Chesham Bois War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1920, designed by John Harold Kennard, with secondary inscriptions added following the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

The Chesham Bois War Memorial, 1920, designed by John Harold Kennard, with later inscriptions following the Second World War, is listed at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20.
* Architectural interest: an unusual and handsome design by a local architect, with well-executed dressed stone;
* Group value: it stands in a prominent position on the village green, around which there are a number of other listed buildings.

History

The war memorial at Chesham Bois was erected in 1920. The design was by John Harold Kennard, a prominent local architect, the sculpture by Mr Arrowsmith of Stockwell, London, metal founding by Wilmer and Co of St Mary Axe, London, and construction by WT Robinson of Chesham. A ceremony was held on 14 November 1920 led by Reverend TH Fitzpatrick, and the memorial was unveiled by RJ Cooper, a local former Brigadier General of the Irish Guards.

A second dedication and the names of the fallen were added following the Second World War, and it was rededicated on Remembrance Sunday in 1949.

The tall tricorn stone pillar originally had a bronze drinking fountain in the base; this was removed in the 1950s.

Details

First World War memorial, 1920, with secondary inscriptions added following the Second World War.

ARCHITECT: designed by local architect John Harold Kennard, with stone carving by Mr Arrowsmith of Stockwell, London, metal founding by Wilmer and Co of St Mary Axe, London, and construction by WT Robinson of Chesham.

MATERIALS: Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: an oval plinth with recessed panels and with a moulded base and cornice, set upon a circular paved area. The plinth is surmounted by a triangular-plan pillar with chamfered, panelled corners and scroll mouldings to the base. On top is a cornice with a heavy scrolled pediment enriched with bead and spindle and foliage mouldings. On the face of the pillar, which is slightly concave, is inscribed ‘ERECTED / TO THE MEMORY / OF THOSE OF THIS / PARISH WHO FELL / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1918’, with the names of 31 men, ordered by rank. On the base is inscribed ‘TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE OF THIS PARISH / WHO FELL IN THE WORLD WAR 1939-1945’, with the dates inscribed again within a moulded laurel wreath in the central panel. The side panels hold the names of the 19 local people that lost their lives in the conflict.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 11 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
Buckinghamshire Remembers: Chesham Bois War Memorial and St Leonard's Church, accessed 20/11/2014 from http://buckinghamshireremembers.org.uk/memorials.htm
War Memorials Register, accessed 11 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/8132
War Memorials Online, accessed 11 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/115187

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