War Memorial In Brantham Industrial Estate

BRANTHAM

1344/0/10009 War Memorial in Brantham Industrial Es 21-FEB-11 tate

II War memorial, 1948

MATERIALS: stone and bronze

PLAN: stepped, cross base plinth surmounted by square based pedestal and tapered shaft.

The inscription on the west side reads 'IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL/ MEMORY OF THE GALLANT/ MEN WHO LEFT THIS PLACE/ TO FIGHT IN THE CAUSE/ OF LIBERTYAND JUSTICE/ AND WHO LAID DOWN THEIR/ LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919/ (NAMES) / THEIR NAME LIVETH FOREVER MORE'.

Beneath this inscription a second bronze plaque is inscribed 'AND IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL/ MEMORY OF THEIR COMRADES/ WHO DIED FOR THE SAME CAUSE/ DURING THE YEARS 1939-1945/ (NAMES)'.

The factory, in the years covered by the memorial, was British Xylonite, who had another factory at Hale End, Walthamstow, London Borough of Hackney. The names on the east face of the memorial are men from the Brantham factory those on the west face are those from Hale End who lost their lives in one of the two world wars.

HISTORY: the concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the 19th century. Prior to then memorials were rare and were mainly dedicated to individual officers, or sometimes regiments. The first large-scale erection of war memorials dedicated to the ordinary soldier followed the Second Boer War of 1899-1902, which was the first major war following reforms to the British Army which led to regiments being recruited from local communities and with volunteer soldiers. However, it was the aftermath of the First World War that was the great age of memorial building, both as a result of the huge impact the death of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

The War Memorial in Brantham Industrial Estate was unveiled on 7th November 1948 by a Mr L. P. B Merriam. It commemorates those who had worked in the adjacent factory and were killed in either the First or Second World Wars.

SOURCES: UK National Inventory of War Memorials. Ref 11463

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION: The War Memorial in Brantham Industrial Estate is designated at Grade II, for the following principal reasons: * Historic Interest: it is an important reminder of nationally and internationally significant events * Architectural interest: a good example of a relatively simple but architecturally distinct tribute to the fallen of two world wars * Social interest: it is unusual in that it remembers those who worked for a specific company rather than those who lived in a particular community, as is more often the case

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, 10 August 2017.