Summary
First World War memorial with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
First World War memorial with later additions for the Second World War.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in a prominent location in the churchyard of the church of St Lawrence (Grade I), immediately beside the path between the entrance gate and the door of the church.
The memorial comprises a 2m high stone Celtic wheel-head cross, decorated with elaborate relief-carved interlace decoration. The main inscription in leaded lettering on the front of the cross shaft reads: IN/ GRATEFUL/ MEMORY OF THE/ FIVE/ SOUTH COVE MEN/ WHO MADE THE/ SUPREME SACRIFICE/ IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918.
On the front of the plinth is the inscription: (5 NAMES)/ THEY GAVE THEIR LIVES TO SERVE THEIR GOD/ THEIR KING AND THEIR COUNTRY IN DEFENCE/ OF TRUTH, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
On the western side of the plinth an additional inscription added in 1949 reads: AND THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES FOR US IN THE/ SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945/ (3 NAMES)/ ALSO IN MEMORY OF/ THE AMERICAN AIRMEN WHO/ LOST THEIR LIVES IN THIS PARISH/ MARCH 1945.
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 South Cove as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the five members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial had been erected by the time that the local Ordnance Survey sheet was revised in 1925.
The names of the three parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial, as were the names of an American air crew who lost their lives when their plane crashed in the parish in 1945.
The amended cross was unveiled on 17 April 1949 by Colonel Sir Robert Gooch, Baronet of nearby Benacre Hall, and rededicated by the Reverend A H N Waller.
Reasons for Listing
South Cove War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Lawrence, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* as an elegant and well-executed stone wheel-head cross with ornately carved interlace designs.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Lawrence (Grade I).
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.
Recommended Books
Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)