Kingston Hill War Memorial

Summary

War memorial in the form of a tall Portland stone cross set on a plinth.

Reasons for Designation

Kingston Hill 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 this local community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as an attractive and imposing Portland stone cross war memorial;
* Group value: with the Grade II-listed St Paul's Church, Vicarage, and Garden Wall and Gate Piers.

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 the country. 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 St Paul's Church, Kingston Hill as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was constructed by Messrs Keates and Co of Liverpool Road, Norbiton and unveiled by one Colonel Clay in a ceremony held on 22 June 1922. Also in attendance were the Vicar of St Paul's Rev ES Shuttleworth, Canon Hasloch Potter, the Bishop of Kingston the Right Rev PM Herbert, the Mayor of Kingston William Evelyn St Lawrence Finny and his wife, the Deputy Mayor Alderman G Huckle, the Town Clerk Mr HA Winser, various other local councillors and dignitaries, and a large crowd of local residents.

An additional inscription was added at some point after the Second World War.

Details

Portland stone cross atop a tall shaft, the bottom of which is decorated with carvings of shields representing the Home Nations. This splays outwards onto a plinth with buttresses to each corner, the front face of which bears the (partially eroded) inscription: "May the Peace of God / rest upon the Men / & Women of this Parish and Church / who gave their lives / for their country / AD 1914 - 1918 / 1939 - 1945 / They counted not their / lives dear unto themselves." The other three faces bear the names of the Fallen. The plinth's buttresses each bear carvings of various regimental symbols and insignia; the plinth stands on an octagonal platform, which also carries various flower pots dedicated to individual soldiers who fell in the Second World War.


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, 20 July 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 14 March 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/63263
War Memorials Online, accessed 20 July 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/205166

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