The Hamilton Cross of Sacrifice was constructed in 1923 in memory of First World War Veterans. During the Decoration Day services on August 23, 1923, two memorial crosses were unveiled as part of the ceremonies. More than 8,000 soldiers marched in a parade through the city streets and into Harvey Park where the service was being held. Thousands of residents lined the streets watching the parade, and an estimated 20,000 people were present in the park itself. The bands, which were all together in the park, played hymns such as: Abide with Me, Unto the Hills, and Onward, Christian Soldiers.
The Cross of Sacrifice was paid for by the Imperial War Graves Commission to honour the war dead. The second cross was funded by the Canadian Patriotic Fund in memory of the 214 wives, mothers, and children whose loved ones died while fighting overseas. Once the formal ceremonies were completed, truck loads of flowers that had followed the parade were unloaded and many people placed them on the memorials and on graves in the cemetery.
The Cross of Sacrifice, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield in 1918, is one of two iconic features designed by Commonwealth War Graves Commission architects. Crosses of Sacrifice are found around the world in Commission cemeteries and in public cemeteries. The Cross of Sacrifice is an imposing bronze medieval longsword, blade down, on a stark white cross. It is one of the most enduring symbols of the bravery and sacrifice made by the men and women of the Commonwealth during the World Wars
