Hemel Hempstead War Memorial

The Hemel Hempstead War Memorial is a First World War memorial, with later additions for subsequent conflicts, erected in 1921. It commemorates the names of those who fell in the Second World War, the Malayan Emergency, the Aden Emergency, the Falklands War, and the Afghanistan conflict.

The memorial is made of carved limestone and is located on a green at the corner of St John’s Road and Station Road, next to the churchyard of the Church of St John the Evangelist. It features a St Chad’s cross on the capital of an octagonal column, which has a moulded and stepped base. This column is supported by a square pedestal, a low chamfered plinth, and a two-tier stepped base.

An inscription in black lettering runs around the four faces of the base of the column, stating "SACRIFICE 1914-1919, HONOUR, VALOUR, VICTORY." The pedestal below has limestone tablets listing the names of 356 local residents who died during the First World War. The plinth is inscribed "1939 – 1945" on each side and carries four tablets with the names of 151 residents who died in the Second World War, as well as four additional tablets inscribed with "MALAYA 1951-1953 NAMES," "ADEN 1965 NAME," "SOUTH ATLANTIC 1982 NAMES," and "AFGHANISTAN 2001- NAMES" and "AFGHANISTAN 2001 NAME." This includes two residents who lost their lives during the Malayan Emergency, one during the Aden Emergency, two during the Falklands War, and three during the war in Afghanistan.