 1900.

HANKEY W.J. [Listed as Corporal on memorial] Private 10031, 14th Company, Corporal, Imperial Yeomanry. Died of disease at Kroonstad 8th May 1901.

KELLY J. Private, Durham Light Infantry

KENNY T. Private, Princess Of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)

MACKLAM J. Private, 4th Company, Imperial Yeomanry. Died of disease at Kroonstad 22nd April 1901.

MUSGRAVE T. Private 4368, 13th Hussars. Severely wounded at Trigaardsfontein 1st November 1901.

ODAMS Charles John Gunner 7245, 1st Northumberland Volunteers (Elswick Battery), Royal Garrison Artillery. [Listed as Ross Machine Gun Battery in "The Boer War Casualty Roll 1899-1902" by Alexander Palmer]. Died of disease at Bloemfontein 1st June 1900.

O'SHAUGHNESSY J. Private, Border Horse, Colonial Regiment. Killed in action near Hammonia 29th May 1900.

OUGHTRED F. Private, 7th Dragoon Guards

REID R. Sergeant 2157, 2nd Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). Killed in action at Spion Kop 24th January 1900.

ROBSON J.E. Sergeant 10053, 14th Company, Imperial Yeomanry. Killed in action near Virginia 1st October 1900.

ROUSE D. [Listed as O ROUSE in "The Boer War Casualty Roll 1899-1902" by Alexander Palmer]. Private 3329, 2nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Killed in action at Nooitgedacht 23rd November 1900.

ROYAL A. Private, 6241, 1st Battalion (24th Mounted Infantry), Durham Light Infantry. Killed in action at Blood River Poort 17th September 1901.

TAYLOR J.G. Private, Durham Light Infantry

WATT J. Private, 3rd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry

Source: www.roll-of-honour.com/Durham/HartlepoolWestBoer.html

Francis Henry Crawford, died 12th January 1902, and John Macklam, died 22nd April 1902, are also remembered on a plaque in St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool.
www.tracesofwar.com/sights/119985/Oorlog...hurch-Hartlepool.htm

The target of £25,000 has been passed, and construction of the replacement statue should begin in February 2022, with the unveiling hopefully next summer.

The current total stands at £26,786, the extra raised will allow for a new bench to be installed in the park.

I won't delve too much into this monument as I will let Berenice continue with her updates of the replacement statue as they become available. What I will include is a press photograph with comments to the reverse that I have not seen anywhere else, dated 14th March 1968.


All that remained yesterday of The Boer War Soldier who had overlooked the Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool, Co. Durham for 65 years was his bronze boots. Thieves had cut him off at the ankles during the night, stealing metal estimated to have scrap value of £200.

Trev

Fundraising stopped at £30,000, but I've not herd anything about progress on the new statue.

I went to Hartlepool in January to take a couple of photos of the memorial as it was then, so I'll add them now.


. .
..................................................................PRIVATE T. MUSGRAVE, 19TH HUSSARS
..................................................................SERGEANT R. REID, KINGS OWN (ROYAL LANCASTER REGT)
..................................................................PRIVATE F. H. CRAWFORD, NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS
.........................................................................".......D. ROUSE,................................................................................................."........................."
.........................................................................".......B. DUFFY, PRINCESS OF WALES'S OWN (YORKS REGT)
.........................................................................".......J. DIXON,.................................".............................."
.........................................................................".......T. KENNY, ................................".............................."
.........................................................................".......J. CAMERON,...........................".............................."
.........................................................................".......E. BUTCHER, ROYAL SUSSEX REGIMENT
.........................................................................".......J. KELLY, DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY
.........................................................................".......J. G. TAYLOR,.............."
.........................................................................".......A. ROYAL,...................."
.........................................................................".......J. CLOSE, ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS
..................................................................SERGEANT J. E. ROBSON, IMPERIAL YEOMANRY
..................................................................CORPORAL W. J. HANKEY,........."................."
..................................................................PRIVATE J. MACKLAM,................"................."
.........................................................................".......H. J. BLENKINSOP, SOUTH AFRICAN LIGHT HORSE
.........................................................................".......J. A. ANDERSON, COLONIAL REGIMENT
.........................................................................".......J. O'SHAUGHNESSY,...."................."
..................................................................GUNNER C. J. ODAMS, 1ST H.V.A. (ELSWICK BATTERY)
..................................................................PRIVATE A. CAMERON, 3RD DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY
.........................................................................".......J. WATT,..........................."............".............."
.........................................................................".......F. OUGHTRED, 7TH DRAGOON GUARDS