Caddington War Memorial

Summary

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

Reasons for Designation

Caddington War Memorial, which stands within the churchyard of All Saints’ Church, 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 sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a well-ornamented cross in the Celtic style;
* Group value: with the Grade II*-listed Church of All Saints.

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 Caddington as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Caddington War Memorial was built at a cost of £118 5s 0d and was unveiled on 21 December 1919. The memorial commemorates 21 local servicemen who fell in the First World War. It was created by Messrs Giddings and Son, who were also responsible for a number of other war memorials including that at Kempston (Grade II-listed). Two names were later added after the Second World War. In 2007 the memorial underwent structural repair with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.

Details

MATERIALS: Forest of Dean stone.

DESCRIPTION: Caddington War Memorial is situated in the churchyard of the Church of All Saints (Grade II*-listed). The memorial, almost 4m high, is in the form of a Celtic cross. The cross head is ornamented with interlace trefoils and rises from a square-sectioned shaft, that stands on a tapering plinth. The plinth stands on a two-stepped, square, base.

The principal dedicatory inscription, on the plinth, reads IN MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN/ THAN THIS.”/ ERECTED BY PARISHIONERS & FRIENDS. The names of the fallen of the First World War are incised into the remaining three sides of the plinth, ordered by year and date of death, with those of the Second World War beneath the inscription AND IN THE WAR 1939 – 1945 on the top step.

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 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Trust, Grants Showcase, accessed 18/07/2016 from www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=404
War Memorials Register, accessed 29/07/2016 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/7726
War Memorials Online, accessed 16 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/115586

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