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Latitude: 50.758 / 50°45'28"N
Longitude: -1.2863 / 1°17'10"W
OS Eastings: 450440
OS Northings: 95620
OS Grid: SZ504956
Mapcode National: GBR 89R.KLP
Mapcode Global: FRA 8762.LQK
Plus Code: 9C2WQP57+5F
Entry Name: East Cowes War Memorial
Listing Date: 13 September 2019
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1464880
ID on this website: 101464880
Location: St James's Church, East Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO32
County: Isle of Wight
Civil Parish: East Cowes
Built-Up Area: East Cowes
Traditional County: Hampshire
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Isle of Wight
Tagged with: War memorial
A First World War memorial of 1920, with later inscriptions from the Second World War.
A First World War memorial of 1920, with later inscriptions from the Second World War.
MATERIALS: granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial faces south-east and is located within the churchyard of the Church of St James, East Cowes. It takes the form of a granite wheel-head cross with a tapered shaft on a rough-hewn, granite base with sloping sides. A recessed panel on the front face of the plinth reads: ‘ TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN/ FROM THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1919/ AND THE WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945/ GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THIS/ THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS’. The names of those who fell in the First World War are inscribed on recessed panels on the sides of the plinth while the names of those from the Second World War are inscribed on a recessed panel within a wedge-shaped stone, which is attached to the front face of the plinth.
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. One such memorial was raised in East Cowes in 1920, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 58 servicemen from the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled by Field Marshal Lord Gort (1886-1946), who was awarded the Victoria Cross during this conflict, and later commanded the British Expeditionary Force during the Second World War, including the Dunkirk evacuation.
The memorial was re-dedicated on 17 September 1950, after a further inscription was added commemorating the sacrifice made by 29 servicemen from the local community, who lost their lives in the Second World War. The ceremony was attended by Brigadier S J L Hill (1911-2006), who commanded the 3rd Parachute Brigade, during the Second World War.
East Cowes War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St James, 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:
* a well-crafted, wheel-headed, First World War memorial with later Second World War inscriptions.
Group value:
* with the adjacent Church of St James, and its wall and gate piers, both listed at Grade II.
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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