Memorial details

Memorial type
Land
District
Wealden
Town
Birling Gap
County
East Sussex
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
40232

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Current location

Michel Dene
along from Beachy Head
Memorial
South Downs Way
Birling Gap
Wealden
East Sussex
None
England

OS Grid Ref: TV 54669 96534
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Seventy-one hectares of land at Michel Dene bequeathed to the National Trust by W A Robertson in commemoration of his brothers. Marked by a tapered, three-sectioned composite stone obelisk on the cliff, facing the sea, fixed to a rough stone base. There is a dedicatory inscription inset into the top segment of the front face of the obelisk.
Inscription
MICHEL DENE/ WAS BEQUEATHED TO THE/ NATIONAL TRUST/ BY W. A. ROBERTSON IN/ MEMORY OF HIS BROTHERS/ NORMAN CAIRNS/ ROBERTSON CAPTN./ 2ND BATT. HAMPSHIRE REGT./ WHO DIED 20TH JUNE 1917 AT/ HANOVER GERMANY AND OF/ LAURANCE GRANT/ ROBERTSON 2ND LIEUT/ 2ND BATTALION KING'S OWN/ SCOTTISH BORDERERS WHO/ WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN/ FRANCE DURING THE BATTLE/ OF THE SOMME IN OR NEAR/ DELVILLE WOOD 30TH JULY 1916
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Robertson, Luarance Grant
Robertson, Norman Cairns
See details for all 2 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 2
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 2
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Forenames, surname, rank, regiment, date of death, place of death, relationships
    Order of information: Rank
Components
  • Obelisk
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Concrete
Listing information
  • Robertson War Memorial Bequest Obelisk at Michel Dene, Crowlink
  • 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 obelisk marks land at Michel Dene and Went Hill which was purchased in 1940 with funds from the WA Robertson Memorial Fund. The fund was sent up by Mr Robertson to purchase and provide public access to property in memory of his two brothers who were killed in WW1.

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Private
Details: W.A. Robertson, brother of the deceased officers.
Responsibility
NATIONAL TRUST
Reference
  • Farnham Herald 9 June 2000

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-40232

For queries, please contact [email protected].