Monument

Wimbledon war memorial

Inscription

{On the main face, south-east, below the angel, and then anti-clockwise:}
Invictus Pax

{north-east:}
In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die yet is their hope full of immortality

In honoured memory of the civilians of Wimbledon who lost their lives in the Second World War, 1939 - 1945, and those killed in other conflicts.

{north-west, within a moulded frame:}
In honoured memory of the men of Wimbledon who gave their lives for their king and country in the Great War 1914-1918.

{south-west:}
All these were honoured in their generation & were the glory of their time.

In honoured memory of the men and women of Wimbledon who gave their lives serving in His Majesty's forces during the Second World War, 1939 - 1945, and those killed in other conflicts.

The first quote comes from the ancient Greek writer Hermes Trismegistus; the second from Ecclesiastes 44:7.

This monument is a good example of how WW1 monuments were, with very minor modifications, used to commemorate WW2. In this case just the addition of two sentences referring to "serving" men and women and "civilians". And then later these two sentences were extended to refer to "other conflicts". A catch-all that leaves an image of the bureaucrats of the time thinking "Right, that should be the last time we need to bother about that memorial, come what may."

Site: Wimbledon war memorial (1 memorial)

SW19, The Causeway

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Wimbledon war memorial

Subjects commemorated i

World War 1

We'd always assumed that this war was known as the Great War until WW2 came a...

Read More

World War 2

Sorry, we've done no research on WW2, it's just too big a subject. But do vis...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Prisoner of War memorial - Camden

Prisoner of War memorial - Camden

NW1, Camden High Street

Designed by architect Chris Roche. The railway sleepers and track, symbolic of the Burma Railway, are placed in the form of a cross - the...

War served | WW2
3 subjects commemorated, 6 creators
St Saviours, Pimlico war memorial

St Saviours, Pimlico war memorial

SW1, Lupus Street, St Saviours, Pimlico

The list of names are presented in two columns but unusually they are not listed alphabetically. Apart from the same surnames being group...

War dead | WW1, WW2
37 subjects commemorated
Westminster School - old boys fallen in Crimean War & Indian Rebellion

Westminster School - old boys fallen in Crimean War & Indian Rebellion

SW1, Broad Sanctuary

The inscription was written by the Rev. T. W. Weare, Under-Master of Westminster 1841-1861. Our information comes from Westminster Abbey...

War dead | Other war
22 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
Chelsea war monument

Chelsea war monument

SW1, Sloane Square

From the typefaces one can tell that the two inscriptions were done at different times, and the WW2 dates don't look squeezed in.  From t...

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Speke

Speke

W2, Kensington Gardens

'Victoria Nyanza' means 'Lake Victoria'.

3 subjects commemorated, 3 creators

Previously viewed

The Boltons Association

The Boltons Association

Founded to protect and improve the environment and to stimulate public interest in the neighbourhood.

Group, Community / Clubs

1 memorial
Percy James Barclay Savill
War dead, WW2
1 memorial
A. Griggs
War dead, WW2
1 memorial
H. G. Goldup

H. G. Goldup

Coaching Department

Person

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
W. Pearmain
War dead, WW1
1 memorial