Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled November 1920, with Second World War additions.
Description
First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions.
DESCRIPTION: Great Massingham war memorial is located to the west of the Church of St Mary (Grade I-listed), within the churchyard and adjacent to the main path leading to the church.
It is of Portland stone and takes the form of a cross bottonée; a Greek cross with each arm terminating in a trefoil. This surmounts an octagonal shaft with a molded collar in the shape of a crown with trefoil finials. The shaft has a square base and rises from a square plinth with a molded, tiered cap and chamfered foot, atop a three-stepped base. The whole stands on a tapering, stone block.
The faces of the plinth carry the inscription and names, which are in incised lettering, painted black. The principal inscription is to the west face and reads: THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918/ LET US REMEMBER IN LOVE AND/ GRATITUDE THESE OUR BROTHERS/ WHO DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE/ AND LET US SEEK TO WALK WORTHY/ OF THEIR SACRIFICE. The 21 names of those who died are listed on the north and south faces, with the east face carrying the inscription "IF YE SUFFER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS/ SAKE HAPPY ARE YE" 1 ST PETER III 14
To the south face of the base of the shaft are the dates of the Second World War 1939 – 1945 with the name of the single casualty inscribed above.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: The memorial is enclosed by eight decorative metal posts of barley twist design with finials, joined by chains. All are painted black.
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 which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Great Massingham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Like many Norfolk war memorials, the example at Great Massingham was placed within the parish churchyard. The memorial was unveiled in November 1920 by Colonel McNeil and commemorates 21 local servicemen who fell in the First World War.
Following the Second World War, the dates of that conflict and the name of the single casualty from the parish was added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Great Massingham war memorial, which is situated in St Mary’s churchyard, 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:
* An elegant cross bottonée war memorial with finely carved details;
Group value:
* With the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary.
External Links
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
London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)