Donhead St Mary War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, dedicated 1919, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Donhead St Mary War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of St John, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: a well executed limestone cross;
* Group value: with the nearby Grade II-listed church of St John.

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 raised at Donhead St Mary as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War.

As reported in The Salisbury and Winchester Journal and General Advertiser of 2 October 1920, the memorial was dedicated by the Archdeacon of Sarum on 25 September 1919.

A single CWGC headstone lies within the cemetery.

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

Details

The war memorial stands in a grassed area on the southern side of the churchyard of Donhead St Mary’s Grade II-listed church of St John.

The memorial comprises a three-stepped square base surmounted by a square plinth, tapering shaft and celtic cross of limestone.

A circular wreath outlined in lead, on the south-facing side of the plinth carries the following in lead lettering:

LEST WE FORGET/ TO THE MEMORY OF/ THOSE IN THIS PLACE WHO/ DIES FOR US IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ THEIR BODIES ARE BURIES IN PEACE/ BUT THEIR NAMES LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE. Below this carries: 1939 – 1945/ (names). The names who fell are recorded on the remaining three sides.


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, 16 December 2016.

Sources

Websites
The donhead digest, accessed 01/03/16 from http://thedonheads.org.uk/donhead_digest/digest-augustseptember-2014/we-should-remember-them.html
War Memorials Register, accessed 01/03/16 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/68912
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed 01/03/2016 from http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/45440/Charlton%20Cemetery,%20Donhead%20St.%20Mary
War Memorials Online, accessed 16/12/2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/231014

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