Summary

War memorial, unveiled 1929, in the form of a small pillar with attached plaques.

Description

Short stone pillar with a slightly pyramidal top, standing on a square platform. The front of the memorial bears a brass plaque of the King's Royal Rifle Corps regimental badge, which is in the form of a Maltese cross with crown, with the various campaigns of the Corps listed on the arms. The back of the memorial bears a plaque with the inscription: TO THE MEMORY OF ALL RANKS / OF THE RESERVE BATTALIONS OF / THE KINGS ROYAL RIFLE CORPS / WHO TRAINED HERE AND / AFTERWARD GAVE THEIR LIVES / FOR KING AND COUNTRY / 1916 - 1918.

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, 20 July 2017.

History

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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised on Wimbledon Common in honour of the King's Royal Rifle Corps; the Corps used the Common as a training ground prior to service on the Eastern Front. The memorial was unveiled in 1929.

In 2002 it was refurbished and cleaned with the aid of a grant from the War Memorials Trust.

Reasons for Listing

Wimbledon (King's Royal Rifle Corps) 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 the King's Royal Rifles Corps, and the sacrifices they made in the First World War;
* Design: as a modest but dignified war memorial.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q65680117

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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