I must have walked past that monument so many times - but never really looked at it.

Because I could have said exactly what you just did - I studied the First World War Poets for 'O' Level English, so for me it is impossible to separate this quote from Wilfred Owen's tale of poison gas. But in 1907 it was inscribed, I'm sure, with no sense of irony. And if I have ever noticed it, I'm sure I would have remembered, for that very reason.

So thank you for stopping to look!