Memorial details
- Memorial type
- Battlefield cross or marker
- District
- Salisbury
- Town
- Salisbury
- County
- Wiltshire
- Country
- England
- Commemoration
- First World War (1914-1918)
- Lost
- Not lost
- WM Reference
- 43616
Support IWM
Any gift we receive makes a vital contribution to our ongoing work, from conserving our collection to supporting our public programme.
Current location
Salisbury Cathedral
West Walk
Salisbury
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 2EJ
England
OS Grid Ref: SU 14321 29531
Denomination: Church of England
- Description
- Replica cross in the shape of the original Battlefield grave-marker, in untreated wood and with no identifying marks. At the base of the cross is the typed and laminated commemoration. When photographed in 2017, two Royal British Legion wooden crosses were attached to the lower upright . The cross is supported by a metal rod.
- Inscription
- (The original Battlefield Cross had a small metal plaque attached, whose inscription is unknown; the wooden panel displayed beneath it read): THIS CROSS MARKED THE PLACE WHERE/ CAPT. FRANCIS DODGSON WAS KILLED AND/ BURIED AT CONTALMAISON, BATTLE OF THE/ SOMME, JULY 10TH 1916. ELDEST SON OF THE/ LATE HENLEY F. DODGSON AND/ MRS HAMILTON FULTON.// (The inscription beneath the replica Cross reads): Capt Francis (Toby) Dodgson/ (Brother of Guy Dodgson)/ This Cross is a replica of the Battlefield Cross/ which marked the place where Toby fell at/ CONTALMAISON - BATTLE OF THE SOMME/ 10th July 1916/ The original Cross was stolen from these Cloisters/ in 2015//
- Inscription legible?
- yes
- Names on memorial
- Dodgson, Francis
See details - Commemorations
- First World War (1914-1918)
Total names on memorial: 1
Served and returned: 0
Died: 1
Exact count: yes
Information shown: Rank, forename, nickname, surname, relationship, place of death, date of death
Order of information: Undefined
- First World War (1914-1918)
- Components
- Battlefield Cross or Marker
Measurements: Undefined
Materials: Wood
- Battlefield Cross or Marker
- Listing information
- This memorial is not currently listed. Find out how to nominate this memorial for inclusion on the National Heritage List for England
- More about listing and the protection of historic places can be found on the Historic England website
- Condition
- Captain F Dodgson
- WMO ID: 81128
- Condition: Good [last updated on 27-07-2018]
- Help update these details if the condition is wrong
- History
- In 2015 the original WW1 Battlefield Cross that had marked the gravesite of Captain Francis (Toby) Dodgson was stolen from Salisbury Cathedral's cloisters. As an appeal for its return failed, a replica was made to replace it.
- Trust fund/Scholarship
- No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A - Responsibility
- Church of England
- Reference
- Salisbury Journal 27/10/2015: an article entitled "Cathedral shock as First World War cross is stolen" reported on the theft of the original Battlefield Cross, including the fact that "The cross was last seen on August 24 and reported missing on September 3", see www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/13897304.cathedral-shock-as-first-world-war-cross-is-stolen/
- The original Battlefield Cross re Francis' brother Guy Dodgson is at Salisbury Cathedral, see our reference 43615, www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/43615
- Captain Francis Dodgson. of the 8th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, is now buried in grave XXVIII in Serre Road Cemetery No2 in France, having been reinterred after the War, see www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/608537/FRANCIS DODGSON/
- The War Memorials Trust's record of the replica Cross is WMO 81128, see www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/81128/
- Dacorum Heritage Trust, Newsletter 84, Autumn 2016 (pages 2 and 3), reported the theft of the original Battlefield Cross of Francis (Toby) Dodgson from Salisbury Cathedral, and included his biography. www.dacorumheritage.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/DHT-Newsletter-No.-84.pdf
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-43616
For queries, please contact [email protected].