Chobham War Memorial

Summary

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

Reasons for Designation

Chobham War Memorial, which stands on the High Street, 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 local community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a tall and well-proportioned memorial cross;
* Group value: with a number of Grade II-listed buildings, including Cannon Cottage and Laurel Cottage.

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. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Chobham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The memorial was a gift from Miss Catherine Mary Percival, who lived at Chobham House and was the daughter of Reverend Henry Percival of Durham. Miss Percival offered to fund the memorial providing it was situated in a public place and would be accessible at all times. She commissioned the London Necropolis Company to erect the memorial, which was unveiled on 28 August 1919. Although Miss Percival attended the unveiling ceremony, being then 91 years old the memorial was unveiled on her behalf by Mr Francis Fulford.

The memorial commemorates 61 men from the parish who fell in the First World War. A dedication for those who fell in the Second World War was added at a later date. The names of the fallen do not appear on the memorial but are recorded on a plaque within the church. In 2015 the memorial was conserved with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust; this included replacing the cross-head in matching Forest of Dean stone and repairs to the cross shaft.

The London Necropolis Company was also responsible for the war memorial crosses in Harlington (Bedfordshire) and Bisley (Surrey) and that at West End (Sunderland) (Grade II-listed).

Details

MATERIALS: Forest of Dean stone.

DESCRIPTION: Chobham War Memorial is situated on the corner of the High Street and Cannon Crescent, alongside the Chobham Cannon and surrounded by a number of Grade II-listed buildings. It consists of a stone cross, octagonal in section. The cross-head rises from a tapering octagonal shaft on a chamfered square plinth, which stands on a four-stepped, octagonal, base.

The front face of the plinth has an inscription to the First World War which reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND THE PRECIOUS MEMORY/ OF THOSE FROM AMONGST US/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR OF/ 1914 – 1918/ THEIR NAMES ARE RECORDED/ ON A TABLET IN THE CHURCH. Below this on the top step of the base is a later dedication to the fallen of the Second World War: ALSO OF THOSE WHO MADE/ THE SUPREME SACRIFICE IN THE/ WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945.


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, 15 March 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Trust, Grants Showcase, accessed 10/08/2016 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=1252
War Memorials Register, accessed 15/07/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/23784
War Memorials Online, accessed 15 March 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/159094

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