Memorial details

Memorial type
Obelisk
District
West Devon
Town
North Tawton
County
Devon
Country
England
Commemoration
Second World War (1939-1945), First World War (1914-1918)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 16th July 1921
    Attended by: The Earl of Portsmouth
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
26040

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.

Current location

Cemetery
Exeter Street,
North Tawton
West Devon
Devon
EX20 2BZ
England

OS Grid Ref: SS 66732 01624
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
TWO-STEPPED BASE SUMOUNTED BY SQUARE PLINTH AND OBELISK. INSCRIPTION ON PINK MARBLE TABLETS ATTACHED TO THE SIDES OF THE PLINTH. ALSO, INSCRIPTION ON POST ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE
Inscription
FACE ONE: IN HONOURED MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN/ THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918/ AND/ THE OWRLD WAR 1939 - 1945/ 1939 - 1945/ (NAMES)/ ERECTED BY THE LATE/ FRANK HENSON GIBBINGS/ F.R.C.V.S. FACE TWO AND THREE: 1914 - 1918/ (NAMES) FACE FOUR: 1914 - 1918/ (NAMES)/ "THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR/ EVERMORE."/ NUMBER WHO SERVED 306/ NUMBER WHO DIED 52 POST: THE/ POST/ AND/ CHAINS/ GIVEN BY/ WOMEN'S/ SECTION/ BRITISH/ LEGION.
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Alford, S
Anstey, F C
Arscott, W S
Attwell, M F
Avery, W W
Aysh, W
Barratt, W J A
Bolt, N F
Bolt, R
Bolt, Wallace John
See details for all 35 names
Commemorations
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 11
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 11
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname,rank
    Order of information: surname,rank
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 358
    Served and returned: 306
    Died: 52
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname,rank
    Order of information: surname,rank
Components
  • Tablets
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Marble - Pink
  • Obelisk
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
  • Obelisk
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
Listing information
  • North Tawton 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
Costs

Comments: The memorial obelisk was raised in War Memorial Park, a public space given to the town by Frank Gibbings. FH Gibbings FRCVS (1855-1918) was a veterinarian, born in North Tawton, who from the late-nineteenth-century was resident in Nottingham. He bequeathed the park along with £300 to lay it out and erect a memorial monument, and a further £200 for upkeep.

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Reference
  • Western Times - Friday 08 July 1921 Page 10 The "Frank Henson Giibbings" Park will be opened and War Memorial unveiled on Saturday 16th July, at 3 p.m. The Earl of Portsmouth, the Right hon. G. Lambert, M.P., Capt. L. Shaw and others have promised to take part in the unveiling of the War Memorials etc on the 16th inst. and the Park will be opened by My Arthur Gibbings, a Trustee of the donor. ---

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-26040

For queries, please contact [email protected].