Rockbourne War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial with further names added after the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Rockbourne war memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as an elegant and well-proportioned stone cross;
* Group value: with Bourne House, Malthouse Cottage, Old Timbers and Staddle Stones, all listed at Grade II.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England, 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. One such memorial was erected on the site of the old smithy during the early 1920s to commemorate the fallen from this conflict. Rockbourne war memorial can be seen on the Ordnance Survey map of 1926 with its stepped access.

Following the Second World War, the names of those who lost their lives in that war were also added.

The memorial was recently renovated and the lettering painted.

Details

The war memorial stands in a prominent location on the main village street in Rockbourne and within a small three-sided hedged enclosure accessed by eight stone steps. The memorial comprises a sandstone cross surmounting a tapered column set on a two-step square plinth. This is set upon a square stone base.

Inscriptions and names are carved on the east faces of the plinths; the uppermost reads: TO THE HONOURED MEM-/ ORY OF OUR MEN WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES/ 1914-1918. The lower face is inscribed with ten names of those who lost their lives in the First World War. On the south face of the upper plinth is inscribed 1939-1945 and underneath are four names of those who lost their lives in the Second World War. On the west face the upper plinth is inscribed: THE FITTEST PLACE WHERE/ MAN CAN DIE IS WHERE HE/ DIES FOR MAN.

A metal plaque was later added to the north face of the plinth which repeats the names inscribed on the east face of the plinth.


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, 6 December 2016.

Sources

Websites
The renovation of Rockbourne War Memorial, accessed 4 Oct 2015 from http://stonesthemonumentalmasons.co.uk/id38.html
Rockbourne War Memorial, accessed 4 Oct 2015 from http://warmemorials.hampshire.org.uk/IndexesWW2/places/places_r/Rockbourne.htm
War Memorials Register, accessed 4 Oct 2015 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/48966
War Memorials Online, accessed 06/12/2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/168210

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