Herts and Essex Observer Saturday 12 March 1921 reported the unveiling:
'HENHAM. Unveiling of the Village War Memorial. On Sunday afternoon the Memorial which has been erected by the parishioners of Henham in honour of the gallant men of their village who gave their lives in the Great War was unveiled by Mr W. Foot Mitchell, of Quendon. The memorial stands in the middle of the cross roads in the centre of the village, facing the Elsenham road, and takes the form of a rustic granite pyramid with a Sicilian marble panel bearing the inscription and names let into the south face. It is enclosed with a wrought iron fence set in a York stone kerb. The cost was just over £100, the money being raised by public subscription. and it is quite distinct from the memorial tablet in the church. The stone was erected by Messrs J. Day and Son, of Bishop's Stortford, and the arrangements for the unveiling were carried out by a Committee consisting of Messrs W. J. Pimblett (chairman), J. Chamberlain (treasurer), A. Stebbing (secretary), P. Holinshead, F. King. J. Morrish and W. Neville. It is proposed to further enclose the Memorial with a triangular post and chain fence inside which shrubs will be planted, and when this is done the whole will present a most picturesque appearance. Shortly before the commencement of the ceremony the school children, many of whom were carrying floral tributes, were marshalled at the School by Mr B. T Hood, and walked to the site. There was a large assembly of friends and relatives of the fallen from the village and surrounding district present at the service, which was conducted by the Rev. J. Farley, of Hendon, formerly Congregational minister at Henham, in which capacity he had come into personal contact with many of the fallen. The proceedings opened with the hymn "O God, our help in ages past" followed by the Lesson (Psalm 46) and prayers, both of which were taken by the officiating minister, and the hymn "God of our fathers, known of old." The Rev. J. Farley based an eloquent testimony to the fallen on the text "And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you 'What mean ye by this service?' that ye shall say 'It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses." Although 3,500 years had passed since the time to which these words referred, the Jews, he said, still annually celebrate the deliverance from the Egyptians; and this memorial should be a lasting reminder to those present and to generations to come of the sacrifices made by those men who, knowing God to be on their side, laid down their lives for the cause of right. This memorial proved that the people of Henham honoured both the dead and those who, while showing equal bravery, came through alive; and would perpetuate their memory so that generations to come might follow their glorious example. Mr W. Foot Mitchell, in addressing the assembled congregation, expressed the honour he felt at having been invited to unveil that memorial to the heroic men who had given their lives for their country. The stone would stand to the end of time to testily to what these men had done for them and for the Empire. In the early days of the war he visited Henham, among other villages, to obtain recruits to fill the gaps in the Regular Army. He appealed to them to join up, and many did so voluntarily and went out to defend their homes and friends, because they loved justice and truth and knew they were fighting for the right. Some of them had made the supreme sacrifice, and to those, as well as to those who had returned, they owed a great debt of gratitude. They must let them see that their sacrifice was not in vain and must try to do their duty as unselfishly. Mr Foot Mitchell then drew off the Union Jack which shrouded the memorial and read out the inscription and list of names as follows: — Erected by the parishioners in everlasting memory of the men of Henham who gave their lives in the defence of this country in the great war. A.D. 1914-1918. W. BENTLEY. F. KING. W. BRAND. C. SMITH. F. CAMP. A. TURNER. A. J. DENNISON. R. TURNER. J. DIXON. F. WARNER. B. C. HEARD. W. WHITE. H. INGOLD. R. WILLETT. W. JOHNSON. Amid an impressive silence the "Last Post" was sounded by two sergeants of the 3rd Batt. Grenadier Guards. Mr Pimblett then placed a wreath at the foot of the stone on behalf of the Committee and a number of other beautiful floral tributes were also laid in position by friends and relatives of the fallen. including a wreath from the school children. The service closed with the hymn "For all the saints," a prayer by the Rev. J. Farley, the Benediction and the National Anthem. Unfortunately rain commenced to fall heavily at this point and prevented those present from making a closer inspection of the memorial'.
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