“SOME WAR MEMORIALS in MERTON” Through Demolition, F
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Lauriston Cottage 6 South Side Common Wimbledon, SW19 4TG November 1988 “SOME WAR MEMORIALS IN MERTON” Through demolition, fire and other causes some War Memorials have disappeared and others, mainly through weathering of the stonework, are now illegible and this list is aimed at providing a permanent record of those remaining in the London Borough of Merton. Unfortunately some Memorials may not have come to the notice of the compiler but any such brought to his notice will be included in addenda sheets most willingly. It should be emphasised that the record is one of Memorials, not a record of the Fallen who are officially recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The help of the Borough Librarian and his staff at the Wimbledon Reference Library, of the incumbents of Churches, of the Headmasters and mistresses of Schools, and of many other people in compiling the record is acknowledged with much gratitude. A.P. Whitehead SOME WAR MEMORIALS IN MERTON CONTENTS PAGE WIMBLEDON WAR MEMORIAL, Parkside 1-2 KING’S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS, Wimbledon Common 3 “WIMBLEDON’S OWN”, (190th Rde. R.F.A.) 3 MITCHAM WAR MEMORIAL, Lower Green 4-7 WIMBLEDON LIBRARY 8-9 WIMBLEDON CEMETERY, Gap Road 10-13 BELGIAN REFUGEES, Memorial at Gap Road 13 LONDON ROAD CEMETERY, Mitcham 14-16 STREATHAM PARK CEMETARY, Rowan Road 17-30 MORDEN CEMETERY, Garth Road 31-38 BATTERSEA CEMETERY, (See Morden Cemetery) 31-38 ST MARY’S CHURCH, WIMBLEDON 39-42 SACRED HEART CHURCH, Edge Hill, Wimbledon 42 MITCHAM PARISH CHURCH 43-46 CHRIST CHURCH, Ridgway, Wimbledon 47-49 ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, High Path 49 ST. SAVIOUR’S CHURCH, Raynes Park 50-51 ST. MATTHEW’S CHURCH, Cottenham Park 51 ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, ST. John’s Road, Wimbledon 52-53 EMMANUEL CHURCH, Ridgway, Wimbledon 54 ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH, Herbert Road, Wimbledon 55-56 RAYNES PARK METHODIST CHURCH 57 BAPTIST CHURCH, Queen’s Road, Wimbledon 58 HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, Wimbledon Broadway 59 UNITED APOSTOLIC CHURCH, Kohat Road 60-61 ST. PETER’S CHURCH (former) 60-61 ST. MARY’S CHURCH, Church Path, Merton 62-64 TRINITY UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, Mamsel Road 65 ALL SAINTS CHURCH, All Saints Road, Wimbledon 66 METHODIST CHURCH, Griffiths Road, Wimbledon 67 ST. LUKE’S CHURCH, Farquhar Road, Wimbledon 68-69 ST. BARNABAS’ CHURCH, Mitcham 70 CHRIST CHURCH, Colliers Wood 71-72 ST MARK’S CHURCH, Mitcham 73-74 ST. LAWRENCE CHURCH, Morden 75-76 BAPTIST FREE CHURCH, Crown Lane, Morden 77 WIMBLEDON COLLEGE, Edge Hill 78-80 DONHEAD LODGE (Preparatory School), Edge Hill 81 KING’S COLLEGE SCHOOL, Wimbledon 82-84 RUTLISH SCHOOL, Watery Lane, Wimbledon 85-86 ALL SAINT’S PRIMARY SCHOOL, S. Wimbledon 87-88 HAYDONS ROAD BOYS SCHOOL, (See last) 87-88 MORDEN PRIMARY SCHOOL, London Road, Morden 88 VILLAGE CLUB & LECTURE HALL, Ridgway, Wimbledon 89 ALL ENGLAND LAWN TENNIS & CROQUET CLUB 90 NELSON HOSPITAL, Kingston Road, Wimbledon 91 ST. WINEFREDE’S CHURCH, Latimer Road 91 BRITISH RED CROSS SOCIETY, Worple Road 92 NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK, Arthur Road 92 WESLEYAN CHURCH, Worple Road (demolished) See 57 GENERAL POST OFFICE 93-94 METHODIST CHURCH, Durnsford Road, Southfields 95 WIMBLEDON WAR MEMORIAL, Park Side, Wimbledon Common. THE MONUMENT The Monument which stands on the green opposite Marryat Road, consists of an obelisk surmounting a pedestal which is designed with a pediment on the two principal faces, finishing with scrolls, and embracing on the front towards the town a cartouche with a shield bearing the cross of St. George and, on the other front, a lion’s head encircled with a wreath of bay leaves, the whole is mounted on a platform of five steps. On the front towards the town the die of the pedestal has a panel with a relief in bronze of a figure of Peace, holding in one hand a palm branch and in the other a victor’s wreath. On a panel below is the inscription “Invictis Pax". On the other front of the pedestal is the dedicatory inscription in a sunk panel:- “ In honoured memory of the men of Wimbledon who gave their lives for their King and Country in the Great War 1914 – 1918. ” On the side of the pedestal towards the Common is the following inscription:- ” All these were honoured in their generation and were the glory of their time. ” And on the side towards the Putney Road:- “ In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die; yet is their hope full of immortality ” The obelisk bears on the two principal faces, at half the height, a victor’s wreath of bay leaves and, from the capital depend festoons of fruit and flowers. On the summit is a cross. The