War Memorial

A war memorial, incorporating two water troughs; built in 1917, the memorial was designed by Alfred Hoare Powell (1865-1960). It primarily commemorates the deaths of Mabel Dearmer (1872-1915) and her son Christopher (1894-1915), but was also adopted to commemorate the loss of the men of the village who died in the First and Second World Wars.

MATERIALS: local limestone, with metal plaques.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial takes the form of a conduit flanked by two water troughs, which are sheltered by walls to the rear and sides, with flat coping stones. To the centre, the tall, square column carries a brass tap for drinking, and is mounted with three plaques. The upper one is inscribed with the names, ranks regiments and services of the Fallen from the Second World War, seven in total. The middle plaque is inscribed: IN MEMORY OF MABEL DEARMER / WHO WENT FROM OAKRIDGE THE PLACE SHE LOVED BEST / TO GIVE HELP IN SERBIA WHERE SHE DIED OF FEVER / AT KRAGUJEVATZ ON JULY 11TH. 1915 AGED 43, AND OF / CHRISTOPHER DEARMER / WHO DIED OF WOUNDS AT SULVA BAY IN GALLIPOLI / ON OCTOBER 6TH. 1915 AGED 21 / PROUD OF THE WAR ALL GLORIOUS WENT THE SON. / LOATHING THE WAR ALL MOURNFUL WENT THE MOTHER. / EACH HAD THE SAME WAGE WHEN THE DAY WAS DONE. / TELL ME WAS EITHER BRAVER THAN THE OTHER. / THEY SLEPT IN MIRE WHO WENT SO COMELY EVER / THEN WHEN YOU WASH LET THE THOUGHT OF THEM ABIDE. / THEY KNEW THE PARCHING THIRST OF WOUNDS & FEVER. / HERE WHEN YOU DRINK REMEMBER THEM WHO DIED. The lower plaque is inscribed: THESE OAKRIDGE MEN / ALSO GAVE THEIR LIVES. Below are the names of the Fallen from the First World War – twenty-one in number.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 10 January 2017.