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.

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

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...

Read More

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 ...

Read More

Charles Whiffen

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

Read More

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...

Read More

Waterloo WW1 war memorial

Waterloo WW1 war memorial

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

Read More

Waterloo WW2 plaque

Waterloo WW2 plaque

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

Read More

Nearby Memorials

horse block

horse block

SW1, Waterloo Place

. . . and what the Duke wants the Duke gets. Though these mounting aids were probably intended for use by all the gentlemen visiting the...

1 subject commemorated
Olive Morris 2

Olive Morris 2

SW2, Brixton Hill, 18, Olive Morris House

The inscription is on a window and consequently is very difficult to photograph.

2 subjects commemorated
Holy Trinity Stroud Green - information board

Holy Trinity Stroud Green - information board

N4, Granville Road, Holy Trinity church garden

This Peace Garden, opened on 27 March 2011, commemorates the 1944 V1 bomb, the people who died, the church that was destroyed and the sub...

Civilian war dead | WW2
19 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Queen Elizabeth's Oak

Queen Elizabeth's Oak

SE10, Greenwich Park

The old tree is presumably gradually being decomposed by beetles and the like. The new tree may be the one to the far right of our picture.

4 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Ringo Starr and Brian Epstein

Ringo Starr and Brian Epstein

N1, Almeida Passage

We were puzzled by what seemed to be a second date but Wikipedia shows some examples of this Australian passport stamp and we think the 4...

2 subjects commemorated

Previously viewed

Queen Mother statue

Queen Mother statue

SW1, The Mall

She died aged 101 but here she is shown aged 51, the age she was widowed, wearing the robes of the Order of the Garter. 9 ft 6 ins, bronz...

1 subject commemorated, 8 creators
Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge

Named not for its own two towers but for the nearby, pre-existing Tower of London. Tower Bridge was designed by Horace Jones, the City Architect, in collaboration with the engineer, John Wolfe Barr...

Building, Tourism / Traditions, Transport

5 memorials
Fellowship Porters Hall

Fellowship Porters Hall

EC3, St Mary at Hill, 17

A London Inheritance has, again, provided some interesting background, about how this plaque has moved. It used to be below the first flo...

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators
Arthur, Prince of Wales

Arthur, Prince of Wales

Eldest son of King Henry VII. Born at St Swithun's Priory, Winchester. In 1497 he was betrothed by proxy to Catherine of Aragon and married her in St Paul's Cathedral on 14th November 1501. Died fr...

Person, Royalty

1 memorial
Harry Worth

Harry Worth

Comedian.  Born Yorkshire (Wikipedia has the year as 1917).  Had a TV show in the 1960s. Died Hertfordshire.  We have never met any one who finds him remotely funny. 2022: Correction - we've been ...

Person, Humour, TV & Radio

3 memorials