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Memorial details

Memorial type
Avenue / Tree or grove
District
Elmbridge
Town
Cobham
County
Surrey
Country
England
Commemoration
Second World War (1939-1945)
Ceremony
  • Dedicated
    Date: 24th February 1946
    Attended by: Local Clergy/Dignitaries
  • Unveiled
    Date: Sunday 24th February 1946, 3.30pm
    Attended by: Local Clergy/Dignitaries, including Vicar of St Andrews Mr Armitage
  • Rededicated
    Date: 8th April 2018
    Attended by: More than 120 Cobham residents
  • Unveiled
    Date: Sunday 26th April 2009, 12pm
    Attended by: Mayor of Elmbridge, Councillor Nigel Cooper, Ian Taylor MP, OBE, MP for Esher & Walton, Reverend Robert Jenkins, Robert Moran, Chief Executive of Elmbridge Borough Council, many of the relatives of those who died
  • Dedicated
    Date: 26th April 2009
    Attended by: Local Clergy/Dignitaries
  • Show More (4)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
23222

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Current location

Beside road on green
Stoke Rd
Cobham
Elmbridge
Surrey
KT11 3AR
England

OS Grid Ref: TQ 11423 59739
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Original memorial (1946) Avenue of 40 cherry trees, planted in association with St Andrews Church. Each tree represents one individual casualty and the trees were originally mounted with small plaques with individual names. (2009) New stone of remembrance records 46 names, due to the loss of the original individual plaques. Stone of Remembrance features insignia of Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. (2018) New saplings planted to replace dead and diseased trees
Inscription
1946 Plaque at ground level: THESE CHERRY TREES WERE PLANTED/ TO COMMEMORATE THOSE/ LOCAL SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN/ WHO FELL DURING WORLD WAR II/ 1939-1945 Plaques on trees: (Forename)/ (surname)/ (regiment) 2009 Stone of Remembrance: AVENUE OF REMEMBRANCE/ This avenue of cherry trees commemorates certain of the local/ service people who lost their lives in the Second World War./ Each tree originally had a collar with details of the person it/ commemorated and those details are replicated on this stone./ The Avenue was originally created by/Cobham Village Women's Institute/ and was dedicated on Sunday 24th February 1946/ Cobham's official War Memorial/ listing all those who lost their lives/ in both World Wars is within the Memorial Chapel/ at St Andrew's Church Downside Bridge Road Cobham./ The Avenue of Remembrance was reinstated by the/ Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust/ and Elmbridge Borough Council/ with the support of Cobham Evening Women's Institute, Royal British Legion (Cobham Branch)/ and St Andrew's Church Cobham/ Sunday 26th April 2009.
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 46
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 46
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Forename, surname, regiment
    Order of information: surname
Components
  • Stone of remembrance
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Granite
  • Tree
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Wood
  • Plaques
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Metal
Listing information
Condition
History
2009: Stone of Remembrance with the names of casualties added to replace original tree plaques which had gone missing.
Costs

Comments: Invoices for the trees are said to be in possession of the local branch of the Women's Institute. RBL sources say the people of Cobham were asked to donate 2s 6d each towards purchase of the trees. This is disputed by older members of the Cobham WI involved. The WI says a budget of £2/tree was made and paid by them. Upkeep of the memorial has been transferred to the local council, Elmbridge Borough Council, based in Esher, Surrey.

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Details: Various including Cobham Women's Institute
Responsibility
Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust and Elmbridge Borough Council
Reference
  • Local Publication/Booklet May 2009, pg 2-17 Cobham Conservation & Heritage Trust Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust (CCHT) cobhamheritage.org.uk/
  • Unidentified Newspaper/Magazine 30 April 2009

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.

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© WMR-23222

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