Summary
A First World War memorial, dedicated in 1920, commemorating the 20 men from the parish of Bremhill, Wiltshire, who died whilst serving their country in the First World War.
Reasons for Designation
Bremhill War Memorial in Wiltshire, dedicated in 1920, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of the First World War on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in that conflict;
* Architectural interest: as an accomplished and well-realised stone war memorial, which takes the form of a Maltese cross with a tall octagonal shaft;
* Group value: with the Church of St Martin, listed Grade I and the large number of other listed monuments within the churchyard.
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 which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Bremhill 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 dedicated during a ceremony held in November 1920, and commemorates the 20 men of the parish of Bremhill (including East Tytherton, Foxham & Spirthill), who died whilst serving their country in the First World War.
Details
A memorial, dedicated in 1920, commemorating the 20 men from the parish of Bremhill, Wiltshire, who died whilst serving their country in the First World War.
Constructed in stone, it comprises a Maltese Cross with a tall, octagonal shaft set on a square plinth, with a two stepped hexagonal base. The four faces of the plinth are inscribed, reading:
'SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO / WENT FROM THIS PARISH TO SERVE THEIR / KING & COUNTRY & WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / IN DEFENCE OF RIGHT, JUSTICE AND LIBERTY/ THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918 / [NAMES]'.
