THE MEMORIALS
(in order of unveiling)
THE METHODIST CHAPEL
The first of the town’s war memorials to be
unveiled was in the Methodist Chapel, on Thursday 25th March 1920.
The memorial consists of a brass tablet mounted on oak and it is situated on the
north wall of the chapel. The inscription reads:
TO THE GLORY OF
GOD AND TO HONOUR THE MEMORY OF THE GALLANT MEN OF THIS CHURCH AND CONGREGATION
WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES AND OF THOSE WHO SERVED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919
It
is interesting to note that Charles Drew is not
commemorated on any other war memorial in the town. All of the other casualties
are also commemorated on the memorials in the Higher Bullring and St Andrew’s
Church. Private A Mitchell, who is shown as having served, died on 29th March
1920, four days after the memorial was unveiled, presumably of wounds received
during the war. He is buried in Cullompton Cemetery.
There is no memorial in the Methodist Chapel specifically relating to the Second World War, but a pane in the window next to the Great War memorial commemorates Flight Serjeant W. S. Grant, 1915-1945.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH
The second place of worship to unveil a
memorial to the men of the town was the Baptist Church. On Thursday 20th
May 1920, Major AE Nichols MC BA, son of the then pastor unveiled a memorial
window, twelve feet six inches in height and three feet ten inches in width,
inserted into the east side of the church. Unfortunately the middle section of
the window is now partially obscured because of a later construction. Designed
by Messrs Drake & Son of Exeter, the window includes scrolls to those who
fell. Each man’s name and regiment is shown, together with their regimental
cap badge. Those commemorated on the scrolls are Private
Henry John Mills, Private Frederick James Parsons,
Sergeant William Wellington, Private
John Denner, Corporal Ernest Charles Hugh Stone,
Second Lieutenant Percy Miller Labdon, Private
Ernest Bowden and Gunner Richard James Edwin
Bradbeer.
Next to the memorial window is a bronze
plaque commemorating all those of the church who served during the Great War.
There is also a stone memorial in memory of Percy
Miller Labdon. It is situated on the wall under a memorial to his
grandparents, Rev. Benjamin Miller, Pastor of the church for 19 years, and his
wife Mary.
There is no memorial in the Baptist Church relating to the Second World War.
THE BULLRING AND ST ANDREW’S CHURCH
The original date set for the unveiling of
the town memorial in the Higher Bullring was 15th July 1920, but work
was not completed on time and the ceremony had to be postponed. The unveiling of the memorial
in St Andrew’s church was delayed to coincide with that of the town memorial,
and both were eventually unveiled on Thursday 2nd September 1920.
The memorial in the Higher Bullring is made
of Devonshire granite and consists of a runic cross, eight feet in height, on a
solid base, eleven feet high. The inscription reads:
THE
GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918
THIS MEMORIAL WAS RAISED BY THE INHABITANTS
OF CULLOMPTON TO THE GLORY OF GOD, AND IN HONOUR OF THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE HEREON
RECORDED WHO PLACING COUNTRY BEFORE COMFORT, AND HONOUR, BEFORE EASE, GAVE THEIR
LIVES IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.
The names of those who died are shown in
blackened lead lettering, together with their ranks and regiments. Sixty nine
men were originally commemorated when the memorial was unveiled. The names of Private
G Luxton and CSM S Harris were added at a later
date. In some instances the information given is incorrect (see information on
individuals for details).
The town memorial was unveiled by Major C Mortimore DSO. A public appeal for funding in the sum of £600 was launched in January 1919 and in a short period of time £591 18s and 2d was donated. Messrs Fox Brown & Co Ltd gifted £100. The war memorial committee anticipated that any surplus funds would be given to the non-conformist bodies in the town for their memorials.
In May 1921 the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, visited Cullompton. Alterations were necessary in order to add the names of seventeen of the fallen of the Second World War. The memorial was unveiled again on 11th November 1950.
The inscription reads:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOURED MEMORY OF
THE BRAVE SONS OF CULLOMPTON WHO FELL FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM & VICTORY IN THE
GREAT WAR.
As with the town memorial, sixty nine names
were shown on the memorial when it was unveiled. The men are listed
alphabetically by service and by regiment, except Pte G Luxton and CSM S Harris
who were added later and are therefore out of sequence. The errors on the town
memorial are duplicated here.
Within the church there is a brass plaque commemorating the death in action of Private George Ewens and a handwritten scroll showing the names of all those who served, arranged by service, and all those who gave their lives. Two men appear on the latter list but not on any of the other memorials in the town; Albert Daniels and Stanley Southwood. Both men are commemorated on the town memorial in nearby Bradninch.
Those who fell in the Second World War are
commemorated on a stained glass window in the church and a memorial scroll,
which is situated under the window. The inscription reads:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD. IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THOSE OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR KING & COUNTRY DURING THE YEARS 1939 & 1945.
Eighteen servicemen are
listed, the addition to the town memorial being T Johnstone.
At the front of the church
there is an American flag and a wooden plaque on which is written, in gold
lettering:
THIS AMERICAN FLAG &
TABLET ARE PLACED HERE IN COMMEMORATION OF THE THANKSGIVING SERVICE HELD FOR
AMERICAN TROOPS IN THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST ANDREW, CULLOMPTON ON THE LAST
THURSDAY OF NOVEMBER 1943.
