Memorial details

Memorial type
Board / Plaque / Tablet
District
Luton
Town
Luton
County
Bedfordshire
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
7561

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Current location

Stockwood Discovery Centre
Stockwood Park
London Road
Luton
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 4LX
England

OS Grid Ref: TL 08718 19785
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Previous locations
  • Hitchin Road Boys' School
    Charles Street
    Luton
    Luton
    Bedfordshire
    England

    OS Grid Ref: Undefined
    Denomination: Undefined
  • Museum
    Old Bedford Road
    Luton
    Luton
    Bedfordshire
    LU2 7BY
    England

    OS Grid Ref: TL 08649 24955
    Denomination: Undefined
  • Show More (1)
Description
Rectangular memorial, topped by a broken pediment that incorporates the dates 1914 1918, flanking a roundel containing the School's initials HRS (i.e. Hitchin Road School). The inscription is in white lettering. (N.B. This memorial is a smaller, later version of the School's original WW1 board, which was erected in 1921. The reason for the creation of this later replacement memorial is presently unknown. Whilst the inscription on the original and replacement memorials is very similar, there are subtle differences).
Inscription
1914 1918/ HRS/ HITCHIN ROAD/ BOYS SCHOOL/ LUTON/ IN HONOURED AND GRATEFUL MEMORY OF / CORPORAL GEORGE WELLS, M.M. (ASST. MASTER) / AND OF THE OLD BOYS OF THIS SCHOOL / WHO FELL IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR / (Names)/ This is the word, that year by year,/ While in her place the school is set, / Every one of her sons must hear,/ And none that hears it dare forget. / This they all with joyful mind/ Bear through life like a torch in flame/ And falling fling to the host behind/ "Play up! play up! and play the game!" (The final lines of the inscription are quoted from a verse of the poem "Vitai Lampada", written by Sir Henry Newbolt in 1897, about a schoolboy cricketer who later does military service in Africa).
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Anderson, E
Anderson, J
Angell, B
Ashton, A A
Ayres, H G
Bass, T
Brandon, E
Brown, A J
Brown, T
Bunker, A
See details for all 75 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 75
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 75
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, initials
    Order of information: The name of the former Assistant Master who died, followed by the names of alumni who died, listed alphabetically by surname in three columns
Components
  • Board
    Measurements: height 2400mm, width 1050mm
    Materials: Wood
Listing information
Condition
History
(The School's original wooden memorial, erected in 1921, bore a very similar inscription, but was much larger and had a different appearance, e.g. the inscription to the Assistant Master who died was in larger lettering, and the names of the alumni who died were listed in 5 columns. What became of that original memorial, to which our record WMR 100144 relates, and why this later replacement for it was made, are currently unknown).
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Responsibility
The Culture Trust Luton
Reference
  • WW1 Luton, www.worldwar1luton.com/object/hitchin-road-boys-school-memorial, accessed 22nd April, 2024
  • Our record of the original memorial (for which this board was made as a replacement) can be found at www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/100144
  • The National Archives records the following details re the Hitchin Road Boys' School: 'The following brief history of the schools is largely taken from A History of Education in Luton by John G. Dony. In 1883 the Luton School Board (created in 1874) opened three schools in Hitchin Road, one each for junior boys, junior girls and infants. The Education Act of 1902 abolished School Boards, the running of schools becoming the responsibility of the relevant Local Education Authority - in the case of Luton this Luton Town Council for primary education (under fourteen years of age) and Bedfordshire County Council for secondary education. The schools thus became known as Council Schools. In 1932 the boys and girls schools were merged as a Council Junior Mixed School. Following the Education Act of 1944 the schools were classified as County Primary Junior School and County Primary Infants School, Bedfordshire County Council taking over the running of all schools in Luton but acting through Luton Borough Council as a Divisional Executive. Both schools were closed in 1967, pupils going to St.Matthew's Junior School and St.Matthew's Infants School'. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/67547b41-f689-4659-9c25-9fc9d10ba0ca
  • www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/255046/

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-7561

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