New memorial plan for war dead

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Public donations of £75,000 are needed if a new £125,000 war memorial can be built in Southampton.

A new £125,000 memorial to commemorate the men and women of Southampton who died in the two World Wars and other conflicts since, has been proposed.

The 2,000 names of the war dead on the city's Portland limestone Cenotaph in Watts Park, unveiled on 6 November in 1920, have started to erode.

The authority plans to install eight new glass panels on each side of it.

It said it will donate £50,000 towards the cost but the remainder £75,000 would have to be raised from donations.

'Contemporary and durable'

Archie Parsons, from the Southampton branch of the Royal British Legion, said: "It is extremely important that conflicts since then between the Second World War and up to existing conflicts - unfortunately, in Iraq and Afghanistan - should really be remembered in this city."

Councillor John Hannides, from the city council, said: "The cenotaph itself was actually built by private donations and we are keeping in the spirit of the cenotaph where we are looking with both members of the public and organisations to raise the funds."

Liz Smith, the city council's public art officer, said: "Glass offers us a contemporary option which can be incredibly beautiful - it can appear to be light weight but in actual fact it is very solid, very durable."

The glass panels would be sandblast etched on one side and accommodate up to 3,200 names, the council said.

Samples would be prepared for public exhibition in February 2010.

If the extra money is raised, it is hoped that the Cenotaph Memorial Wall would be ready for Remembrance Day 2011.