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Latitude: 51.4025 / 51°24'8"N
Longitude: -0.2563 / 0°15'22"W
OS Eastings: 521390
OS Northings: 168491
OS Grid: TQ213684
Mapcode National: GBR 9T.D29
Mapcode Global: VHGRH.H0WP
Plus Code: 9C3XCP2V+XF
Entry Name: New Malden War Memorial
Listing Date: 15 March 2017
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1444427
ID on this website: 101444427
Location: New Malden, Kingston upon Thames, London, KT3
County: London
District: Kingston upon Thames
Electoral Ward/Division: Beverley
Parish: Non Civil Parish
Built-Up Area: Kingston upon Thames
Traditional County: Surrey
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Greater London
Church of England Parish: New Malden and Coombe Christ Church and St John
Church of England Diocese: Southwark
Tagged with: War memorial
First World War memorial with later additions for the Second World War.
New Malden War Memorial is situated on the pavement adjacent to the High Street, New Malden.
The memorial comprises a tall, three-tiered cenotaph on a plinth and two-stepped base. The whole is surrounded by a chain supported by short posts. The front face of the upper tier of the cenotaph bears a laurel wreath carved in relief and it is topped with anti-pigeon spikes. The middle tier bears a bronze sword. The lower tier bears the inscription IN / GRATEFUL MEMORY OF / THOSE WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES / FOR KING AND COUNTRY / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 - 1918. Resting on the join between the lower tier and the plinth is a plaque which reads AND THE / 1939 - 1945 WAR. The front face of the plinth bears a plaque which reads THIS PLAQUE IS TO COMMEMORATE THE CENTENARY OF / THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919 / AND / IN MEMORY OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES / INCLUDING POLICE FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY / SINCE THE END OF BOTH WARS / LAID BY THE MALDEN AND COOMBE BRANCH OF THE / ROYAL BRITISH LEGION / WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
The right and left faces of the cenotaph are inscribed with the names of the Fallen; on the lower tier these have been overlaid with bronze plaques bearing a fuller list of names. The right-face plaque commemorates Armed Forces casualties of the Second World War, there being also a smaller, newer plaque commemorating Lieutenant HOB Firman, VC. The left-face plaque honours the Fallen of the First World War, and the rear-face plaque Civilian casualties of the Second World War. The rear-face of the plinth bears a plaque reading DAMAGE TO THIS MEMORIAL / WAS CAUSED BY A GERMAN BOMB / WHICH FELL TWENTY FEET AWAY / ON 16TH. OCTOBER 1940.
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, 16 March 2017.
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.
One such memorial was raised in New Malden as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled in a ceremony held on 8 November 1924 and attended by Private F Jackson, a local soldier who had been blinded in the war. The memorial was slightly damaged when a bomb fell nearby on 16 October 1940. It was re-dedicated to honour the Fallen of the Second World War in 1952, and then again on 3 May 1998 in a ceremony attended by Councillor Chrissie Hitchcock and Group Captain Peter Whalley.
New Malden War Memorial 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;
* Design: as an attractive and imposing cenotaph war memorial.
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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