Compton War Memorial

The war memorial stands in a prominent location on The Street in Compton set within a stone-walled semi-circular enclosure with a red brick course coping. It is constructed of grey Yorkstone and comprises a squared shaft tapering towards the top where it is surmounted by a terracotta lantern which is carved in the Arts and Crafts style. The shaft also has carved details in the Arts and Crafts style and splays out to the base where, on the two sides facing the road (the south and east sides), the names of 15 men who lost their lives in the war are inscribed. The other two faces are plain.

On the plinth the south face inscription reads: IN HONOURED MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF COMPTON/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1918. The east face is inscribed: THROUGH THE AGES ONE CLEAR/ FLAME OF SACRIFICE HAS BURNED/ AND BY ITS LIGHT MEN SEE GOD. The inscription probably links to the war memorial’s lantern design. The plinth stands on a one-stepped base of grey Yorkstone which in turn stands on a circular paved base.

A rectangular stone plaque was later fixed to the south face of the enclosure wall and is inscribed with: THEIR NAMES LIVETH FOR EVERMORE/ 1914-1918. Underneath are repeated the names of the 15 men who lost their lives in the First World War. Underneath is inscribed 1939-1945 and below are recorded the names of five men who lost their lives in the Second World War.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 5 December 2016.