Town / Village War Memorials

canberra wrote:

Long Ashton near Bristol is finally getting a war memorial. For some reason its never had one.

A memorial is to be built to remember 97 villagers killed in conflict during the two world wars.

The idea came about in 2018 when it was pointed out Long Ashton did not have a war memorial.

It will be centred around three granite stones which will have the names of the men, women and children who died.

The first sod was cut on Battle of Britain Day, at 10:55 BST on Tuesday, by Sqn Ldr Taylor, as part of a short ceremony ahead of the work starting.

The average age of the 63 who died in World War One was 26, which also included some teenagers.

David Addis, who is behind the project, said the location, opposite the former Northleaze School building on Long Ashton Road, had a particular significance as some 80% of the fallen attended the Church of England primary school.

He added the memorial would be dedicated on Monday, 12 April 2021, 80 years to the day since the only civilians were killed in the parish due to enemy action, when Mill Cottages were bombed on Good Friday in 1941.

Also to be named on the memorial are seven Polish airmen who died in a field near the nearby All Saints Church, in 1944..

Instead of bailing out over south Bristol it is believed they flew on to avoid the populated areas and crashed into a field near the village's church.

The War Memorial was built by local memorial masons, Messrs Thomas Kent of Boston for an estimated cost of £400 including the memorial and iron railings. The dedication service was led by Reverend Wilfred Price Twentyman and Major Oliver Cooper TD, 4th Lincolnshire Regiment, with a large gathering of villagers in attendance. The names of those who died in the Second World War were added at a later date.

DESCRIPTION: The War Memorial is located in the St James' churchyard, and stands behind wrought iron railings in the north-west corner of the churchyard, facing the road. It is built of grey Cumberland granite in the form of a Celtic cross, standing on a concrete platform, with a square, three-stepped base, and a tapered square plinth with double rolled top.

The cross shaft is square on plan, with detailed knotwork and five bosses carved in relief on the front face of the cross head and shaft. The remaining sides are undecorated. The front of the memorial is inscribed in black lettering. The base of the cross shaft has the inscription TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN LASTING MEMORY OF THE MEN FROM THIS PARISH WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918. The names of the 13 men who died in the First World War are inscribed on the plinth, with the words THEY DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE below. The top step is inscribed 1939-1945 with the names of the six men who died in the Second World War on the second step.

The memorial is protected from the road by hooped metal railings with spear and fleur de lis railing heads to the vertical bars and the dog rails. The railing standards have backstays and scrolled finials.