Outside RSA – Blogging while allatsea

Sedgeberrow War Memorial

JA

06/11/2018

Heritage, Memorials elsewhere, Military, Outside RSA, Parish Memorial, ROH, United Kingdom, World War 1

Sedgeberrow is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England, about 4.8 km south of Evesham. I first spotted the war memorial from the bus en route to Evesham and in early November 2018 made a trip to photograph it.

The memorial is next to the church of “St Mary the Virgin” and may be found at 52.045395°, -1.965749° and it really comprises 2 entities: A Crucifix, described as “Crucifix in stone under a canopy set on three steps. The inscription is on the risers of the steps.”

On the exterior wall of the church is affixed another plaque, and it is dedicated to those who served in The First World War. If I read it correctly there are 3 sets of brothers on the two memorials, although that would require additional research.

Unfortunately I was not able to access the church to see whether there were any memorials within it, and there are no formal CWGC graves in the churchyard.

Overbury War Memorial

JA

29/10/2018

Heritage, Memorials elsewhere, Outside RSA, Parish Memorial, ROH, United Kingdom, World War 1, World War 2

I visited the village of Overbury in Worcestershire on 20 October 2018 to photograph the war graves and war memorial in St Faith’s Churchyard. The war memorial is incorporated in the lych gate which makes it hard to photograph the inscriptions on the sides. There are 5 CWGC graves in the churchyard.

The Memorial commemorates the Men of Overbury and Conderton who gave their lives in the Great War (and the Second World War). There are 26 names from the First World War and 4 from the Second World War. (https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/32563)

The names on the memorial are shown below.

The Second World War plaque is much smaller.

The lych gate and war memorial in St Faith’s churchyard may be found at Google Earth co-ordinates 52.034918°, -2.064199°

Kemerton War Memorial

JA

24/10/2018

Heritage, Memorials elsewhere, Military, Outside RSA, Parish Memorial, ROH, United Kingdom, World War 1, World War 2

Kemerton is a small village in a string of villages between Tewkesbury and Evesham. I visited the village to photograph the memorial on 20/10/2018.

The War Memorial is described as a “Latin Limestone Cross atop a tall shaft, which is on a 5 stage base. The design of the cross was adapted from an ancient village cross in the village of Laycock.” (https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/32460). It was unveiled on 9 January 1921, and was made by Sir Herbert Baker RA (possibly the architect?), Messrs E T Taylor of Tewkesbury and Mr A Stanley of Kemerton. It is a Grade II listed structure.

There are 20 names from the First World War and 7 from the Second World War on the memorial.

The memorial may be found at Google Earth co-ordinates: 52.033202°, -2.079959°.

DRW 2018. Created 24/10/2018

Ashton-Under-Hill War Memorial

JA

23/10/2018

Heritage, Memorials elsewhere, Military, Outside RSA, Parish Memorial, United Kingdom, World War 1, World War 2

Ashton-Under-Hill is a small village between Tewkesbury and Evesham, and is one of a string of villages that I visited on 20/10/2018. The War Memorial is described as “Cross, with laurel wreath wrapped round the shaft, on a stepped square base,” it has 8 names from the First World War and 2 from the second. (https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/52116)

The main inscription is as follows:

On each side there are additional inscriptions, and I suspect the World War 1 names may have been added at a later date.

Guy Lea is buried in the nearby churchyard of St Barbara’s Church.

The church has three private memorials and a framed Roll of Honour mounted on a wall inside:

(RAF Memorial text recreated because of reflections)

The War Memorial may be found at Google Earth co-ordinates: 52.039634°, -2.005106°

Royal Naval Division Memorial in London

JA

15/10/2018

Heritage, London Memorials, Memorials elsewhere, Military, Outside RSA, United Kingdom, World War 1

The Royal Naval Division Memorial is located on Horse Guards Parade in London, but unfortunately is almost lost in the space as it is such a modest structure. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and was unveiled on 25 April 1925.

The Royal Naval Division (RND) was created by Winston Churchill, the First Lord of the Admiralty at the time, and it was manned by sailors, Royal Marines, and naval and marine reservists who were not required at sea. Although it was a land based division it was known for its strong maritime traditions, including the use of naval ranks and terminology. After serving in the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign it was deployed to the Western Front in late 1916 until the armistice in 1918. It lost 10,737 officers and men during the war; while 30,892 were wounded.

The Admiralty Citadel partly obscure the poem by Rupert Brooke 1887–1915 which is inscribed on the one side of the memorial. Brooke, a member of the Hood Battalion of the RND, died of disease while en route with the division to Gallipoli in April 1915

Blow out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!

There’s none of these so lonely and poor of old,

But, dying, has made us rarer gifts than gold.

These laid the world away; poured out the red

Sweet wine of youth; gave up the years to be

Of work and joy, and that unhoped serene,

That men call age; and those who would have been,

Their sons, they gave, their immortality.

The memorial was removed from its original site when work was started on the citadel, and it was eventually erected in a number of places before being re-installed in its original site on 13 November 2003. It is designated a grade II listed building.

In my opinion the glowering and overgrown citadel really overshadows the memorial, leaving it to look more like a feature as opposed to a proper memorial.

DRW 2013-2018. Created 14/10/2018

Tugboat Canning in Swansea

JA

10/10/2018

Heritage, Outside RSA, Personal, ships and shipping, transportation, United Kingdom

The preserved tug Canning, is permanently berthed in Swansea at the Swansea Maritime and Industrial Museum. She was built in 1954 and built by Cochrane & Sons of Selby for the Alexandra Towing Company and was based at Liverpool until being transferred to Swansea in 1966. She became the last steam tug to operate in the Bristol Channel, serving until 1974. She was retired to the Museum in 1975. (https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/4/canning)

She is a oil burner with a triple expansion engine by C D Holmes & Co. Ltd., Hull. Unusually there is even a builders plate for her engine makers on board.

