Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled 12 June 1921, with Second World War additions.
Description
First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions.
DESCRIPTION: Chevington War Memorial is located in the churchyard to the south of All Saints’ Church (Grade I-listed).
The memorial is of Portland stone and takes the form of a wheel-head cross with cusped tracery to the inner segments of the wheel. This crowns a tall, octagonal tapering shaft with moulded collar and terminates in a square foot with chamfered stops. The shaft rises from a square plinth, which is chamfered along the top edges. The whole surmounts a two-stepped, square base. All lettering is incised.
The principal inscription is to the east face of the plinth and reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ REMEMBER BEFORE HIM/ THE HEROIC DEAD OF THIS PARISH/ 1914–1919/ GRANT THEM O LORD ETERNAL REST AND/ LET LIGHT PERPETUAL SHINE UPON THEM. The names of the 20 men who died are recorded on the remaining three faces of the plinth.
The east face of the upper step of the base carries a further inscription, which reads ALSO THOSE WHO DIED IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945/ (3 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 which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Chevington as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 20 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled on 12 June 1921 by Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Briggs. The memorial was erected by Mr A H Hanchet, monumental mason of Bury St Edmunds, who built a number of war memorials in the Suffolk area, including the Grade II-listed Bacton War Memorial.
The names of three parishioners who died during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Chevington War Memorial, which is situated in All Saints’ 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:
* a well-executed wheel-head memorial.
Group value:
* with the Grade I-listed All Saints’ Church.
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.
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