Cossall War Memorial

Summary

First World War Memorial.

Reasons for Designation

Cossall War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Historic interest: it is 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;

* Architectural interest: it is a well-detailed war memorial in the form of a white marble obelisk;

* Group value: it has group value with the nearby Grade II* listed Church of St Catherine.

History

The concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the 19th century. Prior to then memorials were rare and were mainly dedicated to individual officers, or sometimes regiments. The first large-scale erection of war memorials dedicated to the ordinary soldier followed the Second Boer War of 1899-1902, which was the first major war following reforms to the British Army which led to regiments being recruited from local communities and with volunteer soldiers. However, it was the aftermath of the First World War that was the great age of memorial building, 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.

The war memorial in Cossall commemorates the fallen from the First and Second World Wars. The memorial was built by Holbrook and Co. of Eastwood, Nottinghamshire at a cost of £167. The money was raised by Cossall Memorial Committee and was paid in October 1920.

Details

First World War Memorial.

MATERIALS: white marble and granite.

PLAN: the memorial is located in the churchyard of the Grade II* listed Church of St Catherine.

EXTERIOR: the memorial is in the form of a white marble obelisk with a soldier’s peaked cap, a sword with sash, a wreath of laurel and a branch of oak leaves and acorns carved in relief on the front face. It is mounted on a plinth with two square stepped bases and a square two-tier platform of granite. The front face of the plinth is inscribed: TO/ THE GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF THE BRAVE LADS OF/ THIS PARISH WHO MADE/ THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-18/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE, followed by their names. The front face of the base is inscribed: ALSO IN GLORIOUS MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO FELL IN THE SECOND GREAT WAR/ 1939-1945, followed by their names.


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, 2 March 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 13 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/26868
War Memorials Online, accessed 2 March 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/134712

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