"SOHAM WAR MEMORIAL"

To the eternal memory of the men and women of SOHAM who died in the service of their country
128 casualties from the Great War 1914-1918
and 42 men and women who fell in the 1939-45 war
plus some from each war who are not named on the memorial

written behind the memorial (on the postcard, not on the building)
"SOHAM PARADE 1921" and "UNVEILING" SOHAM JANUARY 23 1921

Soham war memorial is situated in Red Lion Square, at the junction of High Street with Clay Street. A helmeted soldier resting on arms reversed on pedimented plinth atop large square column set on a two stepped base. The uppermost plinth has a wreath on the front face and King's crown on the rear face. The memorial was unveiled on 23rd January 1921 by Major-General S.W.Hare, K.C.M.G., C.B. The column's panels hold the names of the fallen of the Great War. The forward face has "FOR VALOUR" in relief and similarly on the rear is "PRO PATRIA". Under this, in incised lettering, painted red, and going round the memorial from the LEFT face, "BE THOU" "FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH", "AND I WILL GIVE THEE", "A CROWN OF LIFE". To date no one can explain the significance of the creature depicted around the soldier's feet

The front face is headed by the dedication, incised and painted red:-

IN HONOURED MEMORY OF
THE MEN OF SOHAM WHO
GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR
LIBERTY AND JUSTICE IN
THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919

below this the names of the fallen arranged in two columns separated by a red vertical line,
with rank, initials and surname,in alphabetical order of surname
where the names are the same, the regiment is also given

BUGLR. F.ALLEN	RFM. A.BOYCE
A/B. B.W.ASPLAND	L/CPL. E.BROWN
GNR. J.W.ATTLESEY	PTE. F.BROWN
PTE. C.AUDUS	L/CPL. R.BROWN
GNR. S.AUDUS	L/SGT. E.BROWN
PTE. R.AVELEY	PTE. J.CHALLIS
PTE. C.BADCOCK E.LANCS	PTE. W.CHALLIS
PTE. C BADCOCK SUFFOLKS	CPL. F.CLARK
PTE. H.BADCOCK	PTE. G.CLARK
PTE. A.BAILEY	PTE. J.W.CLARK
PTE. C.BAILEY	PTE. C.S.CLEMENTS
PTE. F.BAILEY	STO. A.W.COLLINSON
PTE. A.E.BARBER	PTE. E.COOK
PTE. J.W.BARBER	PTE. H.DARNELL
L/CPL. T.BEAUMONT	PTE. P.DENNIS
PTE. A.BEETON	LT. C.H.EDMUNDS
PTE. E.BEETON	2ND LT. G.V.EDMUNDS
CPL. W.R.BEETON	PTE. H.EDWARDS

added at a later date on the bottom of the panel frame

2ND LT.S.R.ASPLANDPTE.E.CHAPMAN

The rear face is laid out in the same manner as the front face

CPL. A.J.HOWE	PTE. A.MOTHERSOLE
PTE. F.HOWE	PTE. B.MUNNS
CPL. A.J.HOWLETT	CPL. C.MUNNS
PTE. C.HUMAN	PTE. A.MURFET
CPL. F.T.ISAACSON	PTE. F.MURFET
PTE. W.ISAACSON	PTE.W.MURFET
PTE. C.JARROLD	PTE. F.NEWMAN
PTE. J.JOBSON	DVR. B.NORMAN
PTE. T.H.JOHNSON	PTE. W.NORMAN
PTE. G.W.KING	PTE. J.R.NUNN
L/CPL. J.W.KING	PTE. F.PALMER
PTE. J.KING	PTE. F.PAPWORTH
PTE R.J.LANGLEY	PTE. F.PEACOCK
PTE. E.LEONARD	PTE. F.H.PEACOCK
PTE. F.LEONARD	PTE. B.PENDLE
L/CPL H.LEONARD	L/CPL. A.PORTER
PTE. W.H.LOCKWOOD	DVR. B.POWSON
PTE. C.LONG	SGT. A.REEVE
PTE. A.MANN	PTE. J.REEVE
L/CPL. C.MANN	CPL. C.F.ROBINSON
PTE. T.E.A.MANN	SGT. J.H.ROLFE
PTE. F.MARTIN	PTE. F.P.ROOTE
PTE. W.MARTIN	L/CPL. B.ROUSE
L/CPL. W.E.MASON	PTE. C.ROUSE
CAPT. C.F.MORBEY	PTE. C.H.SARGENT

again added at a later date on the bottom of the panel frame

PTE.W.ROOTEPTE.J.W.SHAW


the right and left hand side panels have the names in a single column - right hand face:-

PTE.W.EDWARDS - PTE.J.ELSDEN - PTE.H.FELLINGHAM - PTE.;E.FINCHAM - PTE.W.T.FLEET - PTE.C.FLEMING
SPR.H.W.FORDHAM - PTE.R.FORDHAM - PTE.W.S.FORDHAM - L/CPL/C.FROST - PTE.A.GILBEY SUFFOLKS - PTE.A.GILBEY R.W.KENTS
PTE ART GILBEY - PTE.E.GILBEY - GNR.C.GILBEY - L/CPL.H.GILBEY - PTE.S.GILBEY - PTE.B.HARLOCK - L/CPL.H.R.HART
RFM.J.C.HAYHOE - PTE.J.A.HITCH - PTE.A.HOBBS - PTE.T.HOBBS - PTE.D.HOWARD

and added on the bottom of the panel frame

PTE.R.A.EASTER
SPR.G.KING

left hand face:-

PTE.R.H.SARGENT - PTE.E.G.SHAW - LT.W.SHAW - PTE.E.SIZER - CPL.G.SIZER - PTE.S.SIZER - PTE.J.STEADMAN
PTE.H.STEGGLES - SDR.A.STITTLE - L/CPL.E.B.STITTLE - PTE.F.SUMMERS - PTE.J.TALBOT - CPL.J.E.TAYLOR
CPL.H.G.TOWNSEND - PTE.C.TURNER - SGT.J.WEBB - PTE.A.J.WEBBER

Beneath the list is, in incised lettering painted red:-

"GREATER LOVE HATH
NO MAN THAN THIS
THAT A MAN LAY
DOWN HIS LIFE FOR
HIS FRIENDS

The names of the fallen from 1939-1945 are incised and painted black, around the the upper step of the base, the two ladies being named first.
Some names are obscured by wires and clamps to hold the wreaths in place, which are left for most of the year covering the names,
or if not, flower boxes prevent some of the names from being seen.

from the front face:-

left face

right face

The WW2 names with the wires digitally removed

go BACK to Soham memorials page

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.