WW1 memorial, St Mary, Ross on Wye

Most, if not all, cities, towns and villages have an outdoor cenotaph listing the fallen of WW1, WW2 and subsequent conflicts. In November it becomes the focus of remembrance of those who gave their lives in the military service of their nation. In many places this memorial is complemented by a similar list of the fallen of, particularly, WW1 in the local Anglican church. This conflict - the "war to end all wars" - resulted in more miltary deaths than earlier or later wars in which Britain had been involved and profoundly affected society and families across the nation. The memorial in the church of St Mary, Ross on Wye, is very typical of such monuments. It lists the names in alphabetical order (some do it by rank!) followed by the regiment or service in which they fought and features the line from Horace (Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori). Also typical is the dates and a decorative mosaic, here featuring a cross and wreath. It is spotlit, hence the vignette-like fall off of light towards the edges.

Writing the above brought to mind a brass memorial that I recall seeing in Sutterton church in Lincolnshire.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Figure, War Memorial, Abergavenny

The sculpted WW1 soldier on the war memorial on Frogmore Street, Abergavenny, is the work of Gilbert Ledward. His "Tommy" rests on his Lee Enfield rifle, looking tired and worn by conflict. The monument, with its bronze figure, was unveiled in 1921, a tribute to the 374 men of the 3rd Battalion of the Monmouthshire Regiment from the town and surrounding area who died in WW1. Remarkably, 311 of those fell in Belgium in 1915 during the second battle of Ypres. Today the memorial is the focus of the town's annual Remembrance Service.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

A First World War memorial window

Often memorial windows to those who fought and were injured or died in the two major wars of the twentieth century contain calm, reflective, sombre images. But a minority seek to show something of the fury and horror of mechanized warfare depicting combatants, machine guns, armoured vehicles, aircraft etc. The photograph above is a detail of a stained glass window in Worcester Cathedral and it clearly falls into the latter category. It dates from about 1921 and is by the Scottish artist, James Eadie Reid (1868-1928) who, as well as working in stained glass, designed wall murals for churches.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Remembrance poppies

The poppies and crosses above are a small section of those placed in the grounds of Hereford Cathedral as part of its remembrance of the sacrifice of those who died in the service of their country, and more particularly, given that it is the centenary of the 1918 armistice, those who fell in "the war to end all wars".

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

WW1 remembrance

Remembrance events for WW1 have been extensive over the past four years. Currently, in Herefordshire (and elsewhere for all I know) many businesses, settlements and churches feature a black metal silhouette of a Great War British soldier. The other day I came across another soldier's silhouette in the small cathedral in Newport, South Wales. The tower arch leading into the nave was filled by a large board with a profile cut from it. The edge of the profile was grooved and a string of LEDs had been placed there. This gave emphasis to the profile, and this remarkable and affecting  effect was achieved at a nominal cost.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100