QR DOMINICA

Dominica’s Cenotaph or War Memorial is located in Roseau on a triangle of land bordered by Castle Street, Victoria Street and the end of Fort Lane. It is dedicated to the memory of those Dominicans and British residents on the island who volunteered to enlist in the British armed forces and who fell in the First and Second World Wars.

In memory of those from DOMINICA who gave their lives in the great war 1914 – 1918

Capt. A.E. Anderson
Capt. C.M.B. Blandy
Major Geo W. Carew
Capt. G. Carter
Capt. C. H. Hill
Lieut. H. T. S. Johns
Lieut. F. Johnson
Capt. R. L. Knubley M.C.
Lt. Com. D.R. Mason R.N.R
2nd Lt. R.V Hazard
Major L.P Storr
Capt. T.S. Noel Simmons
Capt. C.R. Wilson

British West Indies Regiment
PVTE. J.R. Bartt
PVTE. C.S Bascus
PVTE. V. Drake
PVTE. C. Henry
PVTE. C. Honore
PVTE. T. James
PVTE. H. Lewis
PVTE. D. Patrice
PVTE. E. A Peters
SERGT. F.C. Sully
PVTE. T. Willie

Shortly after World War I, a brass plaque was produced with the names of those who died in that war. Many of the fallen were the sons of small farmers from the country districts who now lie in graves in Egypt, Greece and Palestine. Since the cenotaph had not yet been constructed, this plaque was placed on the veranda wall of the Public Library.

Then in 1928, Chief of Police, and at times Acting Administrator, Major Peebles, laid out the land and designed and directed the construction of the cenotaph. It is made of cut volcanic stone taken from a quarry in the cliffs of Grand Savanna on Dominica’s west coast and transported to Roseau. The brass plaque was transferred from the Library and placed on the Cenotaph facing Victoria Street. After World War II another smaller plaque was added to record those lost in that war and this one faces Castle Street.

Also, after World War II, French veterans, mainly from Martinique, erected a smaller cenotaph on the same land to honour the ‘Free French” volunteers. They had escaped from the pro-Nazi Vichy government in the French islands and daringly crossed the sea channels to Dominica before moving on to fight in Europe. They are known in France as ‘Les Décidénts’. Every November, on a Sunday closest to the 11 November, the date of the Armistice of World War I, a Remembrance Service is held at the cenotaph to honour those who died in those two major conflicts of the 20th century.