Great Braxted and Wickham Bishops War Memorial, Wickham Bishops, Essex

Entry Name: Great Braxted and Wickham Bishops War Memorial

Listing Date: 10 November 2017

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1450649

ID on this website: 101450649

Location: Beacon Hill, Maldon, Essex, CM8

County: Essex

District: Maldon

Civil Parish: Wickham Bishops

Built-Up Area: Wickham Bishops

Traditional County: Essex

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Essex

Tagged with: War memorial

Summary

Stone pillar with cross war memorial.

Description

Tall hexagonal stone pillar, topped by a orb and incised cross. This stands atop a three-step hexagonal plinth; the top two steps each bear inscriptions in black lettering. They read - left (upper): TO THE HONOUR OF / THE MEN OF GT. BRAXTED / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / FOR KING AND COUNTRY.; left (lower): (names); top (upper): TO THE MEMORY OF OUR SON / CHARLES OSCAR WILSON / LIEUT. 5TH. BATT. ESSEX REGT. / KILLED IN ACTION BEFORE GAZA. / PALESTINE ON THE EVENING OF / MARCH 26TH 1917. AGE 23.; top (lower): GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS / THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR / HIS FRIENDS ST JOHN CH15 V13; right, front (upper): TO THE HONOUR OF / THE MEN OF WICKHAM BISHOPS / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / FOR KING AND COUNTRY / (names); right, front (lower): (names); right, back (upper): TO THE / MEMORY OF THE MEN / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / IN THE WAR OF / 1939 - 1945; right, back (lower): (names).

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 between Great Braxted and Wickham Bishops as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of both these local communities. The memorial was unveiled on 26 March 1921 by Lt Col T Gibbons, DSO and commander of the 5th Battalion Essex Regiment. It was given to the parish by Mr and Mrs Wilson of Heath House, Little Braxted, the parents of Charles Oscar Wilson who is commemorated on the memorial. Further inscriptions were added at some point after the Second World War to honour the Fallen of that conflict. In 2001 the memorial was restored and the names re-engraved at a cost of £200, funded by the local council and the War Memorials Trust; a rededication ceremony was held on 26th March 2002.

Reasons for Listing

Great Braxted and Wickham Bishops 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 local community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: as a dignified and imposing stone war memorial with orb and cross.

External Links

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