Eaton War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 1 May 1921, with Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Eaton war memorial, which is situated on Newmarket Road, 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 has made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* a simple yet dignified Latin cross memorial influenced by Blomfield’s Cross of Sacrifice.

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 Eaton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The memorial follows the style of Sir Reginald Blomfield’s Cross of Sacrifice designed for the Imperial (now Commonwealth) War Graves Commission; it was sculpted by Mr E W D Potter of Chapelfield Road under the direction of architect, Mr E C Boardman. It was unveiled on 1 May 1921 by the Lord Mayor of Norwich, Lieutenant Colonel Granville Duff, and dedicated by Bishop N T Hamlyn, parish vicar. The memorial commemorates the 107 local servicemen who died in the First World War.

Following the Second World War, the memorial was re-dedicated on 07 November 1948 with the 33 names of those who died in the conflict added to the memorial. One of those remembered is Diana Morgan who was a member of the Women’s Transport Service (FANY) and she died on 19 October 1940, aged 23.

Details

First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions.

MATERIALS: Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: Eaton war memorial is located to the southern side of Newmarket Road. It stands within a semicircular enclosure bounded by hedges but open at the northern side to allow access to the memorial.

It takes the form of a Blomfield Cross of Sacrifice; a tall Latin cross with an inverted bronze sword to the front (north) face. The cross has an octagonal shaft with moulded foot, which rises from an octagonal plinth upon a two-stepped octagonal base. The whole stands on a two-stepped octagonal platform. The inscriptions and names are carried on the plinth and base in incised lettering.

The plinth is of three tiers with a stepped back upper section, a taller central section and moulded foot.

INSCRIPTION: the principal inscription is to the upper section and reads in an anticlockwise direction around the plinth starting from the south-east face: TO THE GLORY OF/ GOD AND IN GRATEFUL/ MEMORY OF/ THOSE BELONGING/ TO THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR./ 1914-1918. The 107 names of those who died are recorded below to the eight faces of the central section of the plinth. A further inscription wraps round the foot of the plinth, also in an anticlockwise direction, starting at the north-east face, “MAKE THEM TO/ BE NUMBERED/ WITH THY SAINTS/ IN GLORY/ EVERLASTING.”

The upper-step of the base carries the Second World War dedication with the dates 1939 – 1945 incised to the north face. The 33 names of those who died are recorded on either side of the dates on four faces of the base.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Registry, accessed 14 December 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/54343
War Memorials Online, accessed 14 December 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/132705/

Other
Ray, D W, Eaton War Memorial Norwich. A Short History, (2011)

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