Brampton War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Brampton War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard, 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;

* the Roll of Honour is unusual as it includes the name of a female casualty, Rosamund Curteis VAD, who died 3 days after the Armistice.

Architectural interest:

* a simple yet poignant war memorial cross in marble.

Group value:

* with the Church of St Peter (Grade I).

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 Brampton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by seven men and one woman, Rosamund Curteis, who lost their lives in the First World War. Nurse Curteis, who died on 14 November 1918 whilst working at Connaught Hospital, served in the Voluntary Aid Detachment and is buried at Aldershot Military Cemetery.

The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 30 October 1921 by the Archdeacon. The names of three local servicemen who died during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.

Details

The memorial stands in a prominent position beside the main entrance to the churchyard to the south-east of the Church of St Peter (Grade I). It comprises a plain Latin cross, octagonal in section, raised on a two-stage octagonal plinth and three-stepped square base. It is carved from white Sicilian marble.

The main inscription in leaded lettering on the front face of the plinth reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN PROUD AND/ GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF/ BRAMPTON/ WHO LOST THEIR LIVES/ IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914–1919. The names of the First World War casualties are on the two faces of the plinth adjacent to the main inscription, with four names on each face.

A further inscription on the north-west face of the plinth reads 1939–1945/ (3 NAMES). On the front face of the middle base step a further inscription reads “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT HE LAY DOWN/ HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS”.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 10 July 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/4950
War Memorials Online, accessed 10 July 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/230642/
Commonwealth War Graves Commission - casualty records, accessed 9 November 2017 from https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/359246/curteis,-rosamund/
Beccles Museum, accessed 9 November 2017 from http://becclesmuseumdata.co.uk/Pictures03/Memorial_Brampton.php

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