Stoke Ash War Memorial

Summary

A First World War memorial erected in 1921.

Reasons for Designation

Stoke Ash 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 the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
*as a specific commemoration of the loss of the only soldier from the Parish in World War One.

Architectural interest:
* for its simple but neat design.

Group value:
*for group value with the Grade II* Church of All Saints.

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 750,000 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 Stoke Ash, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the single member of the local community who lost their life in the First World War.

The war memorial at Stoke Ash commemorates the one parishioner who did not return of the 44 who served in the First World War. Joseph Archie Moss was a Private in the 1/7 Battalion of the Kings (Liverpool Regiment). He was killed on 31st July 1917 and is buried at Hooge Crater Cemetery near Ypres, Belgium. He was awarded the Military Medal.

Private Moss was commemorated with the erection of a war memorial in the churchyard at All Saints, Stoke Ash (listed Grade II*) in 1921. His is the only name inscribed. He is also commemorated in the church with the erection of a simple wooden reredos.

In 2000 the memorial was conserved with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.

Details

A First World War memorial erected in 1921.

The memorial consists of a stone, flat-topped obelisk rising from a square plinth on a single stepped base. The top of the plinth has gabled ends on each side and the inscription is located on the east face.

The inscription reads TO THE / GLORY OF GOD / AND IN / PROUD AND GRATEFUL / MEMORY OF / PTE. JOSEPH ARCHIE / MOSS. M.M., / WHO FELL IN THE / GREAT WAR. (1917) / ERECTED BY THE PARISHIONERS.

Sources

Websites
Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register – Pte J A Moss WW1, accessed 10/04/2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/4836
War Memorials Trust – Showcase Result – Stoke Ash Pte JA Moss, accessed 10/04/2018 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=380
War Memorials Online – Pte JA Moss WW1, accessed 10/04/2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/117862
Commonwealth War Graves Commission – Private Moss, J, accessed 10/04/2018 from https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/458895/moss,-/#&gid=null&pid=2
Gravestone Photographic Resource – War Memorial, Stoke Ash, Suffolk, England, accessed 10/04/2018 from https://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/cemetery.php?cemetery=3833
Geograph – War Memorial in Stoke Ash Church, accessed 10/04/2018 from http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4391137
Suffolk Churches – All Saints, Stoke Ash, accessed 10/04/2018 from http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/stokeash.html

Other
Ordnance Survey, Suffolk, 3rd edition (1926) (1:2500)

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