Plumtree
St Mary

War Memorial

The war memorial stands on high ground near the west gate to the churchyard and is about 4 metres tall. It is made from granite and has a cross mounted on a rhomboid base with three steps. Its west face has a sword in bas relief on it and the rhomboid section bears the names of those who died in the 1914-18 war. The memorial was unveiled by Major T.P. Barber DSO on 9 January 1921.

Names of those who died during 1939-45 have been added on the south face. One of these, the Revd Bernard Banting, was the son of the rector William Banting (1937-57) and was an army chaplain. He was taking a service burying a colleague when he stepped back on to a landmine and died instantly.

When the memorial was restored in 2014 the opportunity was taken to add the name of Private George Taylor of the 8th Bn Sherwood Foresters to the south face of the base as there was insufficient space on the west face. Private Taylor died from tuberculosis three weeks after the memorial was unveiled in January 1921 and consequently his name was originally omitted from the list of the fallen.

The War Memorial

Inscription on the west face
after restoration in 2014

Inscription on the south face
after restoration in 2014

Inscriptions

On the west face:

Hallowed be the memory of
the Men of this Parish
who gave their lives in
the Great War 1914-1919

Astill,   Ernest   Royal Engineers
Barlow,   Gerald   Sherwood Foresters
Braisby,   Frank M.   Lincolnshire Regiment
Cooper,   John W.   King’s Own Scottish Borderers
Cooper,   Joseph   Royal Garrison Artillery
Costall,   Frank   Sherwood Foresters
Cutler,   Bryant A.   Sherwood Foresters
Darby,   John   King’s Own Yorks Light Infantry
Davis,   Robert   Royal A.S.C. (M.T.)
Hallam,   John L.   Sherwood Foresters
Hayward,   John T.   Northd Fusiliers
Huyton,   Walter   King’s Liverpool Regiment
Leon,   Amos   Sherwood Foresters
Longden,   A. Henry   Sherwood Foresters
Martin,   John W.   Royal Sussex Regiment
Mitchell,   Thomas   Army Labour Corps
Pendleton,   Herbert   Shell Filling Factory
Smith,   S. Benjamin   Sherwood Foresters

The victor heroes rest in many lands
but here the symbol of their glory stands

On the south face:

1939 - 1945
GARETH BERNARD BANTING
CHAPLAIN NO 2 COMMANDO
FREDERICK HENRY HOLMES
FLIGHT LIEUT, R.A.F.
RICHARD ALFRED TERRY
PARACHUTE & LINC’S REGTS
MELVILLE FRANCIS FORTUNE
CPL R.A.F.

ALSO 1914-1919
TAYLOR, GEORGE,   SHERWOOD FORESTERS