Collingwood Battalion War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, erected in 1919.

Reasons for Designation

The Collingwood Battalion War Memorial at Collingwood Corner, erected in 1919 in the memory of the fallen of the battalion in the First World War, is listed at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the losses suffered by this particular military unit during the First World War;
* Architectural interest: its simple obelisk design is well executed and fitting to its purpose as a memorial structure

History

The great age of memorial building was in the aftermath of the First World War. The memorial at Collingwood Corner on the Salisbury to Blandford Forum road commemorates the officers and men of the Collingwood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division who died in action during the Third Battle of Krithia at Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 4 June 1915 when the battalion was practically destroyed. The memorial was provided by the surviving members of the battalion and it is situated in a very prominent location overlooking the Blandford Downs where the battalion trained during the winter of 1914/15.

The memorial was unveiled on 7 June 1919 by the widow of Commander A Spearman, R.N., the battalion’s commanding officer who also died at Gallipoli. The Western Gazette of 13 June 1919 reported on the unveiling and dedication of the memorial and makes clear the reason for its location: “... overlooking the grounds over which the Royal Naval Division carried out its training.” Further, in his address following the dedication service, the Rector of Blandford in referring to the many groups of people that he hoped would be stirred by the same spirit of loyalty and patriotism that had stirred the men of the Collingwood Battalion included in his list “the passers-by on the road.”

Details

First World War memorial, erected in 1919.

MATERIALS: constructed of polished Peterhead granite.

PLAN: it is square on plan and stands within a rectangular area of flagstones.

DESCRIPTION: it is a simple obelisk of polished red granite on a plinth with a two-stepped base and stands some 2.7m high. The memorial stands on a raised paved and brick base with a wider paved area which is surrounded on three sides by metal railings with a post and chain fence to the front. The west face of the plinth has a dedication in raised lead lettering which reads: IN MEMORY OF/ THE COMMANDING OFFICER/ OFFICERS AND MEN/ OF THE COLLINGWOOD BATTN/ ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION/ WHO FELL IN ACTION IN GALLIPOLI,/ ON 4TH JUNE 1915, WHEN THE/ BATTN. WAS PRACTICALLY DESTROYED. There is a further leaded inscription on the rear (east) side of the plinth which reads: THE COLLINGWOOD BATTALION COMPLETED/ ITS TRAINING/ ON THESE DOWNS./ THIS MEMORIAL IS ERECTED/ BY THE SURVIVORS.


This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 7 December 2016.

Sources

Websites
The Third Battle of Krithia, 4th June 1915. The Joint Imperial War Museum / Australian War Memorial Battlefield Study Tour to Gallipoli, September 2000, accessed from http://archive.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/2/gallipoli/helles3Krithia.htm
Collingwood Memorial Service, accessed from http://www.wessexwfa.org.uk/articles/collingwood.htm
War Memorials Register, accessed 07/12/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/26761
War Memorials Online, accessed 07/12/2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/97425

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