1st Surrey Rifles War Memorial

The memorial stands to the north of the church of St Giles (Grade II*). It comprises a tall wheel-head cross with an octagonal cross shaft. That stands on a tall plinth and square, three-stepped, base. At the centre of the front face of the cross-head is carved CON/ COR/ DIA and to the rear VIK/ T/ RIX.

A hooded stone panel to the front (north) face of the plinth bears a bronze plaque with the Regimental badge of 1908-19 under which the principal dedicatory inscription reads TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY/ OF THE OFFICERS/ NCOS AND MEN/ OF THE/ FIRST SURREY RIFLES/ WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919.

To the rear a similar plaque reads BATTLE HONOURS/ 1ST BATTALION/ AUBERS FESTUBERT 1915 LOOS/ SOMME 1916, 1918 FLERS COURCELLE/ LE TRANSLOY MESSINES 1917/ YPRES 1917 CAMBRAI 1917/ ST QUENTIN BAPAUME 1918/ ANCRE 1918 AMIENS/ ALBERT 1918 PURSUIT TO MONS/ FRANCE AND FLANDERS 1915-1918/ 2ND BATTALION/ DOIRAN 1917 MACEDONIA 1916-1917/ GARA-EL MUGHAR NEBI SAMWI/ JERUSALEM JERICHO JORDAN/ TELL ASUR PALESTINE 1917-1918.

A small bronze plaque to the east face of the plinth reads ALSO IN MEMORY OF/ THOSE OF THE REGIMENT WHO/ SERVED IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR/ 1899-1902. The Second World War dedication is on the west face, reading ALSO TO THE MEMORY OF/ OUR COMRADES WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES IN THE WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945.

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 February 2017.