Kelvedon Hatch War Memorial

Summary

War memorial erected around 1920 with later additions following the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Kelvedon Hatch War Memorial, at the junction of Ongar Road and School Road, erected around 1920 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.

Architectural interest:

* as a simple but well-executed tapered obelisk;

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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Kelvedon Hatch as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Kelvedon Hatch War Memorial is understood to have been erected around 1920 to commemorate 6 local men who died during the First World War with later additions to commemorate a further 7 who died during the Second World War.

Details

First World War memorial erected around 1920 with later additions following the Second World War.

MATERIALS: stone

DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a square base surmounted by a square pedestal, surmounted by a tapered obelisk. Carved into the front of the obelisk is a crossed shaped recess with a painted black cross within.

The memorial stands in a prominent position at the junction of Ongar Rd and School Rd, approached by paving from both sides. The principal dedicatory inscription on the front face of the obelisk reads GREAT WAR/1914-18/ IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN OF THIS PARISH/LIEUT COL SIDNEY C MULLOCK/ESSEX RECT/LIEUT JOHN ILTID ROYDS/ARTISTS RIFLES/PRIVATE R HUNT/ A.S.C.M.Y/PRIVATE J KING/13TH BTN ESSEX REGT PRIVATE B COWLING/6TH BTN LEICESTER REGT/PRIVATE S METSON/ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS

On the front face of the plinth the dedicatory inscription reads: IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE FALLEN/OF THIS PARISH IN WORLD WAR II 1939-1945/LANCE SERGEANT HARRY REGINALD BANNARD. R.A./PRIVATE ALLAN ROBERT ELLIS. R.C.S./ SQUADRON LEADER ROBERT LIONEL JOHN FITCH D.F.C. R.A./ FLYING OFFICER LEWIS KENNETH KERSHAW. R.A.F./ LIEUTENANT ERIC STANLEY KERSHAW R.A.C./PRIVATE ARTHUR WILLIAM SAYE ESSEX REGT.


This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 27 February 2018.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 27 February 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/22106
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 February 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/172227

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