Summary

First World War memorial with further names added after the Second World War.

Description

First World War memorial with further names added after the Second World War, located within the churchyard of St Breaca’s Church.

MATERIALS: granite.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a Celtic-style wheel-head cross with raised bosses in the centre of the face and each arm of the cross. The cross rises on a tapering shaft which is set upon a two-stepped square plinth. The memorial stands on a single-stepped square base with an inclined stone scroll to the front of the memorial.

The inscriptions are leaded and painted black with the names listed down the shaft. The top step of the plinth is inscribed with: THIS CROSS WAS ERECTED BY PAST/ AND PRESENT INHABITANTS OF THE/ PARISH OF BREAGE, TO THE HONOURED/ MEMORY OF THE MEN OF BREAGE,/ GERMOE AND GODOLPHIN, WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918. The lower step reads: DEATH HATH NO MORE DOMINION OVER THEM.

The later panel is inscribed with the dedication: ALSO OF THE FOLLOWING WHO MADE/ THE SUPREME SACRIFICE IN THE/ WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES).

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised at Breage as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the Breage, Germoe and Godolphin communities, who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. It commemorates 24 local servicemen who died during the First World War and 16 from the Second World War. 

In 2009 the access to the memorial was improved with the help of grant aid from the War Memorials Trust.

Reasons for Listing

Breage, Germoe and Godolphin War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an elegant granite wheel-head cross;
* Group value: with the Church of St Breaca (Grade I), and Grade-II listed structures in the churchyard including the churchyard walls, gate and steps, listed tombs and a medieval cross.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478109

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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