She was not in a perfect condition and really needed some paint and derusting. I was unable to get onto the pontoon to see what she is like on the other side, and photographic positions were limited by the fence. Berthed ahead of her was the preserved light vessel “Lightship 91”, known as ‘Helwick’, and she too was very difficult to photograph.

To the best of my knowledge neither ships are open to the public.

Swindon Railway Works Plaques

JA

27/08/2018

Heritage, Memorials elsewhere, Military, Outside RSA, Trains & railways, transportation, United Kingdom, World War 1, World War 2

The plaques in this post were photographed at Steam. Museum of the Great Western Railroad that I visited in 2015. Unfortunately my images did not come out well, it really has to do with camera shake and long exposures associated with not using a flash. I have sharpened them as much as possible.

The Great Western Railway had it’s engine works in this railway town, and even built housing for its workers there, it was the biggest employer too and the Museum tells the story of the men and women who built, operated and travelled on the Great Western Railway. In wartime the works would have played a major part in maintaining the steam engines and in some cases using their heavy industrial facilities for wartime production. The labour force of men would have been affected by volunteering and conscription, and women began to play a role in keeping the works running. The carnage of the Western Front would have also affected the men who worked here, and a number of plaques have survived, commemorating those who never returned.

Frederick Hitch VC

JA

26/08/2018

Heritage, Memorials elsewhere, Military, Natal, Outside RSA, Rorke's Drift, United Kingdom, Victoria Cross, Zulu War

Frederick Hitch (27/11/1856 – 06/01/1913) was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Rorke’s Drift during the Anglo-Zulu War on 22–23 January 1879.

The Citation, recorded in the London Gazette of 2 May 1879, Issue: 24717, Page: 3178 reads:

“THE Queen has been graciously pleased to signify Her intention to confer the decoration of the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned Officers and Soldiers of Her Majesty’s Army, whose claims have been submitted for Her Majesty’s approval, for their gallant conduct in the defence of Rorke’s Drift, on the occasion of the attack by the Zulus, as recorded against their names, viz.:—

2nd Battalion 24th Regiment, Corporal William Allen and Private Frederick Hitch.

It was chiefly due to the courageous conduct of these men that communication with the hospital was kept up at all. Holding together at all costs a most dangerous post, raked in reverse by the enemy’s fire from the hill, they were both severely wounded, but their determined conduct enabled the patients to be withdrawn from the hospital, and when incapacitated by their wounds from fighting, they continued, as soon as their wounds had been dressed, to serve out ammunition to their comrades during the night.”

Frederick Hitch VC collapsed and died at his home whilst talking to a neighbour on the 6th of January 1913 and he was buried in St Nicholas Churchyard, Chiswick.

Bertram Stuart Trevelyan Archer GC

JA

23/08/2018

George Cross, Heritage, Memorials elsewhere, Military, Outside RSA, United Kingdom, World War 2

Bertram Stuart Trevelyan Archer (03/02/1915 – 03/05/2015) was awarded the George Cross for extensive work on defusing German bombs dropped on United Kingdom during World War II.

The Citation, recorded in the London Gazette of 30 September 1941, Issue: 35292, Page: 5653, reads

“The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the GEORGE CROSS in recognition of most conspicuous gallantry in carrying out hazardous work in a very brave manner, to: —
Second-Lieutenant (Acting Lieutenant) Bertram Stuart Trevelyan Archer (126305), Corps of Royal Engineers.”

Stuart Archer was the only VC or GC (up till 03/02/2015) to reach the age of 100. He passed away on 3rd May 2015 and was cremated at the New Southgate Crematorium.

Frederick Davies GC

JA

22/08/2018

George Cross, Heritage, Outside RSA, United Kingdom

Frederick Davies (17/02/1913 – 23/08/1945) was posthumously awarded the George Cross, for his efforts to rescue two sisters from a fire in Harlesden.

The Citation, recorded in the London Gazette of 1 February 1946, Supplement: 37455, Page: 805, reads:

“The KING has been graciously pleased to award the GEORGE CROSS to:-

Frederick DAVIES (deceased), Fireman, No. 34 (London) Area, National Fire Service.

Premises which consisted of a shop and house of five rooms caught fire. The N.F.S. were informed that two children were in the front room on the second floor. The escape was immediately slipped and pitched to the middle window of this floor. Before it was in position Davies ran up the escape.

At this stage flames were pouring from the windows on the second floor and licking up the front of the building. Upon Davies reaching the window he at once tried to enter but bursts of flame momentarily halted him. Undaunted, however, he climbed into the window with his back to the flames and entered the room. He was seen to endeavour to remove his tunic presumably to wrap it around and protect the children but his hands were now too badly burned for him to do so. During this time Davies was moving around the blazing room in an endeavour to locate the children, and after a short period he returned with a child in his arms whom he handed out of the window. He then turned back into the room to find the other child.

He was next seen to fling himself out of the window on to the escape, the whole of his clothing being alight. He was helped to the ground, the flames on his clothes were extinguished and he was conveyed to hospital suffering from severe burns. Later he died from his injuries.

The gallantry and outstanding devotion to duty displayed by Fireman Davies was of the highest order. He knew the danger he was facing, but with complete disregard of his own safety he made a most heroic attempt to rescue the two children. In so doing, he lost his life”

Neither Avril nor Jean Pike survived the fire. Frederick Davies is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, London.

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Category: Outside RSA