Stratford-upon-Avon Second World War Memorial

War memorial, circa 1954.

MATERIALS: constructed of limestone.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial comprises a concave wall of coursed limestone ashlar with moulded coping stones. It is approached by a semi-circular, three-stepped base. The top of the wall is inscribed with a quotation from William Shakespeare’s play Henry V, and the extract from Act IV, Scene iii, often referred to as the St Crispin’s Day speech, reads:

FROM THIS DAY TO THE ENDING OF THE WORLD, BUT WE IN IT SHALT BE / REMEMBERED: WE FEW, WE HAPPY FEW, WE BAND OF BROTHERS

Beneath are a row of five bronze plaques set in chamfered niches. The central plaque is inscribed:

IN / GRATEFUL MEMORY / OF THE MEN OF / STRATFORD / UPON / AVON / WHO LAID DOWN / THEIR LIVES FOR / THEIR COUNTRY / IN THE 1939-1945 / WAR

The names of the 100 men who died in the conflict are listed on the other four plaques. The central stone shelf below is for displaying wreaths, and to either side is an additional bronze plaque. That to the left is inscribed ALSO THOSE KILLED ON / ACTIVE SERVICE OR SERVICE OF / A WAR LIKE NATURE SINCE 1945, beneath which five names have been added. That to the right is titled SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1946 and lists a further six names.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 17 January 2017.