War Memorial
Historical background
A special meeting of the Colwall Parish Council was held in the Workmen's Hall in August 1919 to receive a report on the War Memorial which was reported in The Ledbury Guardian. There was some discussion on whether the money would be better spent on a scholarship fund for children. It was unanimously agreed that a memorial should be erected but at a cost of no more than £250 and a resolution to that effect should be submitted to the next parish meeting.
In 1920 a meeting of Colwall Parochial Church council was held in The Parish Room. It was decided that the Ale House garden was to become the Memorial Garden in memory of those who died during the 1914-1918 War. The rector, Dr C Harris, (whose son, Noel Charles Harris, had died in Mesopotamia in the War) had composed the music for the hymn "O Valiant Hearts"(also known as "The Supreme Sacrifice") written by his friend John S Arkwright. Dr and Mrs Harris donated £100, including £60 from the profits of the hymn music.
On Sunday 12th December 1920 Colwall's Memorial to the Fallen was unveiled by Mr J S Arkwright. The event was reported in the local Newspaper which included the following description.
"A very impressive ceremony took place on Sunday afternoon at Old Colwall Church,
when a crucifix of Portland stone was unveiled to the memory of parishioners who fell during the War.
A muffled peal of Grandsire Triples (516 changes) was rung. The Rector of Colwall, Dr. C Harris DD.
opened the service with the “Dead March of Saul” and Mr J S Arkwright, a former M.P. for Hereford City,
read the lesson.
Dr. Harris then gave a stirring address, in which he touched upon the magnificent courage of the men
who volunteered for service without thought of anything but their country.
At the conclusion of the address, “The Supreme Sacrifice” , written by Mr John S Arkwright,
and set to music by the Rector of Colwall was sung. Many women sobbed bitterly.
Uttering the words "In memory of those of this Parish who laid down their lives for their country,
I unveil this memorial" Mr. Arkwright released the strings and the covering drapery slowly fluttered to the ground.
The names of the fallen were read out by the Rector."
World War 1 Commemorated Names
The war memorial has eight panels engraved with the names of those who lost their lives in WW 1. The link below the panels give further information about the lives of those who died.
World War 2 Commemorated Names
Further panels were placed above the WW 1 panels, which have the names of those who lost their lives in the second World.
Memorials and Gravestones
For information on the memorials and gravestones to the men who are buried in St James' Churchyard please look at the church website
Vestry Board and New Memorial
There is also a board in the church vestry which lists the names of those who died in World War 1.
The list includes 12 names that do not appear on the war memorial. In addition, Hector Clarke and William Heath who died in 1919 and who have Commonwealth War Graves in the churchyard were not included.
In 2023 Denis Porter offered his time and expertise to engrave a new memorial for those whose names were not on the existing memorial.
World War 1
LEONARD GRAHAM BENDALL
RONALD GEORGE BLACK
CHARLES EDWIN BOOTON
ALFRED EDWARD BOWKETT
E [HERBERT CHARLES] CHAMBERLAIN
HECTOR EDWARD CLARKE
ERNEST JOHN CROUCH
EDGAR ARTHUR GEORGE GITTENS
WILLIAM GEORGE JOHN HEATH
ALBERT THOMAS JAMES
HENRY GEORGE STOBART LAING
JOHN MILLARD LETT
F OLIVER
World War 2
Acknowledgements
The Village Society is indebted to the biographical research which was undertaken by Jenny Harrison (WW1) and the late Nick Neve (WW2).
The original historical research was undertaken by Nick Neve in 2005 and produced as a Colwall Village Society
publication, which can be downloaded here.
The work on the WWI lives was extended in 2013 by Jenny Harrison so that
"The names inscribed on the Colwall war memorial and on the oak framed handwritten list in the vestry will be remembered as not just words engraved on stone and written on paper, but as men with characters and families who went from Colwall and gave their lives for their country."