Designs for the public memorial were sought from several architects, including
Robert Lorimer,
Edwin Lutyens, and
George Frampton, but in 1921 the committee selected a design by
John James Burnet and
Norman Aitken Dick. The design incorporates sculptures of stone lions and a stone statue of
St Mungo by
Ernest Gillick The memorial is constructed from polished light grey granite supplied by
Scott and Rae. At its centre is a tall cenotaph in the form of truncated granite pylon some high supporting an empty sarcophagus, with a large gilded metal sword as a cross high up on the front (west) face. Lower on the west face is a stone statue of the city's patron saint,
St Mungo, under a canopy, surrounded by a
mandorla with the city's motto "Let Glasgow Flourish", and supported by the
coat of arms of Glasgow. The rear (east) face bears a carving of the Scottish version of the
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The longer north and south sides of the cenotaph are largely plain, with two stone wreaths carved either side of the sarcophagus at the top, and six bronze flagpoles with wreaths around the east end. Stone arms rise on three steps to the north and south sides of the obelisk, turning to the west to form three sides of an enclosure open to the west, with a sculpture of a guardant couchant lion at the west end of each arm. A large stone slab is set into the ground within the enclosure, as if covering a tomb, bearing stone carvings of a wreath and a palm leaf. The obelisk bears several inscriptions. On the west face, carved into the stone either side of the figure of St Mungo: "
PRO PATRIA / 1914 1919 / 1939 1945" and then below, in raised lead letters: "TO THE IMMORTAL HONOUR OF THE / OFFICERS NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS / AND MEN OF GLASGOW WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR / THIS MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED / IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL RECOGNITION BY / THE CITY OF GLASGOW" and then, carved into the stone at the base of the cenotaph: "
THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE" On the east face, carded to either side of the royal coat of arms is "PRO PATRIA / 1914 1919" and then below raised lead letters read: "TOTAL OF / HIS MAJESTY'S FORCES / ENGAGED / AT HOME AND ABROAD / 8654465 / OF THIS NUMBER / THE CITY OF GLASGOW / RAISED OVER 200000" and then in smaller letters "UNVEILED / ON / SATURDAY 31ST MAY 1924 / BY / FIELD MARSHALL EARL HAIG OF BEMERSYDE / GM KT GCB / COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE EXPEDITIONARY / FORCES IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS / 1915-1919" Further raised lead letters on the south and north faces read, respectively: "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN / THAN THIS / THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE / FOR HIS FRIENDS", quoting from
John 15:13; and "THESE DIED IN WAR / THAT WE AT PEACE MIGHT LIVE / THESE GAVE THEIR BEST / SO WE OUR BEST SHOULD GIVE". The monument was unveiled on 31 May 1924 by Field Marshal
Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig. It became a Grade B
listed building in 1970. File:Glasgow Cenotaph, George Square.jpg|West face and sarcophagus File:Glasgow Cenotaph, George Square, Glasgow.jpg|East face File:The Cenotaph, Glasgow (18750777463).jpg|From the south west, showing south elevation File:Lion at the Glasgow Cenotaph.jpg|Lion ==References==