- Type of Memorial
- Pillar / Column
- WMR Reference Number
- 45800
- Description
- CONCRETE BASE SURMOUNTED BY STONE DOUBLE PLINTH, TAPERING COLUMN AND URN WITH SWAGS ON IT. DEDICATORY INSCRIPTION ON COPPER PLAQUES ON THREE SIDES OF THE PLINTH. ADDITIONAL PLAQUE FOR THE KOREAN WAR HAS BEEN ADDED. COPPER WREATH IN RELIEF AT THE BASE OF THE MAIN FRONT FACE OF THE COLUMN TOGETHER WITH AN URN AT EACH CORNER. A SHORT METAL FENCE HAS BEEN PROVIDED AROUND THE BASE OF THE MEMORIAL. FLOWER BEDS HAVE ALSO BEEN PROVIDED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE MEMORIAL AND WITHIN THEM ARE COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUES.
- Inscription
- west side of shaft: MONS/ YPRES/ SOMME/ AISNE/ ITALY/ GALLIPOLI/ MESOPOTAMIA/
(south face beneath copper wreath) 1939-45/ THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED IN THE/ YEAR 1920 BY THE GRATEFUL INHABITANTS/ OF GRAYS TO THE IMMORTAL MEMORY/ OF THEIR BRAVE FELLOW-TOWNSMEN WHO/ ANSWERING THE CALL OF DUTY LEFT HOME/ AND KINDRED IN ORDER TO DEFEND THE/ EMPIRE AND THE CAUSE OF JUSTICE AND/ ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE/ INSCRIBED ON THESE TABLETS, WHO LOST/ THEIR LIVES WHILST SERVING IN THE/ ARMED FORCES OF THE CROWN OR IN/ THE MERCANTILE MARINE DURING THE/ GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918./ "ON FAME'S ETERNAL CAMPING GROUND/ THEIR SILENT TENTS ARE SPREAD/ AND GLORY GUARDS WITH SOLEMN ROUND/ THIS BIVOUAC OF THE DEAD"
east side: KUT/ GAZA/ SALONIKA/ JERUSALEM/ JUTLAND/ ZEEBRUGGE/ FALKLAND ISLANDS/ (names from WW1 and WW2)
south side: (names from WW1)
west side: 1939 - 1945/ IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THE MEN OF GRAYS WHO FELL IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ (names from WW2 and Korean War)
plaque in western flower bed reads: This plaque is to honour/ those who served in Burma/ during the Second World War/ 1941 to 1945/ "When you go home, tell them of us and say/ For your tomorrow we gave our today"/ (Kohima Epitaph)/ Unveiled by the Mayor of Thurrock/(Councillor Julian Norris August 2000
plaque in eastern flower bed reads: This plaque is to honour those young men of/ this borough conscripted for National Service,/ to serve with two million two hundred thousand/ others between 1945 and 1963./ They served in all of the nations armed forces/ in search of peace, some only finding death./ Long may their quest for peace be appreciated./ Unveiled by the Mayor of Thurrock/ Cllr Norris, October 1999.