Lambourn
Click on image to enlarge |
ID: | WB012 |
UKNIWM: | 7808 |
Location: | St Michael & All Angels Church |
OS Map Ref: | SU326790 |
Description: | Stone cross |
Inscription:
South Face:
Adam Robert
Adams Raymond T
Asker Ernest
Ball John
Busby Alan
Boston Alfred
Bradley William
Brown Percy
Candy Ernest
Coles Frederick
Dickson Frederick
Dobson Charles
West Face:
1914 – 1919
Embling Frank
Eyles Thomas
Francis Frederick
Gosling Arthur
Gylby Leonard
Helbrow Samuel
Jefferies Charles
Joyce William
Lockey Thomas
Lockey Frederick
Marsh Alfred
North Face:
Marchant Frank
Mildenhall Edgar
Palmer John
Pike Walter
Pilcher Thomas
Reynolds Frederick
Shephard Joseph
Sheppard Frederick
Standing Frederick
Taylor Leonard
Williams Frederick
Wing Charles A
East Face:
1939 – 1945
Ainsworth J C
Baker J
Brind W
Clarke P
Crease D
Fisher A B
Goddard E
Hearnden A T
Handy G
McKenny J
Mitchell W
Page T V
Peters C W
Purton F C H
Taylor W P
Taylor E G
Walsh J P M
Wells S W
Wood P J
Worthington R
R I P
What the papers said:
Lambourn War Memorial – Dedication Service, 17 Dec 1920.
Newbury Weekly News, 23 Dec 1920
Dedication Ceremony
The long anticipated dedication of the war memorial took place on Sunday afternoon. For half an hour and more previous to the hour fixed for the service, people from all over a wide area poured in the Parish Church. All the available sittings were quickly crowded, but still the stream of worshippers continued without cessation, until all the standing room was occupied. It is computed that at least a thousand folk were present. Half as many more thronged the precincts. At 2.45 a strong muster of ex-Service men were paraded in the Market Place by Major Jones to the number of about four score. As they marched off to take up their allotted places in the nave of the church, additions swelled their numbers to close on a hundred. The relatives of the commemorated men occupied a block of seats near the tower. Up till the time set for the commencement the Organist played music appropriate to the occasion, concluding with an impressive rendering of Chopin’s Funeral March. So that everyone should be able to follow the proceedings without any difficulty, each person as they entered the Church was presented with a copy of the ‘Form of Service’, compiled by the Vicar. The Rev R Bagnall. This, a model of its kind, had been most beautifully printed, and will be treasured by all who were so fortunate as to secure an impression as a fitting memento of a most memorable occasion.
When the white-robed choristers had taken their places, the Vicar, who conducted the Service, declaimed the opening sentences: “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” and “I know that my Redeemer liveth.” Then followed a glorious outburst of song, “The King of Love my Shepherd is,” after which Mr Standley, who represented the Wesleyans, read the Lesson, taken from the Book of Wisdom. The Nunc Dimitis was sung to a Parisian tone, and the Responses to Merbeck. Next came the two very interesting excerpts from the Liturgy of St Chrysostom, the, longer of the two being sung by the choir with thrilling effect to music composed by the organist. Commendatory prayers succeeded, and then there was Silence, during which all who were present were asked to remember those who died in the service of their country. This period having passed, “I heard the voice of Jesus say” was sung. At the conclusion the choir left their stalls, and headed by a Cross-bearer with a couple of Boy Scouts in attendance, marched in procession to the Memorial, singing in harmony as they went, “O what the joy and the glory must be.” Behind came the Mourners, the ex-Service Men, and the remainder of the congregation, two by two. Arrived at the plot on which the Memorial Cross stands, the Scouts stood at salute, what time the processionists filed into their places. When all were ready the Vicar called upon General Rennie to unveil the Cross. Before doing so the gallant officer – prefacing his remarks with a touching reference to Major Wroughton, whose memory is held in so affectionate remembrance by Lambourn folk – delivered a happily phrased address, in which he held up the self-sacrifice of the commemorated men as worthy of the highest honour, and urged his audience to ever hold their glorious example in reverent regard. In one telling sentence he crystallised what would have occurred if Germany had succeeded in crushing England: “You, my friends, would have fared worse than the Israelites under the heel of the Egyptians.”
General Rennie then loosed the cord which held the Flag of St George and the Union Jack in position, and the Cross stood revealed.
The Vicar thereupon read the Dedicatory Prayer and the choir and people sang: “On the Resurrection morning.” After the Blessing the ex-Service me came smartly to attention, and Corporal Wicks sounded the Last Post. In conclusion a verse of the National Anthem was sung. Then one of the smallest choristers, by name Charlie Hutchins, deposited a sheaf of lovely red and white chrysanthemums at the foot of the Cross from the Vicar and Choir in remembrance of the Boys of St Michael’s Choir who went forth and came not again. Next the ex Service Men offered their tribute at the hands of poor blinded Percy Heath, who was guided by two comrades. After him came Captain Butler with a beautiful wreath from the Football Club; Sergeant Pinfield with a broken column exquisitely wrought in white chrysatnemums, the offering of the Tennis Club. Not less touching was the evergreen cross fashioned by the Boy Scouts. There were, in addition, many wreaths and floral emblems deposited by relatives of the heroic dead.
Constructed of grey Cornish granite, rough-hewn, there is something in the rugged austere simplicity which characterises the Memorial that makes a powerful appeal to the passer by. On the plinth are engraved five and thirty names distributed over three panels. The fourth has been left vacant so that any name that has been overlooked may be added at some future date. The list now stands as follows:-
On the South:- | ||
Adam, Robert | Bradley, William | |
Adams, Raymond T. | Brown, Percy | |
Asher, Ernest | Candy, Ernest | |
Ball, John | Coles, Frederick | |
Busby, Alan | Dickson, Frederick | |
Boston, Alfred | Dobson, Charles | |
Facing East:- | ||
1914-1919 | ||
Embling, Frank | Jefferies, Charles | |
Eyles, Thomas | Joyce, William | |
Francis, Frederick | Lockey, Thomas | |
Gosling, Arthur | Lockey, Frederick | |
Gylby, Leonard | Marsh, Alfred | |
Helbrow, Samuel | ||
RIP | ||
On the North:- | ||
Marchant, Frank | Shephard, Joseph | |
Mildenhall, Edgar | Sheppard, Frederick | |
Palmer, John | Standing, Frederick | |
Pike, Walter | Taylor, Leonard | |
Pilcher, Thomas | Williams, Frederick | |
Reynolds, Frederick | Wing, Charles A. |
Find a memorial :
Died this day: | |
08 October 1918 | |
George Benjamin Jones | |
Aldermaston |
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