Memorial details

Memorial type
Cenotaph
District
Oadby And Wigston
Town
South Wigston
County
Leicestershire
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 11th November 1923
    Attended by: Major General Sir E. M. Woodward KCMG, CB
  • Dedicated
    Date: 11th November 1923
    Attended by: Venerable Archdeacon FB Macnutt MA, Archdeacon of Leicester.
  • Show More (1)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
37743

Support IWM

Donate with Just Giving

Any gift we receive makes a vital contribution to our ongoing work, from conserving our collection to supporting our public programme.

Make a Donation
Current location

Within an enclosure
at frontage of St. Thomas' Church,
St. Thomas Road
South Wigston
Oadby And Wigston
Leicestershire
LE18 4TA
England

OS Grid Ref: SP 58667 98337
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Portland stone cenotaph on large pedestal flanked by walls in two height stages bearing a total of eleven Swithland slate tablets with incised names infilled in gold coloured paint. Pedestal has relief carving of cricket cap, ball, bat and stumps on one side of front face and of service dress cap, rifle and sabre on other. Relief carvings of reversed swords on sides of cenotaph. Upper wall stage (barring edge sections) was added after Second World War.
Inscription
Front face of cenotaph : THEY WERE A WALL UNTO US / BY NIGHT AND BY DAY + / IN SACRED SLEEP THEY REST. / SAY NOT THAT THE BRAVE DIE Front face of pedestal : TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN MEMORY OF THE / MEN OF SOUTH WIGSTON / AND GLEN PARVA, WHO / GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE / WARS OF 1914 - 1918 / + AND 1939 - 1945 + Beneath plinth inscription : 1939 - 1945 Tablet on plinth : ROYAL NAVY / (3 Names) / ROYAL ARTILLERY / (1 Name) / ROYAL ENGINEERS / (1 Name) / SHERWOOD FORESTERS / (1 Name) / ROYAL HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT / (2 Names) Tablet on left pillar : ROYAL NAVY / (1 Name) / ROYAL ARTILLERY / (4 Names) / ROYAL ENGINEERS / (NAMES) COLDSTREAM GUARDS / (1 Name) / ROYAL SCOTS / (1 Name) / KING'S OWN ROYAL / (LANCASTER) REGT. / (1 Name) / NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS / (4 Names) / KING'S (LIVERPOOL) REGT. / (1 Name) Upper tablets on left flanking wall : [left] ROYAL NAVY / (5 Names) / ROYAL MARINES / (1 Name) / ROYAL HORSE ARTILLERY / (1 Name) / ROYAL ENGINEERS / (1 Name) / ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS / (2 Names) [right] GRENADIER GUARDS / (1 Name) / QUEENS ROYAL REGIMENT / (1 Name) / ROYAL LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT / (8 Names) / ROYAL WELCH FUSILIERS / (1 Name) Lower tablets on left flanking wall : [left] LEICESTERSHIRE REGT /(14 Names) [right] LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. / (22 Names) Upper tablets on right flanking wall : [left] ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGIMENT / (1 Name) / ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS / (3 Names) / ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS / (1 Name) / ROYAL ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS / (2 Names) / ROYAL PIONEER CORPS / (1 Name) / CORPS OF ROYAL MILITARY POLICE / (1 Name) [right] ARMY CATERING CORPS (1 Name) / GLIDER PILOT REGIMENT / (1 Name) / ROYAL AIR FORCE / (11 Names) Lower tablets on right flanking wall : [left] LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. / (25 Names) [right] YORKSHIRE REGT. / (1 Name) / LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS / (1 Name) / CAMERONIANS (Scottish Rifles) / (1 Name) / WEST RIDING REGT. / (1 Name) / SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGT / (4 Names) / SHERWOOD FORESTERS / (3 Names) / NORTHAMPTONSHIRE REGT / (1 Name) Tablet on right pillar : ROYAL BERKS REGT / (1 Name) / MIDDLESEX REGT / (1 Name) / MANCHESTER REGT (1 Name) / DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY / (2 Names) / RIFLE BRIGADE / (1 Name) / TANK CORPS / (2 Names) / ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS / (2 Names) / LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. / (4 Names) / GORDON HIGHLANDERS / (1 Name)
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Baker, James Ival
Baker, Thomas Gillam
Bale, Thomas William
Barnett, Arnett Job
Bell, Edgar
Billings, Albert
Blanchard, John
Boulter, George Edward
Brightwell, Joseph Warren
Bruce, Jack Curtis
See details for all 106 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 106
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 106
    Exact count: no
    Information shown: surname,rank,regiment
    Order of information: Undefined
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: no
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Tablets
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Slate - Swithland
  • Cenotaph
    Measurements: height 4570 mm
    Materials: Stone - Portland
Listing information
  • South Wigston War Memorial
  • Grade II
  • This memorial is protected, and listed on the National Heritage List for England maintained by Historic England. View list entry
  • More about listing and the protection of historic places can be found on the Historic England website
  • Historic England
Condition
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A

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-37743

For queries, please contact [email protected].