Second Anglo-Afghan War Memorials
There are a number of memorials dedicated to those who died during the British-Afghan conflict of 1878-1880, some well-known, some less so.
Apologies: due to a bit of a technical error with the database, only four memorials are showing. This will be fixed as soon as time allows.
If you know of any not detailed here, or are able to supply photos from your own collection, please do get in touch and help to make this as complete a resource as possible for Second Afghan War memorials.
| The Maiwand Lion - Forbury Gardens, Reading, Berkshire, England
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The Maiwand Lion was unveiled in December 1886, having been designed by Reading sculptor (and heir to Simonds & Co. Brewers) George Blackall Simonds (1843-1929). It is made of cast iron (cast by Messrs. Young of Pimlico) with the pedastal originally faced with terracotta, but this was refaced with stone in 1910. The lion, from paw to mane, stands at 13' 4", and at the time (still?) was thought to be the largest study of a standing lion in the world. The base lists the names of the 328 officers and men of the 66th (Berkshire) Regiment who died in the Afghan campaign, the majority at Maiwand on 27 July 1880. The story that a real lion would be unable to stand in this posture, and that as a result of this criticism the sculptor committed suicide, is incorrect on both counts. |
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| 59th Regiment Monument - Nottingham Castle, Nottingham, England
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This monument to the 42 men of the 59th who died in Afghanistan was constructed of Irish granite, designed by William Jackson, and unveiled on 3rd July 1884. |
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| 8th Liverpool Regiment - St John's Gardens, Liverpool, England
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The memorial to the King's Liverpool Regiment (8th Foot in the Afghan War) sits in the middle of St. John's Park in Liverpool. The ornamental and memorial garden, behind St. George's Hall, was opened on 20 June 1904, though the regimental memorial bears the date 1905. It was designed by the Welsh sculptor William Goscombe John (1860-1952), who was responsible for many famous monuments, as well as other items such as King George V's Silver Jubilee Medal. It commemorates men who died in the Second Afghan, Burma and the Second Boer War. |
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| 72nd Highlanders Monument - Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland
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Occupying a spot in the parade ground at Edinburgh Castle, this 30' high memorial obelisk was commissioned in 1882 and made from Peterhead granite by Messrs. Macdonald, Field & Co. of Aberdeen. |
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