Northumberland Fusiliers Memorial

The Northumberland Fusiliers Memorial "The Response" is a war memorial in the public gardens to the north of the Church of St Thomas the Martyr in Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, and to the west of Newcastle Civic Centre. Designed by Sir W. Goscombe John, the memorial was commissioned by Sir George Renwick, 1st Baronet, and unveiled in 1923. It primarily commemorates the Territorial Army "Pals" battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers raised by the local Chamber of Commerce in late 1914 for service in the First World War, which became known as the "Commercials". It also commemorates the safe return of Renwick's five sons from service in the war, and his 50 years in business as a ship-owner (he was also elected as the Member of Parliament for Newcastle-upon-Tyne and then Newcastle upon Tyne Central on three occasions between 1900 and 1922).