Summary
War memorial plaque, unveiled 1921.The dwelling to which the plaque is attached is excluded from the listing.
Reasons for Designation
The war memorial attached to 35 Lower Dagnall Street, St Albans, unveiled in 1921, 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 First World War;
* Rarity: as a rare commemorative plaque, which offer a relatively private memorial compared to the usual more public monuments often placed in prominent locations;
* Group value: as one of eight surviving memorials forming a significant and rare group.
History
The concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the C19. Prior to then memorials were rare and mainly dedicated to individual officers, or sometimes regiments. The first large-scale erection of war memorials dedicated to the ordinary soldier followed the Second Boer War of 1899-1902, which was the first major war following reforms to the British Army which led to regiments being recruited from local communities and with volunteer soldiers. However, it was the aftermath of the First World War that was the great age of memorial building, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
Details
The stone memorial comprises a rectangular tablet rising to a central apex with a shallow hood running the length of the tablet. An inscribed cross sits central to the apex. The whole memorial is set into the front wall of 35 Lower Dagnall Street* and is inscribed with names of those who lost their lives in the First World War.
End of official list entry
