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Calbourne

The memorial in the village of Calbourne in the west of the Isle of Wight is a Hopton Wood limestone wheel cross on a Portland stone plinth which stands on a very shallow Portland stone slab base. The cross is unusual in having quite short arms. In a circle in the middle of the cross is a cross pattee inscribed in low relief. There are trapezium–shaped recessed areas on the front and back faces of the memorial, and there are inscriptions within these. The memorial stands on the Green, beside All Saints Church and is Grade II listed.

In 2007/8 English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation offered £495 towards work to apply masonry biocide and clean the memorial, to pull weeds from the joints of the memorial and to re-point the joints.

The inscription on one face of the memorial reads

To the glory of God
and
in memory of
Calbourne men who died for their country
in the Great War
1914 – 1918

 On the opposite face are inscribed the names of the World War I fallen

William Cake, Stoker. P.O., R.N.
Albert William Saunders, Cpl., R.G.A
William Brine, Bdr., R.G.A.
Henry Cooper, Corpl., 221st Coy. R.E.
George Frederick Browne, Pte., (Queens) R.W. Surr. Regt.
Jesse Brine, Pte., Som. L.I.
James Jones, Pte., 2nd Hants. Regt.
Herbert Edwin Whittington, Sgt., I.of W. Rifles
Frank Brett, Rfn., I.of W. Rifles
Albert Edward Downer, Bugler I.of W. Rifles
Oliver Charles Harding, Rfn., I.of W. Rifles
Leonard Edward Punch, Pte., Labour Corps.

Below the recess are carved the names of Arthur Whittington Sgt R.E. and George Edgar Whittington 2/LT K.R.L.Regt. These names are not recorded in the report of the memorial’s unveiling that appeared in the Isle of Wight County Press on 9th October 1920. These names were then perhaps added later.

On one of the side faces of the plinth is the dedication to the fallen of World War II

Also of those
who gave their lives
in the war
1939 – 1945

G.L. Barnet, A.B., R.N.
W.F. Holbrooke, GNR, R.A.

The memorial was designed by Sir Arthur Day and made and erected by T & J Ellery of Ryde. The cost – just over £200 – was paid by public subscription. The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 3rd October 1920 by Lady Laura Simeon, and dedicated by Revd. Dr. L G Tugwell, rector and rural dean of West Wight.

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM1979
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 21730

More information at the Isle of Wight Memorials & Monuments website

If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org

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