Old Malden War Memorial

Summary

War memorial in the form of a wooden aedicule, with a bronze crucifix and plaques affixed.

Reasons for Designation

Old Malden War Memorial 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 sacrifices they made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as an attractive and unusual war memorial in the form of a wooden aedicule;
* Group value: with the Grade II-listed St John the Baptist Church and nearby Grade II-listed Manor House.

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 St John the Baptists's Church in Old Malden as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community. The memorial was unveiled in 1923. Additional plaques were added after the Second World War to honour the Fallen of that conflict.

On 5th September 2011 thieves toppled the memorial whilst in the process of stripping its lead. Local residents subsequently raised over £3,000 to have the memorial repaired, with work being completed by November 2011 by local carpenter Stuart Allen in time for the community's annual Remembrance Sunday events.

Details

A tall and attractive wooden aedicule, displaying both Classical and Gothic influences. The top is a Classical pediment, the tympanum bearing a carving of a crown within a laurel wreath, with symbols for the Greek letters Alpha and Omega on either side. Below this is a recessed shrine: the back panel bears a bronze crucifix with Christ sculpture, below which is a plaque reading: GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS. / BRETHREN PRAY FOR US. The left and right side panels bear bronze plaques with the names of the Fallen, arranged by year and date. The platform of the shrine holds two diamond-shaped flower-pots, and the front of its bottom edge bears a plaque reading: + 1939 - 1945 WAR AND ALL WARS SINCE +. This rests on a Gothic style base with Corinthian pillars bearing the inscription in a square "1914 / 1918". The whole rests on a stone platform.


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, 21 March 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 1st February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/18143
Daily Mail - 'Sacred memories sold as scrap', accessed 1st February 2017 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2055899/Sacred-memories-sold-scrap-Clampdown-dealers-encourage-pillage-war-memorials-demand-police.html
Surrey Comet - 'Honour the fallen: Carpenter working round the clock to repair vandalised war memorial', accessed 1st February from http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/9346200.display/
Surrey Comet - Hundreds pay tribute around restored Old Malden war memorial, accessed 1st February 2017 from http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/9362642.Hundreds_pay_tribute_around_restored_war_memorial/
The Parish Church of St John the Baptist Old Malden, Surrey, accessed 1st February 2017 from http://maldensandcoombeheritagesociety.weebly.com/the-parish-church-of-st-john-the-baptist-old-malden-surrey.html
War Memorials Online, accessed 21 March 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/105834

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