Ore War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1921.

Reasons for Designation

Ore War Memorial, of 1921, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of the First World War on this local community, and the sacrifice it made in that conflict.

Group value:

* with the Grade II-listed Christ Church.

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.

The Ore War Memorial was unveiled by Colonel FG Langham CMG VD, on the afternoon of Sunday 6 February 1921 with an estimated 3,000 local people in attendance. Colonel Langham, who had commanded many local men serving in the Royal Sussex Regiment, said he hoped the memorial would, “keep alive the remembrance of a great and splendid effort and inspire those who come after us.” The Vicar of Christ Church, Rev WA Smith, who dedicated the memorial, asked observers to “remember with thanksgiving, and all honour before God and men, our lads who have laid down their lives in the service of their King and country."

The memorial was the result of the work of a small committee chaired by Councillor AE Kemp assisted by honorary secretary, Mr WF Whitfield. Funds for the memorial were raised by the local community who had lost roughly ten per cent of those who had served in the war.

Details

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1921. The war memorial is set in a small hedged enclosure on the south-west side of the Grade II-listed Christ Church, Ore overlooking Old London Road.

Materials: Portland stone

Description: the memorial consists of a simple Latin cross mounted onto a plinth which stands on a tapering rectangular shaft. The base is faced with stone and surrounded by a low painted ironwork rail. Below the cross on the front face is a white marble shield which bears the dedication IN/ GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE/ OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO DIED FOR US/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 - 1918.

Below the cross on the front face is a white marble tablet bearing the initials and surname of 143 men. Eight of these names were added later. The east face of the shaft has a marble plaque inscribed ERECTED/ BY PUBLIC/ SUBSCRIPTIONS/ AND DEDICATED/ FEBRUARY 6TH 1921. A similar plaque on the west face bears the inscription “THEIR/ NAME LIVETH FOR/ EVERMORE.”

Subsidiary Feature: the enclosure is surrounded by a stone wall on the two sides adjacent to a road. An iron gate and paved steps lead from the church precinct into the gravelled enclosure.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 5 September 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/156148/
War Memorials Register, accessed 5 September, 2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/17078

Other
"Ore War Memorial", Hastings and St Leonards Observer, Saturday 12 February, 1921, p2

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