Summary
A First World War memorial dating to around 1920, altered after the Second World War.
Description
A First World War memorial dating to around 1920, altered after the Second World War.
MATERIALS: the monument is made of Portland stone.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is a 4.5m tall Celtic cross with an elongated shaft on a tapered four-sided plinth. The cross has a simple moulding around its edges and a central round boss. The plinth stands on two square steps. There is a square base beneath the steps. An inscription on the east side of the plinth reads: TO OUR MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914-1919/ LEST WE FORGET
A rectangular stone tablet has been added to the first step, leaning against the east face of the plinth. It bears the following inscription: ALSO/ THOSE WHO DIED/ IN THE SERVICE/ OF OTHERS/ 1939-1945
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 England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Ipswich as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 124 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The memorial is prominently located in front of the east end of the Grade II-listed Church of St John the Baptist. Two rectangular stone plaques bearing the names of the 124 men of the parish who fell in the First World War are displayed on the east end of the church, directly behind the monument. The memorial was dedicated on 3 April 1921. Vicar Canon H W Hinde led the service and Sir John Ganzoni MP unveiled the monument. The cross was designed and built by Mr E E Saunders.
Reasons for Listing
The St John the Baptist War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a good example of a stone Celtic cross.
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Group value:
* with the Grade II-listed Church of St John the Baptist.
External Links
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.
Recommended Books
Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)