Halifax Memorial
Municipality/Province: Halifax, NS
Memorial number: 12004-008
Type: Granite cross and base
Location: Point Pleasant Park
GPS coordinates: Lat: 44.61909 Long: -63.56549
The Halifax Memorial was built by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Government of Canada. It commemorates 3,267 Canadian and Newfoundland sailors and soldiers who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars, and who were formerly commemorated by a memorial standing on Citadel Hill, Halifax.
When it became apparent that the old memorial had deteriorated to the extent that it was unworthy of its purpose of commemorating Canadian war dead, it was demolished. The panels upon which the names of the war dead were inscribed were consigned to the sea with appropriate ceremony of 7 November 1966.
The new memorial consist of a great granite Cross of Sacrifice twelve metres high, similar in design to those in the Commission war cemeteries around the world. The cross is mounted on a large granite podium bearing panels of bronze upon which are inscribed the names of those whose graves are at sea.
Following the First World War, Canada and New Zealand requested that the commemoration of their dead, lost at sea, should be in their respective countries. The original Halifax Memorial was built in 1924 and upon it were inscribed the names of 415 sailors, all but 41 of the Canadian war dead “missing, presumed lost” at sea. The 41 were lost in the Pacific Ocean and their names are inscribed on the Victoria Memorial, Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, British Columbia.
After the Second World War the names of 2,852 Canadian sailors and soldiers lost at sea in that war were added to the Halifax Memorial. A special section was also included for the sailors of the Newfoundland Merchant Navy who between 3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947 went to sea never to return. The ‘missing’ sailors and soldiers of the First World War are commemorated on the Beaumont-Hamel memorial in France.
Canadians and Newfoundlanders who served in the Royal Navy and who were lost at sea are commemorated with their Commonwealth comrades on the great memorials at Chatham, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Lowestoft, Liverpool and Lee-on-Solent in England.
Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships and visiting warships when entering or leaving Halifax Harbour and passing the Halifax Memorial between Colours (0800 hours daily) and sunset ?pipe the still’ to render honours.
(Adapted from the Order of Ceremony at the Unveiling of the Halifax Memorial, 12 November 1967.)
Inscription found on memorial
1914 1939
1918 1945
IN THE HONOUR OF THE MEN
AND WOMEN OF THE NAVY, ARMY
AND MERCHANT NAVY OF CANADA
WHOSE NAMES ARE INSCRIBED HERE
THEIR GRAVES ARE UNKNOWN
BUT THEIR MEMORY SHALL ENDURE
Street view
Note
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