Halesowen War Memorial

Summary

A churchyard memorial cross of September 1921 to the fallen from both World Wars, designed by Sir Harold Brakspear.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial, Halesowen, Dudley 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 made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial, which takes the form of a sandstone cross;
* Group interest: the cross forms a group with the Church of St John the Baptist, Halesowen (Grade I) and Nos 30 and 32 High Street (both Grade II) and Ivy House (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. One such memorial was raised at Halesowen. The monument was designed by Sir Harold Brakspear FSR ARIBA and built by Collins and Godfrey of Tewkesbury. It was completed by 1921 and unveiled by Major Reddie and dedicated by Revd HCE Colville in a joint ceremony on 15 September that year. After the Second World War, the original stone panels were replaced by bronze plaques. A rededication ceremony on 24 April 1954 was led by the Archdeacon of Dudley and the unveiling was performed by the Mayor of Halesowen.

Details

A churchyard memorial cross to the fallen from both World Wars, unveiled in September 1921 and designed by Sir Harold Brakspear.

MATERIALS & PLAN: red sandstone ashlar, set with bronze plaques. The monument takes the form of a freestanding cross with octagonal shaft which has a base and stepped plinth. The platform on which it stands is bounded by a low, octagonal wall. This wall rises in height to the south, south-eastern and eastern sides of the octagon and its panels are set with rectangular bronze plaques which record the names of the fallen.
The principal front faces north west. The monument is approached by a flight of five steps at right which have low walling to either side with a chamfered top. This continues around the octagonal platform, at the centre of which is the memorial cross, which has a plinth of two steps, each topped by a low wrought iron railing which appear to be later additions or replacements. The cross has a moulded base and the octagonal shaft rises to a decorative band below the large cross, which has crockets to the angles. The south-east side of the cross is similar. The angled walling to the south east which is set with plaques, rises higher at the centre and has a band of carved foliage to its top, below which is a plaque which reads: ‘TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN EVER LOVING MEMORY OF THOSE BRAVE / MEN OF HALESOWEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY / IN THE GREAT WAR OF 1914-1919 AND IN THE WORLD WAR OF 1939-1945 / FOR THE CAUSE OF JUSTICE AND FREEDOM’. The rear of the walled enclosure is plain ashlar.


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, 18 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 18 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/17460
War Memorials Online, accessed 18 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/232967

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