Summary
A granite war memorial cross of interwar date.
Description
A war memorial of interwar date by G Collin & Son of Leicester.
MATERIALS: constructed of granite.
DESCRIPTION: comprising an ornate wheel head cross and shaft, on a three-tiered, four-sided plinth. The cross head, wheel and shaft are carved with interlacing patterns and the plinth bears the leaded inscriptions; plain for the dedication and names, gothic for the epitaph around the base.
The inscription is in leaded lettering and reads: IN/ LOVING MEMORY/ OF/ (NAMES)/ WHO DIED IN THE WAR 1914 – 1918/ AND OF (NAME)/ REPORTED AS DEAD/ GOD IS LOVE// WORLD WAR 1939 – 45/ DEDICATED/ TO THE MEMORY OF/ (NAME)/ DIED A PRISONER OF WAR/ IN JAPANESE HANDS/ SEPTEMBER 1943/ INASMUCH/ 1914 – 1918 (ADDITIONAL NAME).
To the rear of the plinth is a metal badge that reads G COLLIN & SON/ SCULPTORS/ REGENTS/ LEICESTER.
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, both as a result of the huge impact of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at the great loss. One such memorial was raised at Arnesby 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 appears to have been erected in the churchyard of the Baptist Chapel (listed at Grade II) sometime after the end of the war, although it is not show on any known mapping. The memorial commemorates four (originally three) local servicemen who fell in the First World War. It was further altered to commemorate one man who died as a prisoner of war in the Second World War. The memorial was cleaned for the centenary of the First World War.
Reasons for Listing
Arnesby War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* it is 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:
* it is a well-detailed war memorial in the form of a Celtic-style wheel cross.
Group value:
* it has group value with Arnesby Baptist Church (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.
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