The War Memorial, Conduit Square
In 1919 a memorial to remember the sixty-one men of Chudleigh who perished in the first war was considered but matters moved slowly and it was not until late 1925 that matters took a more positive turn. In January 1926 a meeting was held to discuss the location of a war memorial, three sites were then under consideration; Kate Brook Hill, the Cemetery entrance and within what was previously the Diamond Jubilee memorial triangle of 1897 in Conduit Square. The triangle was seen to be the least favourable spot and an item in the Weekly Express of January 1926 revealed why -
'....inasmuch as it was the meeting-place of all classes, and also the stopping-place of the motor buses'. It was also mentioned that 'it was formerly a memorial, but had been allowed to become a dumping-ground for dead cats and rats, tins and other rubbish, and at present was used very much as a playground for children'. Some two months later and following further deliberations it was agreed to use the location at the triangle which would be an opportunity to once again smarten-up the most central point of the town.
The memorial chosen consisted of a granite cross on a rectangular concrete base with four large bronze tablets and one much smaller one. On the tablet facing Fore Street (to the south) are the words 'In proud and grateful remembrance of the men from Chudleigh who gallantly sacrificed their lives in the course of liberty and honour in the Great War, R.I.P.'. Above this are the numerals '1914-1918'. Two side tablets contain the names of the fallen in relief and on the back tablet (north side) was a laurel wreath in relief.
The cross and base were made by the Teign Valley Granite Company and the tablets supplied by J. Wippell and Co. of Exeter. Once again, as with the previous jubilee fountain the whole enclosure was to be encircled by railings but these had been delayed in transit due to 'labour troubles' and were installed some time following the official unveiling. The whole memorial, paid for by public subscription, finally cost £165.
The dedication service and unveiling took place on 9 May 1926 at 3.30pm and was said to have been attended by upwards of two thousand Chudleigh residents and a great number of visitors. In the main the town was generally pleased with the overall result but conceded that the siting was not ideal, owing to its proximity to 'the huge granite obelisk' which overshadowed it and the closeness to the electric pole which had previously been erected at the southern point of the enclosure.
In November 1946 at the parish meeting discussions were held as to how best to honour the fallen of Chudleigh in the recent war. Ideas put forward were the placing of seats around the town inscribed with their names, a public baths or a new fire engine, the baths idea would cost at least £2000 and the fire engine idea was also not proceeded with on cost grounds. In March 1947 the idea was to create a new tablet on the north side of the existing town centre memorial, the cost was considered to be £200.
Note that the North side panel shows the wreath that was replaced with the WW2 names in 1948
On 9 May 1948 the new tablet on the north side of the memorial was unveiled. The previous tablet with the wreath motif having been removed. This new tablet recorded the names of the twenty two men from Chudleigh who had lost their lives in the second war. At the dedication ceremony the newspaper reported that 500 persons were present and that the event was accompanied by 'brilliant weather'.
Affixed above the new tablet on the north side was a smaller tablet which carried the following inscription - 'The seats placed around the parish are to the memory of the men of Chudleigh who gave their lives in the 1939-1945 war'. The £200 required had been raised by subscription and was allocated as £100 for the adding of the names, £90 for the seats around the parish and £10 towards the memorial within Exeter Cathedral. By April 1949 a total of twenty seats had been placed around the parish.
The Names of the Fallen - World War One
C P Aggett
F Blackmore
H W Bond
L C Bowden
F G Boxall MM
J Bradford
E J Caunter
F Cleave
S Cobley
J C Conybeer
T Cornall
P Critchley
F Down
J Eagles
R Farquhar MC
P French
L Gigg
F Gill
B Glass
J Grant
J Greenhouse
W H Hammacott
J Horton
R Jordan
E Knight
A H Lambell
W H Leach
A Lethbridge
J C McMurdo
R McMurdo
G Metters
W H Miller
T G Millman
W J Millman
H Morcombe
S M Neilson
J H Oldham
J Parr
G Prowse
H Ridler
J Ridler
W Ridler
S G Rumbold
R Sampson
S Sampson
W J Sercombe
C Shears
C J Sheepshanks
F Shillabeer
H W Shillabeer
T Simon
T Smale
F Snell
G Snell
B B Sparkes
T R Stoney
J H Sutherley
W Tubb
V de V Waithman
J H Yeo
J F Yeoman
The Names of the Fallen - World War Two
W G Bailey
H T Canon
R J Causley
A L Clampitt
F G Cole
F J Colwill
F J S Davis
R W K Douglass
C D Ellis
F J Gibbs
R L Gibbs
D H M Jack
G Lee
F G Sadleir MBE MC
P F Shears
P F Solway
F Shorland
A W Steer
P H Stevens
J H Thomas
L J Warren
R J Wills
For those wishing to learn more of the men named on this memorial Roger Perkins' book 'The War Dead of Chudleigh' (2002) is highly recommended.
There is also another war memorial displayed in the Town Hall foyer that was formerly within the Congregational Chapel. The names on that memorial differ slightly to the names listed above, click here to go to the Chapels page and scroll down that page to see a photograph of the memorial (within the Congregational Chapel section).
A recent view showing both the war memorial and the obelisk.