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Latitude: 51.1115 / 51°6'41"N
Longitude: -2.6553 / 2°39'18"W
OS Eastings: 354225
OS Northings: 134895
OS Grid: ST542348
Mapcode National: GBR MN.B73M
Mapcode Global: VH8BB.XBM8
Plus Code: 9C3V486V+JV
Entry Name: Memorial Shell Casing, Baltonsborough
Listing Date: 23 September 2014
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1421811
ID on this website: 101421811
Location: Baltonsborough, Somerset, BA6
County: Somerset
District: Mendip
Civil Parish: Baltonsborough
Built-Up Area: Baltonsborough
Traditional County: Somerset
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Somerset
Tagged with: Memorial
Memorial in the form of a shell casing. Unveiled in 1922 and donated by the National War Saving Committee.
Memorial in the form of a shell casing. Unveiled in 1922 and donated by the National War Saving Committee.
DESCRIPTION: it comprises a 15in BL siege howitzer shell casing which stands on a millstone with a circular concrete base (originally a brick base) beneath. The shell carries two plaques. The one to the front is bronze and is inscribed: PRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL WAR SAVINGS COMMITTEE TO THE PEOPLE OF BALTONSBOROUGH TO COMMEMORATE THEIR NOTABLE CONTRIBUTION DURING GUN WEEK, 1918. The second is a brass plaque which carries the following inscription: ROLL OF HONOUR/ 1914 - 1918/ IN HONOURED REMEMBRANCE/ OF THE MEN OF/ BALTONSBOROUGH/ WHO FOUGHT IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ ROYAL NAVY/ (NAMES)/ ARMY/ (NAMES AND RANK). The names of the fallen are marked with a cross.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: in front of the memorial is a late C20 post and chain link and fence and mid-C20 metal gates which are excluded from the listing.
This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 14 December 2016.
During the First World War the Government needed to both reduce borrowing and to raise funds for the war effort. Consequently, in 1916 the National War Savings Committee was established to encourage communities to raise money to help the war effort. From late 1917 until the end of the conflict it was responsible for a series of local initiatives, such as War Weapons Week and Tank Week, in various parts of the country where people were encouraged to raise a certain amount of money in a single week for arms and munitions. These were followed in November 1918 by Feed the Guns Week. The second memorial at Baltonsborough takes the from of an engraved shell casing which was given to the village by the National War Saving Committee in recognition of its contribution in raising money during Gun Week. A Roll of Honour plaque to commemorate the men of the village who served during the Great War was added. The shell casing which was mounted on a millstone was unveiled in 1922 at the same time as the adjacent war memorial cross.
The memorial shell casing is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Design: it is a highly unusual and broodingly eloquent commemorative monument;
* Historic interest: as a poignant witness to the tragic impact of a world events on this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Group value: it has a strong spatial and historic relationship with the adjacent war memorial cross.
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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