Location
The Cross is in the churchyard on the High Street side of the Cathedral, to the west of the path that formerly led from the High Street to the south door. The path itself was later moved to the other side of the cross.
Description
The wording around the base of the Cross is now very weathered and some of the names are unreadable. The list recorded below is derived from a Parish Magazine of November 1919 and some deductions made from the plaques themselves.
Memorial (c1926)
Memorial (Plaque 1)
Memorial (Plaque 7)
AND THE IMMORTAL MEMORY OF
THOSE WHO WENT FORTH FOR US
TO FIGHT AND DIE
FOR FREEDOM HONOUR AND PEACE
IN THE GREAT WAR
1914-1918
BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH AND I
WILL GIVE THEE THE CROWN OF LIFE.
Plaque 1
|
T. ADAMS P. J. ASPINALL F. S. ASPINALL R. C. ASPINALL A. G. BAIN H. BAIN |
N. D. BAYLEY, M.C. T. G. BEECH A. J. BATES T. A. C. BRABAZON S. BRADSHAW H. R. BROWN |
Plaque 2
|
T. BURNETT H. CLAY F. COTTRELL H. W. COUCH J. CRAVEN T. CURRIE |
W. B. DICKS T. EARL J. FORSTER W. FRANCIS J. G. GILES T. GILLIGAN |
Plaque 3
|
W. A. GILLINGHAM M.M. A. GILLINGHAM A. G. GILLMAN, M.C. R. L. GOOCH C. G. HAWKINS W. T. HENWOOD |
J. W. HUDSON A. J. HUGGETT H. P. INNES J. KANAVAN W. E. KENT C. KITCHINGHAM |
Plaque 4
|
T. H. KITCHINGHAM H. C. S. LOADER F. LOCKE J. MALLEY J. MARKS G. MATTHEWS |
S. MEADE A.L. L. MEAR W. W. MELVILLE F. MERRITT F. L. MITCHELL G. MOORE |
Plaque 5
|
H. C. MOORE A. W. MOREY F. M. A. NELDER G. C. A. NELDER A. NORTH A. J. PANNELL |
W. PARHAM A. PETRACCA W. H. PICKETTS G. POWELL W. F. REYNOLDS G. C. RICHARDS |
Plaque 6
|
A. ROLES W. H. ROY C. E. SAWYER R. SHEPHERD R. C. SLADE-BAKER W. J. T. SPERRING |
W. E. STONE J. F. SUTCLIFFE V. A. SYKES J. TAIT A. E. TILLEY D.C.M. H.J. TRUEMAN |
Plaque 7
|
R. H. TURNER D. UNDERDOWN J. J. V. WALDRON J. J. WELCH J. L. WELLESLEY- MILLER |
A.T.H. WHYMARK F. W. WOODS R. T. M. WYLLIE W. T. WYLLIE J. M. WHETTEM A. E. YOUNG |
OF PORTSMOUTH TOWN
AND THE CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL
WHO LOST THEIR LIVES
IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR
1939-1945.
Further Information
From: The Guides Guide to The Cathedral Church of Saint Thomas of Canterbury Portsmouth, 4th Edition 2004
"The War Memorial, resembling a medieval preaching cross, was designed by C. W. Bevis & Sons and built by H. G. Wilkins of Stamshaw in 1920. It commemorates by name those of the parish who died in the Great War, 1914-18. A second plaque added after World War II commemorates "our comrades from Portsmouth Town and the Church Sunday School". It stands on the site formally occupied by The Three Tuns, a three-gabled public house that at various times was also known as [The Red Lion,] The United Services Hotel and The Guildhall Tavern."
In 2007 the Cathedral authorities launched an appeal to raise money for the restoration of the Memorial in time for the 90th anniversary of the end of WW1 in November 2008. They approached the researchers working on this website and asked us to confirm the names commemorated on the memorial so that the plaques could be recut. From the outset we decided that not only would we confirm the names (which proved relatively simple) but that we would provide some background for each of the men named. A report on the work done in connection with this project appears on the next page.
Around 2009 some of the panels were indeed replaced, but as we had not been invited to contribute to the further determination of the names we did not have the opportunity to view the original panels when they were exposed.
