Memorial details

Memorial type
Pillar / Column
District
Wycombe
Town
Butlers Cross
County
Buckinghamshire
Country
England
Commemoration
Boer War; Second (1899-1902)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 4 Nov. 1904
    Attended by: Lord Cottesloe
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
8315

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Current location

On top of Coombe Hill
Buckinghamshire Boer War Memorial
Coombe Hill
Butlers Cross
Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP17 0TU
England

OS Grid Ref: SP 84889 06752
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Stone square pillar on three-stepped base and plinth with plaque and crossed flags; four squat stone posts surmounted by balls at each corner of base. Pillar is topped with stone ball and gilt flame. Tablet in shape of heavy cross is set into memorial plinth section. Lettering in black.
Inscription
1899-1902 THIS MEMORIAL/ WAS ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION RAISED UNDER A RESOLUTION/ PROPOSED BY THE LORD LIEUTENANT AND UNANIMOUSLY PASSED/ BY THE MAGISTRATES OF THE COUNTY OF BUCKINGHAM/ IN QUARTER SESSIONS ASSEMBLED IN HONOUR OF THE MEN OF BUCKS WHO/ AT THE EMPIRE'S CALL, LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES DURING THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA/ 1899-1902/ DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI (Names) THIS STONE TABLET WAS FIXED IN 1972 FOLLOWING THE/ THEFT OF THE ORIGINAL BRONZE TABLET
Inscription legible?
no
Names on memorial
Adkins, A C
Aldridge, A
Allnutt, O
Almond, C F
Arbuthnott, F
Arnott, F
Ashby, E A
Baldwin, W
Banks, H
Barrett, T
See details for all 157 names
Commemorations
  • Boer War; Second (1899-1902)
    Total names on memorial: 157
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 157
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Regiment, rank, surname, initials
    Order of information: regiment,rank,surname
Components
  • Memorial
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
  • Tablet
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
Listing information
  • MONUMENT
  • 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
History
Largely destroyed by lightning in 1938, and rebuilt same year. Because of proximity to Chequers was camouflaged in WW2. Bronze plaque and decorations stolen 1972. Replaced by stone tablet, on which nine names additional to the original 148 were added, and iron flag. Badly damaged by lightning in early 1990s and repaired: lightning conductors now fitted. Names becoming illegible and there is a County Council appeal for c £70,000 for further restoration.
Costs

Site: Free
Comments: Site given by Bertram Frankland-Russell-Astley of Chequers.

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Responsibility
Buckinghamshire County Council
Reference
  • Carter Postcard Collection
  • War Memorials Trust Bulletin No.57 (May 2013) pp.1,9 Published:War Memorials Trust London Grant of £15,455 towards repairs
  • War Memorials Trust WM3050
  • For Remembrance and in Honour of Those Who Lost Their Lives in the South African War 1899-1902 by Gildea, James 13 Published:Eyre and Spottiswoode 1911 London

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-8315

For queries, please contact [email protected].