When I originally started photographing war graves and monuments it was very much a hit and miss thing. There is no real list of what is out there and often you have to troll through webpages and books in the hope that you may just find something and then create your own list. The World War 1 Memorial in Kingston Frost Park is one of those that I found by looking at my streetfinder with a MK1 eyeball. The park was named after Councillor Kingston Frost in 1939. Google earth co-ordinates are: -26.191069°, 28.003952°.
There is no real context as to how or why this memorial ended up in Brixton, but the park is a pretty place and I remember as a young boy going along the paths and just enjoying an untouched piece of nature. I don’t recall seeing the memorial though, but maybe I was not really tuned to finding things like that.
Only 3 faces of the plinth have inscriptions on them. It appears as if all the names on it had a connection to the area, although in the case of Lt Borrowman, Gnr Van Blerk and Cpl Tredoux this does not seem to be the case.
Roll of Honour:
- Sgt H.E. Gage 2nd SAI (KIA. Son of Mrs. Frances E. Gage, of 74, Barnes Rd., Brixton)
- Gnr J.H. Nelson SAHA (KIA. Son of John Peter and Elsie Nelson, of 21, Barnes Rd., Brixton)
- Gnr E.J. Robertson SAHA (Did of fever. Husband of Mrs. H. C. Robertson, of 145 High Road, Brixton)
- Cpl D.L. Tredoux 1st SAI (Died of influenza)
- Gnr W.S. Van Blerk SAFA (Listed as Van Blerck, Son of John Pear and Margarette Elizabeth Van Blerck, of Colesberg, Cape Province)
- Pte J.A. Maynes SA Scots (Died of wounds, Friend of William Pope, of 80 Putney Road, Brixton)
- Pte J.D, Paskin 7th SAI (KIA. Son of Mary Eleanor Jane Paskin, of 153, Collins St., Brixton)
- Pte R.D. Cross 7th SAI (KIA. on of Mrs. Emiline Laura Cross, of 109, Caroline St., Brixton)
- Pte Mack 4th SAI (Died of wounds. Son of Harry Mack, of 135, 10th Street, Vrededorp)
- Pte H.T. Webb 3rd SAI (KIA. Son of John James and Annie Caroline Webb, Johannesburg)
- Lieut J.J. Borrowman RFC (KIA. Son of Mrs. R. Borrowman, of Standerton.)
- Spr C.H. Duffield Eng.Corp (Died of fever. Son of Agnes Gertrude Duffield, of 104, Fulham Rd., Brixton)
What I do not understand is why this memorial always hides behind mad weather? I have been to it three times already and each time have had really odd weather. Between when I left home and when I arrived home on that day I experienced 2 rain showers, overcast skies, clear skies and the odd sky that you can see in the image. The view from up there is stunning too, but the urban forest of Johannesburg hides everything in a field of green.
I then headed “down the road” to where the former Irish Brigades Memorial used to be. I class this memorial as extinct, as it was dismantled and taken to Orania in 2002. All that was left were the foundations, heaps of litter and not much else. It is a pity that they don’t use this site for another memorial, a nice Rand Revolt one would be great seeing as this area was active during the 1922 strike.
All that is left of the original site
I deplore the loss of the memorial, what happened to the grandiose plans that were made for the site where the memorial stood? I also visited the AW Muller stadium where my mapbook said there was a “Freedom Monument” but the security guard said that it too was gone. I headed home via Melville and stopped to grab a quick pic. This is what happens to Beyers Naude Drive…..
That pretty much wrapped up my gallivanting for the week. It had also encompassed Westpark as well as Braamfontein Cemetery, but that is another story for another day.
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