Memorial details

Memorial type
Cross
District
South Oxfordshire
Town
Whitchurch on Thames
County
Oxfordshire
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945)
Maker
F L Pearson FRIBA (Designer)
T Boxall & Son of Pangbourne (Builder)
Ceremony
  • Dedicated
    Date: 20 November 1921
    Attended by:
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
31796

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Current location

Roadside
approx. 450 metres north of village
following on from High Street,
Whitchurch War Memorial
B471
Whitchurch on Thames
South Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
RG8 7NT
England

OS Grid Ref: SU 63337 77889
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Two-stepped octagonal platform supporting a rear-offset, three-stepped square base surmounted by a tall, rectangular sectioned tapering plinth with a rectangular sectioned shaft and integral wheel cross. Rising from the rear step area of the lower platform, is an angled three-faced stone wall with WW1 names on each of the outer flanking walls. Inscription and WW2 names on front and side faces of plinth respectively.
Inscription
6 o'clock plinth face : THESE MEN OF / WHITCHURCH / GAVE UP THEIR OWN LIVES / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 -1919 / THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE IN FREEDOM Flanking wall at rear - left : (12 NAMES) Flanking wall at rear - right : (13 NAMES) 9 o'clock plinth face : 1939 -1945 / (11 NAMES)
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Benham, Frank
Carey, Arthur John Edward
Deadfield, Frank
Ellis, Herbert Neville
Head, George Henry
Howe, James
Hudson, Sidney Albert
Hutt, Harold
Inman, Leslie Yardley
Ralph, John Henry Christopher
See details for all 25 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 25
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 25
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, forename
    Order of information: surname
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 11
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 11
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname
    Order of information: Surname
Components
  • Cross
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Wall
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Limestone
  • Base
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Steps
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Steps
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Steps
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Steps
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Wall
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Portland
Listing information
Condition
History
January 1990 : The memorial was damaged by a falling tree during a storm and the Celtic cross was shattered. As the memorial was not insured the remains of the base and lower section of the shaft were re-erected with a simple Latin cross, greatly altering the aesthetic of the memorial 2016 War Memorials trust grant of £3,450 : Original wheel cross design re-instated. Base of the memorial and rear wall cleaned using the DOFF steam cleaning system.
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Responsibility
Jointly maintained by the Parish Council of Goring Heath and Whitchurch-on-Thames, on whose boundary it stands.
Reference
  • War Memorials Trust Bulletin 76 February 2018 page 8
  • War Memorials Trust Bulletin 81 May 2019 page 14

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-31796

For queries, please contact [email protected].