Newfoundland National War Memorial

As soon as the First World War ended, discussions began on how to honour Newfoundland and Labrador's war dead and it was felt that a national war memorial was needed. The Patriotic Association and the Great War Veterans' Association worked together to find a way to "give expression to its gratitude and respect for those who during the Great War served King and Empire". In 1920, these associations jointly recommended the building of both a national war monument and a school as memorials.

The Newfoundland National War Memorial represents the war effort of Newfoundlanders who were not part of Confederation during either of the World Wars. Its construction was paid for in part by community fundraising by the Great War Veterans’ Association and its maintenance falls under the responsibility of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The memorial has the famous old harbour as its backdrop, where troops departed and returned from the war. It commemorates all of Newfoundland's wartime achievements on land and sea.

Designed by British artists Gilbert Bayes and Ferdinand Victor Blundstone, the female allegorical sculpture, often referred to as Victory, Liberty, or the Spirit of Newfoundland, sits on a granite pedestal. She holds a flaming torch in her left hand, high above her head. The torch, which symbolizes freedom, is the memorial’s highest point, prioritizing freedom as a central motivation for Newfoundland’s wartime contributions. The flaming torch was originally intended to be a leading light for ships entering St. John’s Harbour through the Narrows, although it was never used as such. In her right hand, she holds a sword which represents both Newfoundland’s willingness to serve during the First World War and their loyalty to the British Empire. The sword is below her waist, but not completely lowered, and poised for battle, and is meant to depict that while the war is over, Newfoundland was, and is, ready and willing to fight for its freedom and liberty.

The female sculpture rises above four lifelike bronze figures of a sailor from the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve, a lumberman from the Forestry Corps, a fisherman in oilskins and Wellington boots from the Mercantile Marine, and a soldier from Royal Newfoundland Regiment, providing a tangible connection to Newfoundland and Labrador and those who served overseas and on the home front. 

On the front of the monument below the figures are five plaques commemorating Newfoundland and Labrador’s contributions in different conflicts. In the center, the original 1924 plaque honours those killed during the First World War. Plaques dedicated to those fallen in the Second World War, Korean War, Afghanistan, and the War of 1812 were added later. The monument is at the back of a semicircular wall of granite approached by wide stone steps. Flowers in stone urns flank the approach and fine shade trees have been planted about the dais.

In 2019, it was designated a National Historic Site based on the artistic significance and the fact that the memorial was inspired by John McCrae’s famous poem, In Flanders Fields. The Newfoundland National War Memorial was unveiled on July 1, 1924, fifteen years before the National War Memorial was built in Ottawa.

Britain's "oldest colony" sent 8,500 soldiers and sailors abroad in the First World War, out of a population of less than 250,000, over 1,500 gave their lives. The memorial was unveiled by Field Marshall Haig on the anniversary of Newfoundland's great First World War battle at Beaumont Hamel. Since joining Canada in 1949 as the tenth province, Newfoundland not only observes Canada Day on July 1 each year; they also remember Beaumont-Hamel.

The memorial underwent a $6-million refurbishment by the Bay Roberts company Can-Am Platforms and Construction ahead of the 100th anniversary of the cenotaph in 2024. A portion of a tomb arrived on April 9, 2024, that will become the final resting place of an unknown First World War soldier on July 1, 2024. The Tomb of an unknown Newfoundland First World War soldier is the centerpiece of the refurbishment project, which was overseen by the provincial Transportation and Infrastructure Department and is the second of its kind in Canada.

[front/devant]

(plaque)
IN PERPETUAL REMEMBRANCE OF THE MEN
AND WOMEN OF THE CANADIAN FORCES, AND
OTHER CANADIANS, WHO SERVED AND SACRIFICED
THEIR LIVES AS PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO
PROTECT THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOM OF HUMANITY,
AND TO BRING SECURITY AND STABILITY TO THE PEOPLE
OF AFGHANISTAN.

THIS MEMORIAL IS ERECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, IN COOPERATION WITH
THE NEWFOUNDLAND/LABRADOR COMMAND OF THE
ROYAL CANDIAN LEGION AND THE PROVINICAL
MILITARY FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRES, AND WAS
UNVEILED BY THE HONOURABLE DANNY WILLIAMS
Q.C., PREMIER OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR,
IN THE YEAR 2008 A.D. DURING THE REIGN OF
HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II.

AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN
AND IN THE MORNING
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

AFGHANISTAN

(plaque)
TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN PERPETUAL
REMEMBRANCE OF MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL
CANADIAN NAVY, ROYAL CANADIAN ARMY,
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE, AND OTHER UNITED
NATIONS FORCES, WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN
THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM AND IN DEFENCE OF THE
PRINCIPLES OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED
NATIONS, IN THE FORCES OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN
ELIZABETH II, AND OTHER CANADIANS WHO
PAID THE SUPREME SACRIFICE DURING THE KOREAN
CONFLICT. THIS MEMORIAL IS ERECTED BY THE
KOREAN VETERANS ASSOCIATION AND WAS
UNVEILED BY THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR IN YEAR
1980 A.D.

AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN
AND IN THE MORNING
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

(plaque)
NEWFOUNDLAND

TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN PERPETUAL REMEMBRANCE
OF ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO MEN OF
THE NEWFOUNDLAND ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE,
THIRTEEN HUNDRED MEN OF
THE ROYAL NEWFOUNDLAND REGIMENT,
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN MEN
OF THE NEWFOUNDLAND MERCHANTILE MARINE AND
OF ALL THOSE OTHER NEWFOUNDLANDERS OF OTHER UNITS
OF HIS MAJESTY'S OR ALLIED FORCES WHO GAVE THEIR
LIVES BY SEA AND LAND FOR THE DEFENSE OF
THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918.
FOR ENDURING, WITNESS, ALSO, TO THE SERVICE MEN OF
THIS ISLAND, WHO, DURING THAT WAR FOUGHT,
NOT WITHOUT HONOR IN THE NAVIES AND ARMIES
OF THE EMPIRE.
THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY THEIR
FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN, AND WAS UNVEILED
BY FIELD MARSHALL EARL HAIG, K.T.,
G.C.B., O.M. ETC. FIRST OF JULY 1924.
"LET THEM GIVE GLORY UNTO THE LORD AND DECLARE
HIS PRAISE IN THE ISLANDS."     ISAIAH 42.12

EGYPT     FRANCE
GALLIPOLI     BELGIUM
THE SEVEN SEAS

(plaque)
TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN PERPETUAL
REMEMBRANCE OF SEVEN HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN
MEMEBERS OF THE ROYAL NAVY, ROYAL CANADIAN
NAVY, ROYAL ARTILLERY, NEWFOUNDLAND REGIMENT,
CANADIAN ARMY, ROYAL AIR FORCE, ROYAL CANADIAN
AIR FORCE, OTHER ARMY UNITS AND TWO HUNDRED AND
SIXTY SIX MEMBERS OF THE MERCHANT MARINE WHO GAVE
THEIR LIVES IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM WHILE SERVING
IN THE FORCES OF HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE THE SIXTH
AND ALL THOSE NEWFOUNDLANDERS WHO SERVED IN ALLIED
UNITS AND WHO PAID THE SUPREME SACRIFICE DURING
WORLD WAR TWO. THIS MEMORIAL IS ERECTED BY THE
GOVERNMENT OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR AND
BY THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION AND WAS UNVEILED
IN THE SILVER JUBLIEE YEAR OF HER MOST GRACIOUS
MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND.
NOVEMBER ELEVENTH, 1977.

AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN
AND IN THE MORNING
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

(plaque)
TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN PERPETUAL REMEMBRANCE
OF THE MEN OF THE ROYAL NEWFOUNDLAND REGIMENT
OF FENCIBLE INFANTRY WHO FOUGHT AND DIED ON LAND
AND AS SAILORS, GUNNERS AND MARINES ON THE
GREAT LAKES IN SERVICE OF HIS MAJESTY IN THE
DEFENCE OF UPPER AND LOWER CANADA IN THE WAR OF 1812-15.
THEIR EXECEPTIONAL BRAVERY AND SERVICE IN THE BATTLES OF
DETROIT, FORT ERIE, FRENCHTOWN, OGDENSBURG, YORK, FORT MEIGS,
FORT GEORGE, SACKETS HARBOR, LAKE ERIE, MICHILIMACKINAC,
AND THE CAPTURE OF THE AMERICAN WARSHIPS USS TIGRESS AND
SCORPION WERE RECOGNIZED IN 2012 BY THE GOVERNMENT
OF CANADA AND RESULTED IN THE AWARDING OF
THE BATTLE OF HONOURS "DETROIT", "MAUMEE"
AND "DEFENCE OF CANADA 1812 - 15"
TO THE ROYAL NEWFOUNDLAND REGIMENT.

THIS PLAQUE PRESENTED BY THE ROYAL NEWFOUNDLAND
REGIMENT ADVISOR COUNCIL
IN 2013 ON THE OCCASION OF THE 200TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR OF 1812-15.

[back/arrière]

(plaque)
TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN PERPETUAL REMEMBRANCE OF THE
YOUNG MEN OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR WHO SERVED IN THE
ROYAL FLYING CORPS, THE ROYAL NAVAL AIR SERVICE AND
SUBSEQUENTLY THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AS FIGHTER, BOMBER,
AND RECONNAISSANCE PILOTS AND OBSERVERS, MANY OF WHOM
GAVE THEIR LIVES WILLINGLY. THEIR EXCEPTIONAL BRAVERY AND
SERVICE ENSURED BRITISH DOMINION OVER THE SKIES DURING
WORLD WAR 1 (1914-1918). THEY WILL BE REMEMBERED
FOREVER BY A FREE AND GRATEFUL NATION.

PER ARDUA AD ASTRA

THIS MEMORIAL IS ERECTED BY HONORARY
COLONEL WILLIAM MAHONEY, O.M.M., O.N.L., C.D. AND
VETERANS AFFAIRS CANADA IN THE YEAR 2020 A.D.
DURING THE REIGN OF
HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II