The War Memorials at Holy Trinity Church, Westcott comprise a stone Memorial Cross in the churchyard, near the northeast corner of the church, and a tablet for each of the two World Wars mounted on the south wall inside the church. Tablets for both World Wars are also on the north wall inside St John’s Chapel, Westcott. The First World War memorials are shown below:
The Holy Trinity memorial was unveiled by Lt. General Sir Edmund Elles, GCIE, KCB on Sunday 7th November 1920. The memorial is of an unusual design, comprising three panels surmounted by the words “Resting in Peace”. The panels bear the names and regiments of the thirty-six men who died, in order of rank and, within each rank, in regimental order of precedence. The men’s regimental badges are set in the stone of the panels.
The St John’ Chapel memorial bears the words “Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends” at the base. The men’s names and regiments are listed in a similar order to those at Holy Trinity. The cost of the 1914-1918 memorial tablets and the cross was raised by local subscription. We do not yet know who designed the memorials and we do not know who made the memorial at Holy Trinity. The St John’s memorial was made by Gilliams’, stonemasons of Dorking.
To mark the centenary of the First World War, the Westcott Local History Group has researched the stories of the men named on the memorial. They are set out below.
Our memorials, like others, have some errors. The headings on each entry are as shown on the memorials, but where errors exist, the text explains them and records the facts correctly as we believe them to be.
The sources for this research have been the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Officers’ and Other Ranks’ records of service, regimental war diaries and histories and family correspondence.
I should especially like to thank Nick Yeomans for all the help he has given me with this research. I also thank Terry Wooden, Roger Christian and Andrew Bailey for their contributions, relatives of those named on the memorial who have provided photographs and other family information, and the staff of regimental museums and others who have so helpfully answered our enquiries.
Books containing these tributes were presented to Holy Trinity Church on Remembrance Sunday 2014 and were placed on permanent display by the memorials in the church and in St John’s Chapel. The books also contain lists of all the Westcott men who served in the First World War.
We hope you will come and visit our Church when you are able to do so.
Peter Bennett
(Westcott Local History Group)
November 2014
Footnote: We would very much welcome further information about the men named on our memorial, so that we improve this record. We would be especially grateful for copies of photographs of the men, in uniform if possible.
If you can help please contact info@westcotthistory.org.uk.