Bishops Cleeve War Memorial

   LEAVING CHELTENHAM …………..and all that was dear

Bishops Cleeve War Memorial

Location:   Church Road, Bishops Cleeve

Grid Reference:   SO 961277

Unveiled:  25th September 1919

Names listed on this War Memorial:   55

Last Visited:   15th September 2018

Imperial War Museum War Memorial Register Number:   20785

Further information from GlosGen can be viewed here.

The War Memorial was rededicated at a special ceremony on Sunday 2nd September 2018.   The ceremony, which included the Rt Rev Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester, was conducted ahead of the village’s event to mark the centenary of the Armistice on 11th November 2018.

The cross at the top of the Memorial has been replaced, and below this there is a new shaft, which has made the structure around twice as tall.  A photo of the refurbished Memorial is below – compare with the photo of the Memorial with the short shaft (and compare with the photo at the bottom of the page showing the original shaft).

The project was driven by the Bishop’s Cleeve parish Council, costing around £12,000.

  Copyright:  Allan D James, 15th September 2018

  Copyright:  Allan D James, 2018

Inscriptions on this War Memorial:   To the greater glory of God and in loving memory of those men who laid down their lives in the Great War.   May they rest in peace.

Alphabetical list of names inscribed on this War Memorial

Aldridge G  *

Aston E

Bailey D

Barnes H

Barnes R

Barnett L  *

Bridges G

Burnett C

Chandler R  *

Church W

Clark G

Coombes W

Coupland-Smith V

Draper P

Eager D

Eager F

East W

Etheridge W

Gilder G

Goodall J

Goring J

Hall E

Hamblin R

Holder A

Holder R

Hopcraft Paul

Hopcraft Peter

Kingston C

Kitchen W

Knight W

Large G  *

Large W  *

Lewis E  *

Lloyd T

Long W

Mansell D

Mansell L

Merrett H  *

Norris R

Oakey H

Page D  *

Pearce H

Pitman S  *

Price J

Price P  *

Robbins R

Robinson R  *

Shipway C

Simpson A

Smith E

Stephenson E  *

Surman L

Tarling R

Webb F

Windiate B

Those marked with * should be linked with the notes against their name below.

Full service details of those named on the War Memorial can be seen at the foot of this page.

Notes:

1.   Aldridge is commemorated on the family grave in the Bishop’s Cleeve (St Michael’s) Churchyard.

2.   Barnett is buried in Cheltenham Cemetery.

3.   Chandler is commemorated on the Woolstone (St Martin’s Church) Roll of Honour.

4.   Large G is commemorated on the family grave in Bishop’s Cleeve (St Michael’s) Churchyard.

5.   Large W died of illness in Canada on 23rd October 1921 and is buried in Saskatchewan.

6.   Lewis E is probably John Edward Lewis.

7.   Merrett is buried in Bishops Cleeve (St Michael’s) Churchyard.

8.   Page is buried in Bishops Cleeve (St Michael’s) Churchyard.

9.   Pitman is buried in Bishops Cleeve (St Michael’s) Churchyard.

10.  Price P is probably Alfred Percy Price.

11.  Robinson is most probably George Robinson known as Dick.   He is buried in Cheltenham Cemetery.

12.  Stephenson E is probably Bernard Ernest Stephenson.

13.  All those listed on the Southam and Cleeve Hill War Memorial are commemorated on this memorial.

14.  All those on the Cleeve Hill (St Peter’s Church) Roll of Honour are listed on this memorial.

15.  In St Michael’s Church there is a Roll of Honour which lists all local men who served in the Great War.

16.  Commemoration in Bishop’s Cleeve (St Michael’s) Churchyard can be found here.

17.  All are commemorated in the Roll of Honour pages.

Bishop’s Cleeve War Memorial

Church Road, Bishops Cleeve, Glos

Compare this photo, taken in the early fifties at the original location of the War Memorial at the junction of Church Road and Evesham Road, with the upper images of the War Memorial.  

The cross is atop a much longer shaft than in lower of the photos above.

It is believed that when the War Memorial was moved to its present location the Army, who were called in to move it, were a little over-zealous (or careless) and managed to break the shaft.