Critics Answered On Conisbrough War Memorial Issue

September 1950

South Yorkshire Times September 23, 1950

Critics Answered

On Conisbrough War Memorial Issue

Coun. R. H. Shephard, chairman of Conisbrough Urban Council’s Conisbrough and Denaby War Memorial Committee, replied at the Council meeting on Monday to criticisms from local residents, exclusively reported in the ” South Yorkshire Times,” of the committee’s proposals  for honouring Conisbrough and Denaby 1939-45 War dead.

Germans’ Visit

The German youth, Coun. Shephard explained, attended a meeting of the War Memorial Committee at the request of Mr. R. H. Simcock, leader of the Tom Hill Youth Movement (which group entertained the visitors in return for hospitality received during July by a Denaby party in Germany). The German youth were very interested and listened to the discussions of all the members, and at the conclusion their leader said he hoped it would be the first of similar occasions.

Coun. Shephard said he felt that if we could educate the Germans in our ways, both in. local government and education, we should do so. If they had been able to do that in the past they would probably not be in the position in which they were to-day

Court. Shephard outlined the way in which the War Memorial Committee came into being—through an appeal by Conisbrough British Legion branch to the Council to assist them in placing plaques at the base of Conisbrough War Memorial —and said that the Council felt that if they were going to have a memorial it should be throughout the whole of the area.

A sub-committee, consisting of three members each from both Conisbrough and Denaby Legion branches and three members of the local authority, was formed, and later Mr. Tom Hill. a trustee of the old Denaby Memorial Committee, was co-opted,

The civic banquet cost those who attended 6s, each. It was not free and it was not coming out of the War Memorial funds. Those who went paid.

The Council acted in all sincerity in launching an appeal fund, and it was never their intention to ask every householder for 5s. The Committee never asked for that; it was only suggested that if anyone should give 5s. it was recommended that their names should be placed in the War Memorial Book,

Coun. Shephard said that 260 people had paid 5s. each and more than 1,000 envelopes had been returned. The total collected to date was £160 13s 1d and on the committee’s behalf he thanked the donors and collectors. The committee would still function to raise the money which the two Legion branches desired. Every effort would be made to raise the money.

Coun. H. Gomersall said it was not or never intended that every household should pay 5s. to the appeal; it was merely stated that if every household in the urban district made such a subscription they would raise the money. –

Coun. E. Beeson referred to a suggestion by a critic that a public hall would make a more suitable memorial. That was just ridiculous, he said, because at present costs that would involve an expenditure of thousands of pounds.

The Chairman, Coun. G. Oldfield, J.P., said he was very hurt about the criticisms.