Other

Waterloo Station Victory Arch

Inscription

{Around the arch just above the clock:}
Dedicated to the employees of the Company who fell in the war.

{On the stone medallions above:}
Belgium, Italy, Dardenelles, France, Egypt, Mesopotamia, North Sea

From the Waterloo station web site: "Waterloo is the UK's largest station, covering an area of 24.5 acres. One of its most notable features is the Victory Arch, built of Portland Stone. This commemorates the London and South Western and the Southern Railway men who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars."

Ornamental Passions has examined all the sculpture that makes up this memorial, and it's there we learn that it "was commissioned from the firm of Brindley and Farmer and may have been carved by Charles Whiffen." British Listed Buildings is more certain: "The sculptor was the otherwise little known Charles Whiffen. The special significance of the monument within the post-First World War genre is that the LSWR staff themselves were, uniquely, consulted on its design."

 

Site: Waterloo Station Victory Arch & plaques (4 memorials)

SE1, Waterloo Station

Constructed 1907-22. The long station front was designed in phases by James Robb Scott. Only the Victory Arch is listed. At one time this building must have looked quite good, but now the ghastly surroundings have pretty well defeated it.  View from the Mirror has an excellent post on the creation of Waterloo station as a more central terminus, an extension from Nine Elms, and another, more about this Victory Arch.

Enter the station via this arch and at the top of the steps you pass through a large entrance lobby containing all the plaques listed here, for WW1, WW2 and the D-Day 50th anniversary.

Bonus fact: Waterloo Station is named after the bridge, which was opened in 1817, 2 years after the battle.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Waterloo Station Victory Arch

Subjects commemorated i

World War 1

We'd always assumed that this war was known as the Great War until WW2 came a...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Waterloo Station Victory Arch

Created by i

James Robb Scott

Architect. Born Glasgow. Also designed Richmond station. In addition to the ...

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Charles Whiffen

Sculptor. Our colleague Andrew Behan has kindly researched this man: Charles ...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Waterloo Station Victory Arch

Also at this site i

Waterloo D-Day 50th anniversary

Waterloo D-Day 50th anniversary

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of D-Day, 6th June 1994. In memory o...

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Waterloo WW1 war memorial

Waterloo WW1 war memorial

Our photo shows just one of the four panels.  See Stockwell War Memorial for ...

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Waterloo WW2 plaque

Waterloo WW2 plaque

To the memory of the 626 men of the Southern Railway who gave their lives in ...

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Nearby Memorials

South Bank mosaic - Kelly Holmes

South Bank mosaic - Kelly Holmes

SE1, South Bank Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hall / Purcell Room

These mosaics are laid in the pavement in a rather sad, out the way, corner of the South Bank, at street level, near the non-main entranc...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Samuel Pepys -  Woolwich Town Hall

Samuel Pepys - Woolwich Town Hall

SE18, Wellington Street, Greenwich Town Hall

The Diary of Samuel Pepys confirms that Pepys moved his wife out to Woolwich away from the plague, but he does not himself appear ever to...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Three Kings at Eltham Palace

Three Kings at Eltham Palace

SE18, Wellington Street, Greenwich Town Hall

We wondered what brought about this gathering of kings (four if you include the host, King Edward III), but could not track down any refe...

5 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
St Marys Newington - Faraday

St Marys Newington - Faraday

SE1, Newington Butts, Garden

Three churches and two clock towers have been built on this site, but nothing remains today. A modern information board (which you can se...

1 subject commemorated
Blackfriars Bridge - underpass

Blackfriars Bridge - underpass

SE1, Blackfriars Bridge underpass

This south-bank pedestrian tunnel is decorated with prints from the Guildhall Library.  At the western end of the tunnel some spoof text ...

2 subjects commemorated, 2 creators