Beckenham War Memorial

Beckenham, Kent

Rectory Road/Croydon Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3

This memorial commemorates the men and women of Beckenham who lost their lives in two World Wars. It was unveiled on Sunday 24th July 1921 by former Sergeant Bert Hanscombe, D.C.M., M.M., a local council employee (dustman) and one of 9 brothers who fought in and survived the First World War.

The memorial was designed by Mr. Newbury A. Trent, R.B.S., is approximately 7.5 metres high, and is a rectangular white Portland stone column.

At the summit is a broad Celtic cross, enriched on one side in high relief with an equestrian figure of St. George slaying the legendary dragon (symbolic of the destruction of evil) and on the reverse side the Phoenix rising from its own ashes (symbolic of immortality).

Prince George, The Duke of Kent laid a wreath at the memorial on Thursday 20th October 1932 when amongst others he was introduced to Mr. Hanscombe, then Secretary of the Beckenham British Legion Branch. The Prince, later that same day, forsaking his chauffeur driven vehicle, walked part of the way to the High Street to open the new Town Hall and unveiled a plaque to record this second event.

The names of the fallen are recorded on large brass plaques. With over 700 for the First World War and over 300 recorded in H.M. Forces in the Second World War, there are also 12 Civil Defence, 30 Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) and 288 Civilians recorded (including 22 children) killed during the war.

The alteration to the dates to include both wars was completed by Remembrance Day November 1946. The precedent to alter a memorial was allowed by the example set with the alteration to the Cenotaph in Whitehall, confirmed in a speech by the Prime Minister Mr. Attle in August 1946.

There were many restrictions placed on local authorities during the early post war period including expenditure on War Memorials. However at a General Purposes Committee meeting held on the 10th May 1948, the Town Clerk was able to inform the committee that under the new Local Government Act 1948 reasonable expenditure on alteration to a war memorial so as to include a reference to any subsequent war was now allowable.

The Committee recommended that new additional plaques be erected on the memorial.

At subsequent meetings the need to harmonise the plaques already in place for the First World War with the Second World War resulted in a decision to replace them. The complete new set of plaques (plates) had a five-sixteenths of an inch lettering size, rather than the three-eighths of an inch as used previously. This enabled just three large plates rather then the previous six, thus leaving adequate space for the Second World War Plates. The initial estimate of £400 was thus exceeded to a final cost of £700.

The new Plaques were unveiled by Councillor T.W. Mallett the retiring Mayor of Beckenham on 21st May 1950 in the presence of a large crowd. The dedication was by the Mayor's Chaplain the Rev. G.T. Brett.

An Addendum of one name was added in recent years. The name IMMS N (M.M.) should read INNS N (M.M.)

This information comes from the website of Bromley Council: http://www.bromley.gov.uk/environment/conservation/memorials/beckenham_war_memorial.htm
 

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