Bust

Drill Hall - head 2 - Scots soldier

Erection date: 1882

Site: Drill Hall - W1 (7 memorials)

W1, Chenies Street, Drill Hall

In the spandrels above the entrance door: "Bloomsbury Rifles Pro Patria Semper" ('for my country always'). The technique used for this lettering is new to us, and has weathered, or aged, very badly.

The ends of the label, or drip, window mouldings are decoratively finished with individual sculpted heads. The six on the first floor are small and not too interesting but the six on the ground floor are so delightful we could not let them go, even though their status as memorials is, at best, tangential. We've numbered them left to right and identified a character for each one, except number 4. Do look at them in the larger format - the facial expressions are individual and the moustaches long.

Discussing head 4 with Mike Patterson of London Historians he points out that, in common with other infantry regiments, the Bloomsbury Rifles cap badge incorporated the Maltese cross so that would explain the symbol on the cap. He agrees that, as with 1 and 2, 4 has a local British look but we can't pin it down. Welsh would be an obvious candidate but we can find no images to confirm this association. Of course it could just be bog standard English.

See the foundation stone page for information about the building and its architect. It remained in use by military groups until 1960. It is now RADA Studios.

Londonist have posted a Museum of London video about this drill hall.

The Jewish Legion HQ was at 22 Chenies Street - two buildings to the east.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Drill Hall - head 2 - Scots soldier

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Violette Szabo & SOE

Violette Szabo & SOE

SE1, Albert Embankment

Unveiled by the Duke.

War dead | WW2
4 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
William Morris - Bexleyheath bust

William Morris - Bexleyheath bust

DA6, Bexleyheath Market Place

Morris lived very nearby in The Red House for 5 years. This bust was unveiled to mark the centenary of his death.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Hotel Russell - Gladstone

Hotel Russell - Gladstone

WC1, Russell Square, 1-8

This ornate extravaganza, designed by the splendidly named Fitzroy Doll, was built in 1898. Ornamental Passions has a good post about the...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Bloomsbury House - Friedrich Froebel

Bloomsbury House - Friedrich Froebel

WC1, Bloomsbury Square, 2-3

Bloomsbury House was built in 1887 for the College of Preceptors.  Designed by by F. Pinches it is Listed Grade 1.  The College, now call...

1 subject commemorated
Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

EC4, Fleet Street

The west face is framed with pilasters each side, decorated with emblems of "war" to the left and "peace" to the right. Carved in the sto...

1 subject commemorated

Previously viewed

St Bartholomew's WW1 memorial

St Bartholomew's WW1 memorial

EC1, West Smithfield, St Bartholomew's church

The restoration of this church was the first major work by Aston Webb. His brother, Edward, was churchwarden at the time. Webb and collea...

War dead | WW1
38 subjects commemorated
Cecil Rhodes

Cecil Rhodes

Mining magnate and politician in southern Africa. Prime Minister of the Cape Colony 1890-96. As a businessman he founded the southern African territory of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia), which ...

Person, Commerce, Politics & Administration, Race Issues

1 memorial
Ada Salter Garden - lost plaque

Ada Salter Garden - lost plaque

SE16, Southwark Park, Ada Salter Garden

The information board transcribed at Ada Salter Garden gives: "A wall plaque placed at the back of the once roofed rose-covered central p...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Chopin statue

Chopin statue

SE1, Royal Festival Hall

The statue is said to contain an urn with earth from Chopin's birthplace in Poland. Princess Alice unveiled the statue in 1975, and her ...

2 subjects commemorated, 5 creators
Rotherhithe Tunnel

Rotherhithe Tunnel

Road tunnel crossing under the River Thames, connecting Rotherhithe to the Ratcliff district of Limehouse. Designed by Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice, it was constructed using both a tunnelling 'shield' a...

Building, Engineering, Transport

7 memorials