Summary
First and Second World War memorial. Erected around 1920 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.
Description
First World War memorial, erected around 1920.
MATERIALS: Carved from grey granite
DESCRIPTION: Wiggenhall St Germans War Memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Germans, Lynn Road, Wiggenhall St Germans, Norfolk. It is prominently situated off the churchyard path. It comprises a polished granite plain cross on a tall shaft, tapering plinth with moulded cap, and two-stepped base. The whole within a small square, kerbed enclosure. The plinth bears the First World War inscriptions and the upper tier of the base carries the Second World War inscription.
The inscription is incised and reads TO THE MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN / (NAMES) / GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS / THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS / FRIENDS / ST JOHN IV.13 // 1939 – 1945 / (NAMES). The south face of the plinth is inscribed THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1919 //.
History
The aftermath of the First World War saw an unprecedented wave of public commemoration with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 Wiggenhall St Germans, as permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was presumably erected around 1920. The memorial commemorates 21 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and four men who fell in the Second World War.
Reasons for Listing
Wiggenhall St Germans War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Germans, Wiggenhall St Germans, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a simple, but well executed Latin cross in granite.
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.
Group value:
* with the Grade I-listed Church of St Germans.
External Links
External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.
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