Summary
A First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
MATERIALS: granite pedestal with bronze sculpture and plaques.
DESCRIPTION: Chertsey War Memorial is located on Windsor Street, outside the Church of St Peter (Listed at Grade II*, National Heritage List for England reference 1029167).
It consists of a bronze sculpture of a serviceman in uniform holding his rifle in his left hand and his helmet held aloft in his right hand. The sculpture stands on a granite pedestal with bronze plaques on each face. Underneath the pedestal is a three-stepped base.
The main plaque reads 1914 - 1919/ TO THE HONOURED/ MEMORY OF THE/ MEN OF/ CHERTSEY/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR. A plaque was added to the base of the plinth after the Second World War, which is inscribed ALSO OF THOSE/ 1939 WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES 1945/ IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR with another plaque underneath carrying the names. The plaques on the other faces also list names of the Fallen, with the western plaque ending with ALSO IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION/ OF ALL THOSE WHO FOUGHT IN/ THE WAR.
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 Chertsey 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 commemorates 130 local servicemen who died during the First World War. Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the 64 Fallen of that conflict.
The memorial was built by Joseph Whitehead and Sons at a cost of £2,400, and was unveiled on 30 October 1921 by Lieutenant Colonel Clare DSO MC, and dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Guildford.
Reasons for Listing
Chertsey War Memorial, erected in 1921 by Joseph Whitehead and Sons, 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.
Architectural interest:
* for the elegant and evocative bronze sculpture of a serviceman.
Group value:
* with the adjacent Church of St Peter, listed at 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
Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Old House Care and Repair
Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)