Binstead War Memorial, Ryde, Isle of Wight

Summary

First World War memorial, erected in 1920 with further inscriptions added following the Second World War.

Description

First World War memorial, erected in 1920 with further inscriptions added following the Second World War.

MATERIALS: carved from limestone.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial stands at the corner of Church Road and Binstead Hill. It comprises a tall elongated Latin stone cross with a tapering octagonal shaft and crossarm. A longsword is carved in raised relief on the cross; the crossguard of the sword matching where the cross’ shaft and crossarm meet. The shaft stands on an octagonal plinth, itself resting on a three-stepped octagonal base. On the front of the plinth is inscribed: IN/ MEMORY OF/ THOSE OF BINSTEAD/ WHO MADE/ THE GREAT SACRIFICE/ 1914-1919/ “THEIR NAME LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE” while the rear face reads IN/ UNDYING MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO MADE THE/ SUPREME SACRIFICE/ IN THE/ SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945. The other sides carry the names of those that lost their lives in the conflicts.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw a huge wave of public commemoration with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country. One such memorial was erected in Binstead by T and J Ellery of Ryde at a cost of £150. The land was given by John Willis Fleming, who had lost a son during the First World War. The memorial design was derived from the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield’s ‘Cross of Sacrifice’ for the Imperial War Graves Commission. Variations on Blomfield’s design appeared in stone masons catalogues and were chosen for local war memorials across England. Binstead War Memorial commemorates 27 members of the local community who lost their lives during the war. It was unveiled by Mrs Willis Fleming and dedicated by the Rector of Binstead on 18 September 1920 in front of a large crowd of residents, church people and Nonconformists. The service was led by the Rector, Rev J G Davey, and Mr A James who represented the Wesleyans. At the end of the service the buglers sounded the reveille and the crowd sang the National Anthem. One of the bugles used in the service was later inscribed as a memorial to two individuals not on the memorial who also died in the First World War.

Two of the names commemorated on Binstead War Memorial belong to a husband and wife, Lt-Cdr Henry Thomas Gartside-Tipping and Mrs Mary Gartside-Tipping. Lt-Cdr Gartside-Tipping was a naval officer who died at the age of 67 on 25 September 1915 while in command of HM yacht Sanda which was sunk off the Belgian coast. At the time of his death, Gartside-Tipping was reported in the press as being the oldest officer in active service in the Royal Navy. Following her husband’s death, Mrs Gartside-Tipping signed up for voluntary service in France with the Women’s Emergency Corps and was shot and killed on 4 March 1917 by a soldier suffering from a psychiatric disorder. She was buried at Vauxbuin French National Cemetery with a full military funeral and awarded the croix de guerre, which had previously been withheld from women since November 1916.

Following the end of the Second World War a further inscription and the names of 11 people who lost their lives in that conflict were added. The memorial was cleaned and the lettering restored in 2008.

Reasons for Listing

Binstead War Memorial, erected in 1920 at the corner of Church Road and Binstead Hill, 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:

* as an elegant Latin stone cross carved with a longsword in raised relief, a design derived from the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield’s ‘Cross of Sacrifice’ for the Imperial War Graves Commission.

External Links

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