Banham War Memorial

Summary

First and Second World War memorial. Erected around 1920 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.

Reasons for Designation

Banham War Memorial, which is situated on The Green near to St Mary’s Church, 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 sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as a simple but well-executed Portland stone cross of sacrifice;
* Group Value: with the Grade I listed Church of St Mary the Virgin and the Grade II listed Priory Cottage, Norfolk House, Old Guildhall, Alexandra House and Home Farm.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw an unprecedented wave of public commemoration with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country, 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 on Church Green (now The Green), Banham, as permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The monument was unveiled on 12 December 1920 by the Earl of Albemarle, in a ceremony presided over by the Venerable Archdeacon MacDermott.

In addition to the 40 local servicemen who fell in the First World War, the memorial commemorates eight men who fell in the Second World War. Recent plaques have been added to the faces of the plinth, over the original inscriptions. Old photographs show that the inscriptions were originally incised directly into the plinth.

Details

First and Second World War memorial. Erected around 1920 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.

MATERIALS: carved in Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: Banham war memorial is located on the Green near to St Mary’s Church, Banham, Norfolk. It is prominently situated in an open grassed area in the heart of the village. It comprises a Latin head cross of sacrifice with a downturned bronze sword to the face (similar to Sir Reginald Blomefield’s Cross of Sacrifice), on an octagonal shaft with moulded foot. The cross sits on an octagonal plinth atop a three-stepped octagonal base. Plaques bearing the inscription and Roll of Honour have been added recently.

INSCRIPTION: the plinth is inscribed: IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO / FOUGHT IN A NOBLE CAUSE / THEY DIED THAT ENGLAND / MIGHT LIVE / A.D. 1914 – 1919 // (NAMES) // 1939 – 1945 / (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, 22 November 2017.

Sources

Books and journals
Banham. War Memorials Dedicated in Diss Express, Vol. 2929, (17 December 1920), 5

Websites
Historic photographs of the memorial, accessed 4 July 2017 from http://www.francisfrith.com/uk/banham/banham-the-green-c1965_b494012
Roll of Honour database, accessed 4 July 2017 from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/Banham.html
Photographs of the memorial, accessed 4 July 2017 from http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3062780
Traces of War database, accessed 4 July 2017 from https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/17114/War-Memorial-Banham.htm
War Memorials Online, accessed 22 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/194532

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