The Public Memorials Appeal

Registered Charity No. 1094855

Patron

The Duke Of Wellington KG LVO OBE MC DL

 

 

The Public Memorials Appeal was founded as a registered charity in 2002 by Ivan Saxton who had previously founded the Sir John Barbirolli Commemoration Appeal.

Lady Barbirolli OBE (1911 - 2008), Michael Kennedy CBE and Ivan Saxton were the founding Trustees and were later joined by Ian Davidson who was succeeded by Cecilie Barbirolli.

 

The objective of the Charity is to raise funds by organising appeals in order to commission and erect memorials (statues, busts and plaques) of people of historical importance in their field of endeavour.

 

Memorials commissioned by the Trustees include:

 

 

The Sculpture of Sir John Barbirolli CH

1899 - 1970

 

This bronze memorial bust is situated outside

the main entrance to the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester.

 

Sir John conducted the Halle Orchestra from 1943 to 1970 and was honoured by the title Conductor Laureate of the Halle. He was also Conductor Emeritus of the Houston Symphony Orchestra in the USA and from 1936 to 1942 was Principal Conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in succession to Arturo Toscanini.

 

             

 

The unveiling of the sculpture of Sir John Barbirolli

in Manchester by the Duke of Devonshire KG MC

 

   

 

The S.O.E Agents Monument

 

This monument is situated on Albert Embankment,

Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1.

 

The Special Operations Executive (S.O.E) was secretly formed at the behest of Winston Churchill for the purpose of recruiting agents, men and women of many nationalities, who would continue the fight for freedom by fostering resistance movements and performing acts of sabotage in countries occupied by the enemy during the Second World War.

 

The bronze bust on the plinth is that of Violette Szabo who was an S.O.E agent in occupied France. On her second mission to France she was captured and after several months in captivity was executed at Ravensbruck concentration camp aged 23. Violette Szabo was posthumously awarded the George Cross by Britain and the Croix de Guerre by France.

 

   

 

        

 

The S.O.E Agents Monument with the Sculpture of Violette Szabo GC CdeG

 

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His Grace the Duke of Wellington unveiled The S.O.E Agents Monument on the 4 October 2009 in the presence of many veterans and distinguished guests including His Excellency the Ambassador of Norway, the Earl of Selborne, the Mayor of Lambeth, Lady Jane Wellesley, Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely and Mr Ivan Saxton.

 

The Band of the Irish Guards provided the music and there was a parade of veterans of The Royal British Legion followed by cadets of the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force.

 

 

Some of the memorial plaques installed by The Public Memorials Appeal

 

 

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