monument, which is of Portland stone, of exceptional hardness, was executed by Messrs. Dove Bros, of Islington, from the design of Sir T.G. Jackson, Bart., M.A., R.A. The bronze tablet was modelled by Mr. C.L. Hartwell, A.R.A. and cast by Messrs. Burton of Thames Ditton. The carving was executed by the firm of Messrs. Farmer and Brindley of London, the principal carver being Mr. Lane. The unveiling ceremony by Mr. Joseph Hood, M.P. takes place at three o’clock tomorrow (Saturday 5th November, 1921). (Wimbledon News 4th November, 1921) The monument is also described and illustrated in “Building News” No. 3505 dated 10th March, 1922. _______________________________ INSCRIPTIONS ADDED : South Face: “ In honoured memory of the men and women of Wimbledon who gave their lives serving in His majesty’s forces during the Second World war 1939 – 1945 ” NORTH FACE “ In honoured memory of the civilians of Wimbledon who lost their lives in the Second World War 1939 – 1945 ” 1. WIMBLEDON WAR MEMORIAL (CONTD.) “ At the end of the great war of 1914 – 1918 a public meeting was held at the Baths Hall, and a war Memorial Committee was formed representing all sections of the community, to determine the most suitable means of perpetuating the memory of the men, and one woman, who fell in the war. Many suggestions were made, but those which met with general acceptance were that a suitable monument should be erected, that financial help should be given to the two local hospitals and that a record of Wimbledon men and women who served in the war should be compiled. ” ( The Mayor, Alderman Dudley Stuart, speaking at the Unveiling ceremony) ______________ “ No one who has heard the particulars given by the Mayor can fail to be impressed by the splendid record of the men and women of the Borough of Wimbledon in the Great War. We know that, including one woman, a Nurse who was killed at her post, nearly 1,000 from this borough made the great sacrifice. (Mr. Joseph – later Sir Joseph – Hood, M.P. speaking at the Unveiling ceremony) __________________ The large number of casualties did not permit the inscription of names on the Memorial but they were written in a suitable volume which was placed on a lectern in the vestibule of the Town Hall, the pages being turned daily. Unfortunately the volume was stolen some years ago but a list of the fallen is given in “a record of the honoured men of Wimbledon and Merton who fell in the great war 1914-1918” (Mitchell, Hughes & Clarke, 1921) a copy of which is held by the Wimbledon Library. A list of all who served in that war – comprising about 9,000 – was also compiled for retention at the Library for reference, but it has not been traced. “ I desire on behalf of the Wimbledon War Memorial Committee, to express to Mr. Tyrrell Giles and his colleagues, the conservators of the Wimbledon and Putney Commons, our sincere thanks for placing at our disposal this admirable site. The enclosure will be laid out as a garden open to the public at all times.” ( “The Mayor’s speech at the unveiling) WAR RECORD AND MUSEUM FOR WIMBLEDON AND MERTON. A Committee consisting of representatives of the John Evelyn Club (now the Wimbledon Society) and the Public Library was organized under the above heading. At the first meeting on 18th April,1918, it was resolved that the Wimbledon Museum Committee, established by the John Evelyn Club, should be responsible for the collection of material objects of the war and that the committee of the Public Library should be responsible for the collection and preservation of literary material relating to the war. It was also resolved that a roll of honour be compiled. (See “a record of the honoured men of Wimbledon and Merton”Referred to above pp. 97/8) 2. KING’S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS. MEMORIAL ON WIMBLEDON COMMON. Stone monument on square stone base approximately 4ft. 6 ins. High. North face Badge of the King’s royal Rifle Corps. South Face Bronze plaque inscribed: TO THE MEMORY OF ALL RANKS OF THE RESERVE BATTALION OF THE KING’S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS WHO TRAINED HERE AND AFTERWARDS GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR KING AND COUNTRY 1916 – 1918 The Memorial was erected in 1922 by private subscription and is maintained by the Borough Council. It is not recognised as an official regimental Memorial but the following note has been supplied by Colonel I.H. McCausland from the Regimental Headquarters at Winchester : “ An entry in the Miscellaneous notes in the 1923 edition Of the KRRC Chronicle, which refers to the 22nd Bn. The 22nd bn. was raised by the British Empire League as a Pioneer Bn. in the Spring of 1916 and was recruited largely from men from London Mercantile Houses. Its early training was carried out at Wellingborough and in May the Bn. Moved to Wimbledon and became 110th Training Reserve.