The War Memorial is situated beside the front gate of St Michael’s Church at the top of Church Hill.
What little we know about the history of the Memorial is shown below. If you can add to these details, then we would like to hear from you. Please leave a comment or send a message.
Biographies of those listed on the memorial and other Musbury residents who lost their lives can be found clicking on the following: –
About the Memorial
In December 1920 a meeting, presided over by Major Soper, Chairman of the Parish Council, decided that there should be a determined effort to obtain a war memorial for the Musbury Parish. It was resolved that a memorial stone be placed in the churchyard or in the churchyard wall, and a committee was appointed to carry out the recommendation. Contributions to a fund set up for the purpose raised the total sum of £61 19s 6d. The cost of the memorial was £51 13s 4d, leaving over £10 as a fund for upkeep.
In March 1921 the war memorial tablet was affixed to the wall at the entrance to the churchyard and a dedication ceremony was held on Sunday afternoon, 10 April 1921.
Following the Second World War, the memorial’s inscription was renewed with a new tablet, which added the names of 4 men who had lost their lives between 1939 and 1945.
The memorial is now Grade 2 listed by Historic England, who describe it as follows.
The dark freestone memorial stands on top of the churchyard wall, to the west of the Church of St Michael (Grade 1 listed) and immediately to the right of the churchyard gate. In the manner of a shrine, it takes the form of a memorial tablet, fixed onto a raised panel with a pedimented top and two flanking, curved, braces on the side, defining the shelf to the front (for the placement of floral tributes). The pediment includes a wreath, carved in relief, either sides of which are the dates 1914, 1919. The inscription reads “TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN FROM THIS PARISH WHO FELL IN THE TWO GREAT WARS”. Below the names it reads “MAY THEY REST IN PEACE”.