Northwood War Memorial

Summary

War memorial in the form of a cross on a plinth and platform.

Reasons for Designation

Northwood 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 imposing war memorial in a prominent location.

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 in Northwood as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community. The war memorial project was overseen by the Northwood War Memorial Committee; who decided to erect a cottage hospital (now in use as an ambulance station) and a memorial cross. The latter was designed by local man FD Bedford and sculpted by W Aumonier Jnr., a noted maker of war memorials. It was unveiled on 13 February 1921 in a ceremony attended by Brigadier General Spencer V P Westob, DSO, MC, various local clergy and dignitaries and an estimated crowd of 4,000 - 5,000 local people. The memorial was due to be dedicated by Bishop Taylor-Smith, Chaplain General to the Forces and Northwood resident, but as he was in Egypt at the time it was dedicated instead by Reverend D F Carey, CF, DSO. The memorial cost £626 13s 0d, which was raised largely from donations. The site on which the memorial sits was owned by Benskin's Brewery of Watford - they granted the site free of charge. The Binyon poem inscription was added after the Second World War.

Details

Cross atop a tall pillar, resting on a base. This sits on a square plinth, each face of which bears a slate plaque with gold lettering; the front face reads: TO NORTHWOOD MEN WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 - 1918 / AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR / 1939 - 1945 / AND IN SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY / THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD, / AS WE THAT ARE LEFT GROW OLD: / AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM, / NOT THE YEARS CONDEMN. / AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN / AND IN THE MORNING / WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM. / LAURENCE BINYON. The other three faces bear the names of the Fallen, in two columns per plaque. The whole rests on a four-step base of mixed stone and brick.


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

Books and journals
Lloyd, Flan, Potkin, Helen, Thackara, Davina, Public Sculpture of Outer South and West London, (2011), 88-9

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 16th February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/2176
War Memorials Online, accessed 21 March 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/207383

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