In the presence of a large assemblage the Cookstown War Memorial, erected in William Street, was unveiled yesterday forenoon by Mrs Ricardo, widow of Brigadier-General Ricardo, who commanded the 109^th Brigade during the Great War.

The memorial, which is a replica of the London Cenotaph, is built with silver grey granite, from the Moor Quarries, Newry, and the tablets are of Castleduff limestone. It stands seventeen feet high, and at the sides of the panels on which the names of the fallen are engraved, are two flamebeaux for illuminating the panels at night. At the ends of the Cenotaph are wreaths symbolical of fame, and the dates of the commencement and termination of the war. On the South side is the inscription, “Our Glorious Dead;” on the panels facing east and west is inscribed; “In Grateful Memory of the Men from Cookstown and District who in the Great War gave their lives are Freedom.” A guard of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, under Major Alexander, M.C., with buglers, was mounted at the Cenotaph.

The ex-Servicemen, in charge of Lieut.-Colonel Lewes, president of the local branch of the British Legion; Captain Leeper, chairman; Lieut. J. B. Knox and Lieut. J. D. Hopper, paraded opposite the Post Office, and headed by the “B” Specials’ pipe band, conducted by Pipe-Major James McCormack, marched in slow time to the Cenotaph, were a hollow square was formed. A contingent of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, in command of District-Inspector Hall, M.B.E., were also on parade. Amongst those present were Mr Rowley Elliott, M.P., and Surgeon-Commander Rowan.

THE PRICE OF LIBERTY.

 Mr Thomas Gibson, chairman of the Urban Council, who presided, said they were gathered to pay a tribute of honour to those who in their country’s peril counted not their lives dear unto them; who risked all they had, including life itself, in the fortunes of war; who, facing the enemy, absorbed those terrible shocks, which otherwise would have shattered not only the social, religious and political fabric of these islands, but perhaps of Western civilisation itself. As they had marched out of their towns and villages with smiling faces, singing with all the abandonment of youth, they scarcely realised that they were going to play a leading part in a drama of destiny. They who remained could see now that the Great War was a conflict of principles and ideals which could no longer live together on this planet, and which were therefore contending for the mastery of the whole world.” Their soldiers rose at the call of duty to save their country, and to rescue all that was best in modern civilisation.  The after-war period had been one long process of disillusionment for both soldiers and civilians. Perhaps they had been led to expect too much as a result of the war.  The world was not yet a very fit place for heroes to live in, and they felt as if they must have been dreaming when they heard talk of a war to end war. Instead of the spirit of brotherhood and comradeship which were so evident during the war, they saw class warfare and suspicion on every hand.  They hoped that such a state of affairs would be only temporary. Their soldiers did not fight in vain, and the fruits of their long and painful struggle would become more apparent as the years rolled by. Let them remember that they had still the main thing for which they fought-liberty-and, being free, they could eventually extricate themselves from their present difficulties, and realise all the blessings that liberty implied. Because their soldiers made, or were prepared to make, the supreme sacrifice for freedom, they had gathered there that day.

They set up that memorial to their valour and self-sacrifice so that their names might not perish or their brave deeds be forgotten, and that future generations might feel it incumbent upon them to preserve and maintain at any cost the liberty that had been so dearly bought. They were honoured in having with them Mrs Ricardo, whose husband had had a brilliant military career, who had led their own Inniskillings with such distinction during the great war, and who had been most popular with all those who had served under him.  Mrs Ricardo deserved their best thanks for so graciously and promptly responding to their request that she would perform that ceremony.

“IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY.”

 Mrs Ricardo said she thanked the War Memorial Committee for the invitation to unveil that cenotaph, especially on account of the large number of men from Cookstown and the surrounding country who had served under her husband. She could have nothing but praise for the men of the district, as nowhere were there better soldiers to be found. That cenotaph would stand as a token of respect, affection, and gratitude to those who died for their country. She unveiled the memorial in proud and grateful memory of those whose names were engraved upon it.

The guard then presented arms, while the buglers sounded the Last Post, which was followed, after a short pause, by the stirring strains of the Reveille.

Mr J. W. Fleming then read the 120 names of the fallen which are inscribed on the Cenotaph.

Lieut.-Colonel Gregg, D.S.O., Officer commanding the Depot, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Omagh, in the course of a short address, said that beautiful memorial was eloquent testimony that the people of Cookstown had not forgotten those who went out at the call of duty, and unfortunately had not returned.  They knew better than he did how splendidly the people of the town and district responded in the hour of need. Over 1000 men, he had been informed, had answered the call of duty. He prayed that none of those assembled there or their children would ever have to go through what those men did. But he felt sure that if a similar danger again threatened the British Empire, the response would be as general as it was on the 4^th August, 1914. Unemployment was very rife, and he asked those who were employers not to forget the men who fought and were spared to return, only to find that, through no fault of their own, they were unable to obtain work. Surely those men were deserving of the support of everyone.

On behalf of the War Memorial Committee Mr J. D. Anderson formally handed the care of the cenotaph over to the Urban Council.

Mr Gibson, in accepting the charge on behalf of the Council, said they would ever regard the care of the memorial as a sacred trust.

The band rendered “The Flowers of the Forest,” during which a large number of wreaths were laid at the base of the cenotaph by relatives of the fallen. The British Legion wreath was laid by Lieut.-Colonel Lewis.

Belfast Newsletter Tuesday 19^th April 1927  page 11.