The Tayside branch of the Western Front Association has warned Angus Council not to drop the word “memorial” from the Arbroath theatre’s title.
Webster Memorial Theatre was given to the people of Arbroath after the first world war by Sir Francis Webster and his brothers, William and James. The gesture was in honour of Sir Francis’ son, Lieutenant Joseph F. Webster, killed in action on October 30, 1914, at Zandvoorde Ridge.
Some residents were angered by the council’s decision to omit the word “memorial” from etched glass panels in the building when it was refurbished in 2008 and the full title is not always used in council publicity material.
Bob Paterson, chairman of Tayside’s Western Front Association, has insisted the name should not be shortened under any circumstances as a show of respect.
He said, on behalf of the branch and its members, that they supported the view that the word “memorial” must never be removed from the theatre’s title, documentation and publicity.
“The title of the theatre is and always should be ‘The Webster Memorial Theatre’. The theatre is not just a memorial to Lt Webster but to all the thousands of young men who made the ultimate sacrifice in the fields of Picardy, Flanders and the other battlefields of the first world war.
“The Western Front Association feels it is imperative that succeeding generations do not forget the sacrifices made and agree … that if the word ‘memorial’ is removed people will forget. We ask that as the theatre was purchased as a memorial, it remain that way.”
The theatre website banner features the shortened title, but “Welcome to The Webster Memorial Theatre” is positioned just below.
An Angus Council spokeswoman said the official, formal name remains The Webster Memorial Theatre, as endorsed by councillors following the building’s refurbishment.