Monument MPM1725 - Civilians Memorial (east side), Kingston Cemetery

Memorial commemorating those civilians who lost their lives during Second World War bombing raids and who are buried in a mass grave in Kingston Cemetery.

Memorial commemorating 33 civilians who lost their lives during Second World War bombing raids on the city buried in one of two mass graves in Kingston Cemetery (a second mass grave with memorial is located on the west side of the cemtery see MPM1724). [1]

The memorial consists of a free standing upright rectangular limestone 'wall' containing a plaque listing the names of 30 people who died. An original bronze plaque was removed in 2011 and replaced with slate following the theft of the plaques from the civilian memorial on the west side of the cemetery (MPM1724). [2]

The inscription on the memorial reads 'Erected to the memory of those men, women and children both known and unknown who died as a result of enemy bombing on this city and whose last resting place is near this spot. 1939 - 1945'. 'OUT OF THE DEPTHS OF SORROW AND SACRIFICE WILL BE BORN AGAIN THE GLORY OF MANKIND.' [3]

The Ministry of Health awarded Portsmouth Corporation £1,304 towards the erection of both memorials in 1951. [2]

<1> Howarth, A J, Norrish, K V, 1984, Monuments & Memorials in the City of Portsmouth (Unpublished document). SPM509.

<2> Backhouse, Tim, 2002-17, Memorials and Monuments in Portsmouth (Bibliographic reference). SPM259.

<3> Portsmouth Evening News, 1951, Portsmouth Evening News (Bibliographic reference). SPM370.