Description
War memorial for Kilmore and Kilbride Parish, built in the town of Oban following the First World War. It has a simple rubble-built lower section, with the top comprising a stone sculpture depicting two kilted soldiers carrying a wounded comrade. The memorial lists casualties connected to the parish in both the First and Second World War, along with a single casualty from the Falklands Conflict. The memorial lies on the coast at the northern end of Corran Esplanade, with views over Oban Bay and across to the island of Kerrera, and in the distance, towards Lismore, Mull and the Firth of Lorn.
The base of the memorial is a square, granite rubble-built plinth in the form of cairn. Set into each side of the plinth are bronze plaques, painted with gold lettering on a dark green background. At the top of the plaque on the principal (south) elevation is a Gaelic dedication:
MAIRIDH AN CLIU AGUS
AN AINM GU SIORRUIDH
which roughly translates as "Their renown and name will last forever".
In addition to the dedication are the names, ranks, regiments and decorations of 173 casualties of the First World War, 72 casualties of the Second World War, and 1 casualty of the Falklands Conflict, whose service number, age and date of death are also recorded.
On top of the plinth is a poignant sculptural group, depicting three kilted soldiers. The two soldiers on the left and right are carrying a wounded comrade between them. Intentionally roughly carved, the sculpture is hewn in a way that shows the soldier's equipment, clothing and faces emerging from the stone.
Statement of Special Interest
The Oban war memorial meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:
- The memorial is of note due to the high quality of its sculpture by Alexander Carrick, who is recognised for his important contribution to war memorials in Scotland.
- The coastal setting of the memorial is picturesque, and its location and alignment was intentionally chosen to maximise this effect and to reconnect the fallen with their hometown of Oban.
- The memorial survives largely as it was built, although with some minor alterations relevant to its purpose, such as the addition of the casualties of the Second World War and the Falklands Conflict.
- The monument is closely associated with the major 20th century conflicts, which are events of national importance.
Historical development
The memorial was formally unveiled on 11 November 1923 by Lieutenant-Colonel W. M. Macalpine-Leny, commander of the 13th Highland Pack Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery. The memorial was paid for by public subscription, with £1015 raised in six weeks.
The architects of the memorial were the Edinburgh based practice of Richardson and McKay, with Alexander Carrick appointed as the sculptor. The memorial originally listed casualties of the First World War, with the named casualties from the Second World War and Falklands Conflict in 1982 added subsequently.
Historical photographs of the memorial show that the lettering on the plaques was originally in black, rather than the more prominent gold colour now used. It is not known when this change occurred.
Architectural interest
Design
The memorial was designed by the Edinburgh architect's firm of James Smith Richardson and John Ross McKay. Most of the firm's work was conducted in and around Edinburgh, although they did undertake occasional work elsewhere within Scotland. The Dictionary of Scottish Architects does not list any other war memorials under their portfolio, although they may have submitted an unsuccessful design to a competition for the Dunfermline memorial.
The sculpture of three soldiers on top of the memorial was undertaken by Alexander Carrick, one of Scotland's foremost sculptors in the first half of the 20th century. He undertook sculpture work on a number of other war memorials across Scotland, including those at Fraserburgh (LB31902, listed category B), Killin (LB50326, listed category C) and Dornoch, and several sculptural elements of the Scottish National War Memorial (SM90130 – scheduled), including relief panels for the Royal Engineers and the Royal Artillery, and the small figures representing the virtues "Courage" and "Justice".
Carrick was a veteran of the First World War himself, having served in the Royal Garrison Artillery from 1916 onwards. He also undertook sculptures and stone carving work for a number of prominent buildings across Scotland, including the William Wallace statue at Edinburgh Castle, St Andrews House (LB27756) and the Usher Hall (LB27780) in Edinburgh, St Magnus Cathedral (LB36668) in Kirkwall and Eilean Donan Castle (LB7209).
The materials and technology used in the construction of the memorial are also both typical of the memorial building type. The design of the lower part of the memorial, a square plan granite cairn plinth with panels bearing the names of casualties on each side, is a common arrangement for a monument of this type. However, the design interest is increased by the high-quality sculpture group executed in Doddington freestone.
The sculpture of three kilted soldiers also help to link the memorial more explicitly to the region within which it lies. Incorporating uniquely Scottish design elements of the stone cairn helps to contextualise and connect Scotland's place in the conflicts within a wider national and international dimension.
Setting
The memorial sits directly on the shoreline at the north end of Oban, adjacent to Corran Esplanade and below Dunollie Wood as it stretches over a small hill, Barra Mòr. To the south of the memorial is Oban Bay, while to the north is the smaller bay of Port Mòr. West of the memorial, and across the main shipping channel to and from Oban Bay, is the northern end of the island of Kerrera. The location gives the memorial a distinctly coastal setting, in keeping with Oban's identity as a major seafaring hub for Atlantic Scotland from the 19th century onwards. Also of architectural interest is the orientation of the memorial, with the soldiers looking towards the town of Oban, and with the backdrop of the coastal setting looking out across Oban Bay and the Firth of Lorn, thereby visually reconnecting the fallen with their home.
Historic interest
Age and rarity
The memorial dates to the 1920s, the period during which the majority of war memorials commemorating the First World War were dedicated. War memorials are a common building type within Scotland, with around 2800 recorded on the national record of the historic environment (https://canmore.org.uk). Their numbers reflect the impact the First and Second World War had on every community across the country. This memorial is one of several war memorials in Oban (see Canmore IDs 320641; 320642; 320915) and is not a rare survival however it is an architecturally distinctive example of its type.
Social historical interest
The monument was constructed to commemorate service personnel with connections to Oban, who lost their lives in the two world wars and the Falklands Conflict. The war memorial at the north end of Corran Esplanade is therefore of some social historical interest for our understanding of the war effort relating to this part of Scotland.
Association with people or events of national importance
The war memorial at the north end of Corran Esplanade in Oban is directly connected to the First and Second World Wars, two of the most significant events in modern history. The First World War took place between 1914 and 1919, and the conflict resulted in millions of combatants and civilian casualties, impacting on communities around the globe and often far from the front lines. The Second World War, from 1939 to 1945, was fought on an even larger scale than the First and resulted in similar impacts on communities and people on an international scale. The two conflicts combined represent some of the most significant and defining events of the 20th century, and their legacy can still be found across Scotland, not least in the many thousands of war memorials that are spread throughout the country.