Summary
First World War memorial, erected by Messrs LJ Watt and unveiled on Sunday 1 August 1920. Further names were added after the Second World War.
Description
First World War Memorial.
MATERIALS: limestone.
PLAN: the memorial is located beside the main entrance to the churchyard, to the east of the Grade II* listed Church of St Mary.
EXTERIOR: it is in the form of a plain Celtic cross with a tapering shaft on a tapering plinth which stands on a three-stepped base. The lower step is of concrete.
The main inscription is in leaded lettering on a plain marble tablet on the east face of the plinth. It reads: THESE MEN FELL FIGHTING/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ 1914-1918./ (NAMES)/ ‘THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE.’
An additional inscription in leaded lettering on a plain marble tablet on the north face of the plinth reads: THESE MEN/ ALSO FELL FIGHTING/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE/ SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945/ (NAMES)/ ‘THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR/ EVERMORE.’
History
The concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the C19. Previously, memorials were rare and were mainly dedicated to individual officers, or sometimes regiments. The first large-scale erection of war memorials dedicated to the ordinary soldier followed the Second Boer War of 1899-1902, the first major war following reforms to the British Army which led to regiments being recruited from local communities and with volunteer soldiers. However, it was the aftermath of the First World War that was the great age of memorial building, both as a result of the huge impact 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 this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Raydon 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 was erected by Messrs LJ Watt (builders) and it was unveiled on Sunday 1 August 1920.
The names of those parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Raydon 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.
Group value:
* it has group value with the Grade II* listed Church of St Mary.
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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