Lakefield Cenotaph

The Lakefield Cenotaph was erected by the people of Lakefield and district to perpetuate the memory of their sons who paid the supreme sacrifice in the service of their God and country. Work was completed on the cenotaph during the second week of February of 1930. The contractor, John Coughlin of Peterborough, built the monument in six sections, each weighing approximately four and one-half tons, with gray granite obtained from Stanstead, Quebec. The Canadian gray granite takes the form of a Celtic Cross or Cross of Sacrifice, which is chiseled in bold relief on the front of the cenotaph

It was unveiled by Colonel Anderson, D.S.O. district officer, commanding Military District No. 2 and dedicated to the village heroic dead on Sunday, June 1, 1930. Prayers of dedication were offered by Ven. Archdeacon J.C. Davidson chaplain of the 93 Battalion in a very large gathering of citizens of Lakefield and district, comrades from the Canadian Legion, clergy, militia, cadets and school children.

Also attending the unveiling were the relatives of those named on the cenotaph, with many of the women (still deeply in mourning) proudly displaying the medals of husbands or sons. Small boys from the Grove School represented the young generation to whom the war was only history. Behind them stood the citizens of Lakefield in phalanx 4 and 5 deep. The troops and ex-servicemen, headed by Lakefield Citizens band under bandmaster Walter Madill, marched down Bridge Street to the tune of "God Bless the Prince of Wales."

At their head was Standard-bearer Sergeant Thomas Cunningham. At the rear was the Lakefield High School Cadets under Cadet Captain Ronald Kemp, and the Grove School Cadets Corps under Cadet Captain John MaCuley with their bugle band in charge of bandmaster Beardmore, son of Colonel Beardmore of the Toronto Grenadiers, and colour party with Colour-bearer J. McCrae, ex-servicemen of the Canadian Legion, Lakefield Post No. 77 in command of President J.R. Hill M.M., and a detachment of the Peterborough Rangers and the 3rd Company 4th Machine Gun corps.

The guard of honour, in the charge of Sergeant Stenner, an old soldier of the Afghan and South African campaigns, and member of the original Princess Patricians Canadian Light Infantry, took up their positions on each of the four corners on the grass plot surrounding the Cenotaph. The other members of the honour guard were Lawrence Charlton, Edward Tighe and Arthur Barker. The last two were former members of the 93 Battalion. The outer guard was supplied by members of the Peterborough Rangers Regiment and was changed periodically.

Rev. A.W. Mackenzie, D.D., principal of the Grove School, gave the introductory address. The speaker called attention to the presence of an old comrade, John Edwards, who served in the Fenian Raids and who is one of the last of that company of men who served under, Colonel Anderson, read the honour roll and then unveiled the Cenotaph while bugler, Cadet C. Warren, sounded the Last Post. This was followed by an interval of two minutes' silence and the sounding of the Reveille, at which time the guard of honour and all troops on parade stood at attention.

"O Canada" was sung by the entire assembly and a short address given by Colonel Charles Ackerman who read the funeral oration of Pericles. Colonel Ackerman also called attention to the flag which had shrouded the cenotaph. It had been presented by Lord Jellicoe to the Canadian Legion and was lent by that organization for this occasion.

W.H. Casement, of the War Memorial Committee, presented the cenotaph to the town of Lakefield, to be taken care of by the citizens for all time. In accepting the honour, Reeve C.S. Tanner said, "We also accept the responsibility for caring for and protecting it. We are honoured to accept the sacred duty."

The War Memorial Committee was composed of the following: Rev. A.W. Mackenzie, W.H. Casement, postmaster, G.G. Connell, manager of the Royal Bank, R.E.Nevison, former manager of the local branch Canadian Bank of Commerce, J.R. Hill, and K.A. Mackenzie, who represented the veterans of the Legion, M.P. Kennedy, who was the first man in Lakefield to enlist on the outbreak of the First World War, Mrs. W.M. Graham, and Miss B Graham.

[front/devant]

TO THE
GLORY OF GOD
AND
IN MEMORY OF
THOSE WHO MADE
THE
SUPREME SACRIFICE
1914   -   1918

1939 - 1945

1950 - 1953

[left side/côté gauche]

• ARTHUR ALFRED
• FRANK ARMSTRONG
• JOHN ARMSTRONG
• DALLING BARLEE
• EDWARD BLOOMFIELD
• GORDON CALBERRY
• HERBERT CALBERRY
• ROLAND CARTER
• GORDON CRAWFORD
• KEITH CUMBERLAND
• BRUCE EDWARDS
• ARTHUR FRANKISH
• JOHN GORDON
• JOHN HALIFAX
• ISAAC HAMPTON
• GEOFFREY HILLIARD
• WILFRED HULL
• JOSEPH JAMIESON
• THEODORE JOHNSTON
• MAXWELL JOHNSTON
• STANLEY KIDD
• PERCY LEMAY

• N. HULL
• J. MORRISON
• H. STUART
•  
• J. CROWE
• S. HILL
• D. WHITE
• E. SMITH
• C. HURL
• C. BROOKS
• L. CHARLTON

NATO
JAMES WOOD
EUGENE PAYNE
RANDY PAYNE

[right side/côté droit]

• SHERMAN MAHOOD
• NOBLE MILBURN
• OSBORNE MONTGOMERY
• JOHN MORRIS
• HERBERT NICHOLLS
• LORNE NORTHEY
• PHILIP PATRICK
• ALEX. PRESTON
• GEORGE ROWE
• HOWARD ROWE
• WILLIAM ROWE
• JOSEPH SABATINO
• ALLAN SANDERSON
• IRA SNELGROVE
• GEO. STRICKLAND
• R.D. STRICKLAND
• HERBERT STUART
• J.R. WHITE
• ROYDEN WILSON
• LEONARD WINGETT

• J. COUGHLIN
• W. MAROIS
• D. LYTLE
• B. McFADDEN
• A. HOGARTH
• A. IRONS
• G. TAYLOR
• M. BULLOCK
• B. BURROWS

P.C. SPENCLEY   KOREA   1950-1953
RONALD EMERY

[back/arrière]

TO THE
GLORY OF GOD
AND
IN MEMORY OF
THOSE WHO MADE
THE
SUPREME SACRIFICE
1914   -   1918

1939 - 1945

1950 - 1953