Summary

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

Description

The memorial is located to the east of the Church of the Holy Trinity (Grade II*-listed), to the north of the path and facing south-east towards the road. It is made of Cornish Granite and takes the form of a broken column, symbolizing lives cut short. The memorial stands on a concrete platform and consists of a square two-stepped base, the upper step of which is rough-hewn, surmounted by a square tapering plinth from which the circular column rises.

The plinth is inscribed on three sides in black lettering. On the south-east face the inscription reads THIS MEMORIAL/ TO/ THE BILSBY MEN/THAT FELL IN THE WAR OF 1914-18/ WAS ERECTED/ BY THEIR FELLOW PARISHIONERS/ 1919./ WITH GRATITUDE THAT CANNOT MATCH THE FAME/ OF THESE OUR HEROES READ EACH HONOURED NAME/ HELPED BY THE SKILL AND VALOUR OF THE SLAIN/ ’TIS OURS TO SEE THEY DID NOT DIE IN VAIN.

On the south-west face, beneath the seven names of those who died in the First World War is inscribed RIP. On the north-east face is one additional name, added after the Second World War, with the inscription 1939-1945/ MAKE THEM TO BE NUMBERED/ WITH THY SAINTS.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 23 January 2017.

History

Bilsby War Memorial was dedicated on 26 October 1919, commemorating six local servicemen and one nurse who died during the First World War. It was the work of local memorial mason George Frederick Skinner of Alford, and cost £88. It was unveiled by Mr William Allis JP, a local farmer, following a special service at the church. A further name was added to the memorial following the Second World War, bringing the total names inscribed on the memorial to eight.

Reasons for Listing

Bilsby War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of the Holy Trinity, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a well-proportioned memorial in the form of a broken column;
* Group value: with the Church of the Holy Trinity (Grade II*) and the scheduled and Grade II-listed Churchyard Cross.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26678099

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
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  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
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  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas