The Tadcaster Memorial was unveiled in July 1921 by Lord Brooksbank of Healaugh Manor who had funded the memorial privatly, he had lost his two sons during the great war.
( Details on Healaugh page).
The men remembered on the Tadcaster Memorial were also remembered on the British Legion memorial plaque in St Marys Church Tadcaster, and on two large brass plaques inside the enterance to the Tadcaster Methodist Church situated opposite John Smiths Brewery.
As with many War Memorials mistakes were made ie mispelling of surnames wrong initials for forenames and the odd ALIAS done by men who had difficulty enlisting due to medical, age, bad past service records, one such on the Tadcaster memorial is W.Kilkenny real name J.Turner
The Tadcaster Stone around the Memorial was replaced in later years by Samual Smiths Brewery who to this day have provded the stone when needed. Surprisingly the major brewerys of the time in particular John Smiths Brewery the largest employer at the time did not contribute to the memorial.
John Smiths Brewery however had encourage their staff to enlist at the outbreak of war and provided a subsidie for each employee if they enlisted, by December 1916 over £5.000 pounds in subsidies had been paid to the 320 employees that had enlisted.
