 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.
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 |
| 
The War Memorial
Inscription on the south face
