Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
The dark freestone memorial stands on the top of the churchyard wall, to the west of the Church of St Michael (Grade I-listed) and immediately to the right of the churchyard gate. In the manner of a shrine, it takes the form of a memorial tablet fixed onto a raised panel with a pedimented top and two flanking, curved, braces on the sides, defining the shelf to the front (for the placement of floral tributes). The pediment includes a wreath, carved in relief, either side of which are the dates 1914 and 1919.
The inscription reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN/ FROM THIS PARISH WHO/ FELL IN THE TWO GREAT WARS./ 1914 – 1918/ (8 NAMES)/ MISSING/ (1 NAME)/ 1939 – 1945/ (4 NAMES)/ MAY THEY REST IN PEACE. The names are recorded with regiment or Service.
This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 22 November 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 which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Musbury as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial cost £51 13s 4d, covered by public subscription of more than £60. It was unveiled and dedicated on 10 April 1921, commemorating eight soldiers killed, and one missing, during the conflict.
Following the Second World War the memorial’s inscription was renewed with a new tablet, continuing the First World War dedication with the details of four men who died between 1939 and 1945: two soldiers and two airmen.
Reasons for Listing
Musbury War Memorial, which stands outside the Church of St Michael, 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 made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* A simple yet poignant and well-proportioned war memorial in the Classical style.
Group value:
* With the Church of St Michael (Grade I) and Musbury Farm House (Grade II).
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 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)