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Dunbar
Town or City: Dunbar
County: East Lothian
Country: Scotland
WMT Reference Number: WM10533
Value of grant: £4785.00
Type of memorial: Freestanding
Type of work: Conservation and repair
Grant scheme: WMT Grant Scheme
Year: 2018
UKNIWM reference number: 5649
Dunbar war memorial stands on Marine Road on the cliff top overlooking the North Sea. The cross stands atop a three-stepped plinth base which carries the names of the fallen. The inscription is located on the shaft of the cross. The names from World War I are located on the top step incised directly into the stone with those commemorating the fallen of World War II added on plaques to the stone face of the second tier. A name from the Malaya conflict is also recorded. The memorial is surrounded by a low fence and approached via a path.
In 2018 a grant of £4,785 from the Centenary Memorials Restoration Fund, supported by Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish government helped fund repair and conservation works. A crack on the shaft was repaired and the memorial was re-pointed. The memorial was cleaned with brushes and low pressure water with appropriate poultices used by specialists to reduce the metal staining on the stone. In addressing the inscriptions the lettering was repainted with an appropriate oil based paint to match the existing colour. All metal elements were marked with SmartWater as part of the In Memoriam 2014 initiative to deter theft.
Dunbar Burgh Council announced their intention to erect a war memorial for the fallen of Dunbar and Parish in January 1919. Funded by public subscription and overseen by a committee it was announced at a council meeting on 14th July 1920 that "nearly £600" had been raised. F E B Blanc, an Edinburgh architect, designed the memorial and it was built by local builder George Cunningham. Several thousand people witnessed its dedication on Sunday, 3rd July 1921 with the names of the fallen read aloud. General Sir Reginald Wingate, Bart unveiled the memorial and in his speech he called upon the Provost and Magistrates of Dunbar to "take into your charge and custody this memorial cross." a responsibility accepted that day by the Provost.
The memorial was moved 200 yards inland from its original site on the West Promenade in 1989 due to coastal erosion.
Further information
War Memorials Trust reference WM10533
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 5649
War Memorials Online: 168464
If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org
