"RISBY WAR MEMORIALS"

To the eternal memory of the men of RISBY who died in the service of their country
Ten in the Great War of 1914-1919 and four from 1939-1945



3 ages of the monument

The Risby war memorial on the village green is a Latin cross on an octagonal, four-stepped base. At the centre of the cross piece on the front face is "IHS" and on the reverse "CHI-RO". These are 2 Christograms - IHS is commonly taken to be Iesus Hominum Salvator (Jesus, Saviour of Men) and Chi-Ro from the Greek letters for chi and ro, the first letters of Christ (in icon form the Ro symbol intersects with Chi cross). The whole monument is of Weldon stone, just under 5 metres high and a metre wide.
Initially there were no names engraved on it, it was however erected to the memory of Pte John Bridge, Pte John Victor Daniels, 2nd Lt Gerald Charles Eagle, Stoker William Charles Edward Halls R.N., Sgt George William Hart, L/Cpl Benjamin Henry Mills, Pte Ernest Orbell,Pte Robert Rushbrooke and Pte William James Wallace.

The inscriptions are now incised into granite panels let into the top two steps of the base, Great War on four faces at the top, 1939-1945 on three faces of the next step down. The granite inserts are later additions, added in October 2009. I have yet to ascertain exactly when the names were first added, but from the photos above, it appears it was before the granite panels were inserted

Unveiled in 1920 Lt. S P Eagle on 9th April 1920, it was designed by Thomas Dinham Atkinson and built by Hanchetts. The details appeared in the Bury Free Press of 16th April 1920.
Additionally there are 2 stone plaques within St Giles' church with the same names plus one other plaque (Captain Arthur Thomas Abraham M.C.) for the Great War that does not appear on the monument on the village green. The World War 1 plaque was unveiled 29th August 1920 and on 22nd February 1948, the World War 2 plaque was dedicated by the Archdeacon of Sudbury.









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They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them.