Summary

First World War memorial, 1919, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

The c 4m high memorial stands in the north-west corner of the churchyard of the Church of St John the Baptist (Grade II-listed). The memorial has a two-stepped square base surmounted by a tall, broad Portland stone pillar and capstone with cornicing topped by a four-windowed lantern. Each face of the pillar is ornamented with a cross carved in low relief, with the inscriptions below.

The principal dedicatory inscription on the front face reads THIS MEMORIAL IS ERECTED/ IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE/ MEN OF THIS VILLAGE WHO/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918/ AND THE WORLD WAR 1939 - 1945/ ENDURED HARDNESS, FACED/ DANGER, AND FINALLY PASSED/ OUT OF THE SIGHT OF MEN BY/ THE PATH OF DUTY AND SELF/ SACRIFICE, GIVING UP THEIR/ OWN LIVES THAT OTHERS/ MIGHT LIVE IN FREEDOM. The other three faces carry the names of those who fell, grouped by the year in which they died.

History

Hindon War Memorial was unveiled on 17 October 1919, with Hugh Morrison MP in attendance, at its original location in the village centre at the junction of High Street and the B3089. The memorial cost £239 1s 9d. It commemorates 19 local servicemen who died during the First World War, or later as a result of wounds. At that time the memorial was surmounted by a lantern and included a flower shelf below the dedicatory inscription. In 1943 an American Army tank knocked into the memorial, causing the pillar to topple and the lantern to break.

The remains of the memorial were relocated to the village church as a temporary measure and following a public meeting on 14 August 1945 it was determined that the memorial should be re-erected within the churchyard. The memorial was rebuilt, using the original stone, beside the west door of the church. However, the lantern was not reconstructed because this element was too badly damaged. In addition, the flower shelf was removed to make space for the commemoration of those three who fell in the Second World War.

In 2010 the memorial was cleaned and the lettering re-cut and in January 2011 War Memorials Trust awarded a grant for the replacement of the lantern.

Reasons for Listing

Hindon War Memorial, located in the north-west corner of the churchyard of the Church of St John the Baptist, 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;
* Architectural interest: a well-executed Portland stone pillar and lantern;
* Group value: with the Grade II-listed Church of St John the Baptist and numerous surrounding buildings also listed at Grade II.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26678072

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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