Memorial details

Memorial type
Pillar / Column
District
Thurrock
Town
Grays
County
Essex
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945), Korean War (1950-1953)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 6 March 1921
    Attended by: Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Lord Lambourne.
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
45800

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Current location

opposite the Old Courthouse
at the Junction between Orsett Road
High Street and London Road
Grays
Thurrock
Essex
RM17 5DD
England

OS Grid Ref: TQ 61420 78044
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
CONCRETE BASE SURMOUNTED BY STONE DOUBLE PLINTH, TAPERING COLUMN AND URN WITH SWAGS ON IT. DEDICATORY INSCRIPTION ON COPPER PLAQUES ON THREE SIDES OF THE PLINTH. ADDITIONAL PLAQUE FOR THE KOREAN WAR HAS BEEN ADDED. COPPER WREATH IN RELIEF AT THE BASE OF THE MAIN FRONT FACE OF THE COLUMN TOGETHER WITH AN URN AT EACH CORNER. A SHORT METAL FENCE HAS BEEN PROVIDED AROUND THE BASE OF THE MEMORIAL. FLOWER BEDS HAVE ALSO BEEN PROVIDED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE MEMORIAL AND WITHIN THEM ARE COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUES.
Inscription
west side of shaft: MONS/ YPRES/ SOMME/ AISNE/ ITALY/ GALLIPOLI/ MESOPOTAMIA/ (south face beneath copper wreath) 1939-45/ THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED IN THE/ YEAR 1920 BY THE GRATEFUL INHABITANTS/ OF GRAYS TO THE IMMORTAL MEMORY/ OF THEIR BRAVE FELLOW-TOWNSMEN WHO/ ANSWERING THE CALL OF DUTY LEFT HOME/ AND KINDRED IN ORDER TO DEFEND THE/ EMPIRE AND THE CAUSE OF JUSTICE AND/ ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE/ INSCRIBED ON THESE TABLETS, WHO LOST/ THEIR LIVES WHILST SERVING IN THE/ ARMED FORCES OF THE CROWN OR IN/ THE MERCANTILE MARINE DURING THE/ GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918./ "ON FAME'S ETERNAL CAMPING GROUND/ THEIR SILENT TENTS ARE SPREAD/ AND GLORY GUARDS WITH SOLEMN ROUND/ THIS BIVOUAC OF THE DEAD" east side: KUT/ GAZA/ SALONIKA/ JERUSALEM/ JUTLAND/ ZEEBRUGGE/ FALKLAND ISLANDS/ (names from WW1 and WW2) south side: (names from WW1) west side: 1939 - 1945/ IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THE MEN OF GRAYS WHO FELL IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ (names from WW2 and Korean War) plaque in western flower bed reads: This plaque is to honour/ those who served in Burma/ during the Second World War/ 1941 to 1945/ "When you go home, tell them of us and say/ For your tomorrow we gave our today"/ (Kohima Epitaph)/ Unveiled by the Mayor of Thurrock/(Councillor Julian Norris August 2000 plaque in eastern flower bed reads: This plaque is to honour those young men of/ this borough conscripted for National Service,/ to serve with two million two hundred thousand/ others between 1945 and 1963./ They served in all of the nations armed forces/ in search of peace, some only finding death./ Long may their quest for peace be appreciated./ Unveiled by the Mayor of Thurrock/ Cllr Norris, October 1999.
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Abbott, A T
Abrams, W C
Aldwinckle, H
Ambrose, F B
Anios, F A
Aslett, H C
Babbs, W J
Bailey, W D
Baker, A E
Baker, F D
See details for all 305 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 310
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 310
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, initials of forenames, decorations
    Order of information: surname THEN forename
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 70
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 70
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, forename initials, rank
    Order of information: surname
  • Korean War (1950-1953)
    Total names on memorial: 1
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 1
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Pillar
    Measurements: height c 10000mm
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Fence/ Railing
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Metal
Listing information
  • 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
History
November 2018 - railings added on the flower beds to prevent people from sitting on the beds and deter groups from using the site as a place to congregate and hang-out
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Responsibility
THURROCK COUNCIL
Reference

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-45800

For queries, please contact [email protected].