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The Chard and IIminster News published this
detailed account of the unveiling ceremony and proceedings which
took place on Sunday, 11th November, 1923. This was a major
occasion, and the newspaper produced a well crafted report. It
contains much valuable detail , there being no pictures were
available for reproduction- a reminder , if one is needed, of how
things have changed over the last century or so. Thanks to Anne
Rose who provided the source document.
The beautiful memorial to the fallen which
the people of Winsham and Cricket St Thomas have been preparing
for some considerable time-spurred on by the warm support of Major
G.F. Davies of Leigh House, MP for the Yeovil Division of
Somerset-was unveiled at an impressive service on Sunday afternoon
by Maj.-Gen. Sir Webb
Gilman, K.C.M.G.,C.B.,D.S.O., Commander of the Royal Military
Academy, Woolwich.
Erected at the cross-roads at the entrance to
Winsham, the memorial occupies a quadrant of land in the angle
formed by the Chard road and that to Ammerham, and takes the form
of a Celtic cross' The base is admirably laid outin circular form,
being mounted by steps from the Ammerham road side. On this rises
the weathered octagonal base of the memorial, itself indented with
two flights of steps to enable visitors to mount to read the
inscription on the shaft The cross is a monolith of Ham Hill
stone, carved in low relief on two sides. The wreath
characteristic of the Celtic cross is in this case formed of the
Crown of Thorns. On the side facing the village appears the
inscription: "In
memory of the men of Winsham and Cricket St. Thomas who fell in
the Great War, 1914-1918"; and on the other side are the lines:
"True love by life-True love by death is tried: Live thou for
England: We for England died." The full Roll of Honour is
inscribed as follows:- Frank Bridle, Percy Bridle, Walter Bridle,
Augustus Brown, Walter Brown, Edwin Budge, Sidney Butler,
Ernest Cottrell, Archibald Forsey, Harold Fry, Charles
Garrett, Herbert Gill, William Good, Fred Hawker, Louis Loaring,
Wilfred Northcombe, R.N.
John Perrott, William Rowe, Albert Russell,
John Spurdle, Sidney Spurdle, John Sylvester, John Trott, R.N.
James White.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by not
only by a representative
gathering of inhabitants of the two parishes concerned, but
by a large number of visitors from Chard and other places. The
Winsham Coronation Band, children from the village school, the
Girl Guides under the District Commissioner( Miss Edith Langdon)
and Captain (Miss Budge), members of the British Legion, War
Memorial Committee, headed by Mr T.M. Loaring ( Chairman of
Winsham Parish Council), choir, Vicar (Rev. F.D. Richardson), and
Congregational minister( Rev. W. Williams) formed in procession
outside the Parish Church, and walking to the cross, formed the
inner ring of the crowded assembly. The Senior Service was
represented by Capt.
Warren, R.N., and Chard British Legion by its hon. secretary, Mr.
G.W. Stembridge, and several members.
The hymns," Fight the good fight" and " O God
our help in ages past," were sung, and a short form of dedication
service conducted by the Vicar, the lesson from Wisdom iii,1-6,
being read by Rev. W.Williams.
After the cross had been unveiled and the
words of the dedication pronounced by Major-Gen. Gilmar, the Last
Post was sounded, and Major Davies spoke briefly from the steps of
the cross.
"We are net together", he said," to witness
the realisation and completion of dreams and plans that have been
in the making during the past few years. To-day is Armistice Day,
the anniversary of that day five years ago when from Switzerland
to the sea the roar of the artillery, the rattle of machine guns,
the crack of rifle bullets, which had been incessant for four long
years, were suddenly hushed, and a great silence fell on the noise
of war. That day and that silence have passed into history and
wherever the English language is spoken and an English heart
beats, year after year, that silence will be served and thought
will go out to the Cenotaph in Whitehall and to the grave
of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey.
"But we are not only celebrating Armistice
Day here in Winsham. To-day we are dedicating our own memorial to
those men of Winsham and Cricket St. Thomas who gave their lives
in the Great War. You will remember that first when I came to live
among you three and a half years ago, one of the first things I
did was to interest myself in the erection of a War Memorial, and
now after all that time we see it completed.
" In too many places the erection of a war
memorial has been the cause of friction between people of
different religions and other opinions, but here in Winsham I
think we can congratulate ourselves that the whole village has
been at one in the matter. We have to thank many kind friends
whose practical assistance has enabled us to erect a memorial not
unworthy of what it stands for.
"First, I would mention Mr Ward Coleridge ,
K.C., who made a free gift of the land on which this memorial
stands. Then Mr Spurdle who surrendered his tenant rights to it;
then Messrs Bird & Bird, the firm of London Solicitors whogave
their services and , finally Messrs Alexander Poole
& Co., in the person of Mr Lee, who erected the memorial at
cost without any profit to themselves. I also wish to pay tribute
to the architect, Mr Streatfield , who has designed such an
artistic monument. And I wish, in the name of you all, to take
this opportunity of publicly thanking them for their valued help
and assistance.
"There are some here who cannot but think of
this occasion with grief and sorrow in their hearts, and there may
be others who will say :'To what good was this sacrifice?'
To such I would say: 'What does it profit a man to gain the
whole world and lose his own soul?'
Obedience to the call of duty is greater than a vain
attempt to live for oneself alone. And for us that remain to carry
on their work, while we may not be called upon to die for our
country, yet we have the harder task
to live for our country. At a time like this when we are
faced with problems without and within such as we have never had
to deal with before, it is the duty of each one of us to do our
share in helping to find the right solution to these problems.
" So, while there cannot but be an element of
sadness in our gathering here to-day, yet we may finish on a note
of triumph and take to ourselves
those words which you will see
inscribed on
this monument:
'True love by life-true love by death is
tried,
Live thou for England: We for England
died'."
Wreaths
and other floral tributes for placing at the foot of the
memorial were at the close of the service received by members of
the British Legion. The Legion itself was represented by a wreath
of laurel and Flanders poppies, while other flowers were from the
War Memorial Committee and Parish Council, The Winsham Football
Club, Leigh House, Cricket House, Forde Abbey , and various
relatives of the fallen.
A clear and sunny afternoon favoured the
ceremony.
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