An article on John Angel’s War Memorials by David Baker from 2021, in which the Bridgwater War Memorial is set in context of the sculptor’s other works.
Broader looks at Bridgwater’s War Memorials can be read here.
More on Exeter’s War Memorial can be found here.
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Introduction:
One of Bridgwater’s neglected attractions is the wonderful war memorial in King Square by John Angel unveiled in 1924. The previous year he had completed an equally remarkable war memorial in Exeter. The object of this article is to describe and interpret these two monuments and provide a brief summary of John Angel’s life.
Comparison
Both these memorials are listed as Grade II* by Heritage England. Exeter’s figure of Victory seems triumphant. She treads the dragon of Evil underfoot. Does the Dragon represent the evil of war itself or just our defeated enemies? The four lower figures are lifelike representations of those who served and gave their lives in the war.
There are no military personnel on Bridgwater’s memorial. Symbolically Civilization treads the evils of war underfoot and she protects the civilian population. John Angel seems to say that those who died gave their lives to ensure the triumph of civilization. Perhaps his Bridgwater memorial is more in keeping with today’s view of war than his Exeter monument.