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Monument details

HER Number:TR 34 SW 1078
Type of record:Listed Building
Name:60th Rifles Memorial to Indian Mutiny, Camden Crecent, Dover.

Summary

A War memorial in Classical style, which was erected in August 1861 by the First Battalion of the Royal Rifles to commemorate their fallen comrades of the Indian campaigns of 1857, 1858 and 1859, is located at the western end of Camden Crescent, Dover. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)


Grid Reference:TR 32056 41184
Map Sheet:TR34SW
Parish:DOVER, DOVER, KENT

Monument Types

Protected Status:Listed Building (II) 1420014: 60th Rifles Memorial to Indian Mutiny

Full description

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From Listed Building entry:

War memorial in Classical style, erected in August 1861 by the First Battalion of the Royal Rifles to commemorate their fallen comrades of the Indian campaigns.

The 60th Rifles Memorial, a granite monument with bronze decorations erected by the First Battalion of he 60th Royal Rifles in August 1861 to commemorate their comrades who fell during the Indian Campaigns of 1857 (Oudh), 1858 (Delhi) and 1859 (Rohilkhand), is listed for the following principal reasons: * Architectural interest: a handsome Classical style tapering granite pier with good quality bronze decoration and lettering; * Historic interest: link with international events and focus for grief and remembrance by a particular regiment; * Intactness: unaltered except for a slight chipping at the top caused by a seaplane raid in January 1916 and the loss of the boundary railings, probably requisitioned for the war effort in 1941; * Rarity of type: the War Memorial Archive includes only four other examples of free-standing Indian Mutiny group monuments in England; * Early date for building type: 1861 is an early date for an outdoor war memorial, in England. Perhaps eleven outdoor Crimean war memorials and one Indian Mutiny war memorial have an earlier date. This regiment was the first to be equipped with the more accurate breech-loading Enfield rifle which entailed the biting of a greased rifle cartridge to release the powder. The native troops or sepoys feared the grease was made with either cow fat, sacred to the Hindus, or pig fat, considered unclean by the Muslims, and this was a catalyst to the Indian Mutiny. The battalion returned from India to Dover in 1860.

Granite, with bronze decoration; tapering square granite pier with deep moulded plinth and base. The moulded cornice is surmounted by a pyramidal cap. Below the cornice are bronze swags on which are hung medals of previous battle honours. The front face additionally has a bronze trophy with a lion's head mask. Below this is the inscription 'IN MEMORY OF COMRADES WHO FELL DURING THE INDIAN CAMPAIGNS OF 1857, 1858 AND 1859. ERECTED BY THE 1ST BATTALION OF ROYAL RIFLES AUGUST 1861'. The battle honours are inscribed on the sides and rear: OUDE (sic), DELHI and ROHILCUND (SIC). The regimental motto 'CELER ET AUDAX' is inscribed on the rear face. The memorial is set on two square steps with rusticated tops enclosed within a low circular wall which originally incorporated iron railings. (1-2)

The GIS polygon associated with this record does not represent the full extent or curtilage of the listed building but merely defines the outline of the building. For further information on the extent of the listed building please contact Dover District Council.


Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

Imperial War Museum, 2017, Imperial War Museums War Memorial Register (Website). SKE32095.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
---Index: Historic England. National Heritage List for England.
---Website: Imperial War Museum. 2017. Imperial War Museums War Memorial Register.