Bisham War Memorial

MATERIALS: Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial takes the form of a calvary, with a canopied figure of the crucified Christ, his feet supported on a small ledge. It stands c1.8m high. The shaft tapers and is chamfered, and almost rounded at the bottom, in towards a narrower, circular section that stands atop the base.

The memorial’s defining feature is the distinctive Romanesque figure of Christ. It is a triumphant figure, not a suffering or victimised Christ. The head, arms and torso are strong and stiff, with much definition to the biceps. The legs are swathed in elegantly-folding wrappings from his waist down. The nails in the hands and feet are chunky, the legs part and bend slightly, the toes just protruding across the edge of the ledge. The wound in the left side of the abdomen is visibly depicted. A crown of thorns is worn around the head.

At the canopy, above the figure of Christ, is the inscription: INRI. The front face of the shaft reads: JESU/ MY/ STRENGTH/ AND MY/ REDEEMER. The right side of the shaft reads: REMEMBER/ F S KELLY DSC/ BISHAM GRANGE/ + NOV. 13. 1916/ REMEMBER LIKEWISE HIS/ COMRADES IN/ ARMS OF THIS/ COUNTRYSIDE (NAMES in date order).

On the left side of the shaft the inscription reads: ERECTED/ IN MEMORY OF/ A MOST BELOVED/ BROTHER/ LIEUT. COMMDR./ FREDERICK SEP-/ TIMUS KELLY/ DSC/ HOOD BATTLN./ RYL. NAVAL DIVN./ WHO FELL AT THE/ TAKING OF BEAU-/ COURT SUR ANCRE/ AFTER SERVING/ THROUGHOUT/ THE GALLIPOLI/ CAMPAIGN/ REMEMBER/ ALSO (seven Second World War names in date order).

On the base the inscription from Shakespeare’s Henry V reads: HERE WAS/ A ROYAL FELLOWSHIP/ OF DEATH.

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 January 2017.