Britain's only Commonwealth memorial outside London unveiled in Bradford

Britain's only Commonwealth memorial outside London unveiled in Bradford

A 101-year-old Jamaican veteran and countless other Commonwealth soldiers have been honoured with a new memorial in Bradford.

The memorial - the first of its kind outside London - pays tribute to the contributions and sacrifices of troops from Commonwealth nations who fought in both world wars.

An unveiling ceremony took place on Wednesday.

Jack Crawford, aged 101, attended the ceremony along with his daughters.

Jack Crawford came from the Caribbean to volunteer to fight in World War II.

One of them, Heather Esiri, said: "Dad was one of 5,000 soldiers from the Caribbean who volunteered to come over in 1944.

"This recognition of all the serving commonwealth soldiers and air men in the past and present is really important.

"We feel really proud that Bradford has that."

The memorial, which is located beside the Bradford Cenotaph, lists the Commonwealth countries which provided soldiers during both the First and Second World Wars.

Jack Crawford was joined by his daughter's Pam Crawford and Heather Isiri at the ceremony.

Lord Mayor of Bradford, Cllr Bev Mullaney, led the ceremony, alongside Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire Ed Anderson.

Cllr Joanne Dodds, Bradford Council’s Armed Forces champion, said: “This is a significant day for Bradford as we unveil the first Commonwealth War Memorial outside of London.

"It will be an important space for all communities to come together within our Memorial Garden and remember the sacrifices made by Commonwealth nations during the world wars.”

The design of the memorial was led by landscape architect Saira Ali.

She said: "Creating this memorial was an honour. We aimed to design a space that not only reflects the deep respect we hold for the Commonwealth troops but also serves as a place of peace and remembrance for all.

"It reinforces our commitment to remembering and uniting communities around shared sacrifices. The memorial garden in which it stands offers a quiet, reflective environment, where the beauty of nature complements the solemnity of the monument”

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