"STOKE BY CLARE MEMORIALS"

To the eternal memory of the men of STOKE BY CLARE who died in the service of their country
Twenty Seven in the Great War of 1914-1919 and three in 1939-1945


Undated postcard..around early 1920's

The Stoke by Clare war memorial is a Portland stone obelisk on a square plinth stood on two steps and a base. Sited beside the old school in the south east corner of the village green, almost hidden at times when the hedge has not been clipped, it was unveiled on 23rd January 1921 by Field Marshall Sir William R. Robertson Bart G.C.B, G.C.M.B., K.C.V.O., D.S.O. and dedicated by The Rt Rev Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Sudbury. A comprehensive report appeared in the Suffolk and Essex Free Press on 26th January 1921.
STOKE-BY-CLARE THE WAR MEMORIAL 26 MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE

On Sunday the inhabitants of Stoke-by-Clare paid reverence to the memory of the 26 heroes who made the great sacrifice. Field Marshal Sir William Robertson, G.C.B., unveiled the memorial, which is a simple one, but quite effective for its purpose. It bears not only the names of the fallen, but of the 110 men who answered their country's call - 110 out of a population of some 450. If this record is not quite unique, we believe it is so in this part of the country.
An excellent position, so far as being seen by the rising generation in particular, has been chosen for the memorial -outside the school, where it can be seen by all journeying to and fro the village, and it stands in the centre of a semi circular plot of greensward, which, in Summer, will be gay with flowers. The initial portion of the dedication service was held in the Church of St.John the Baptist, from the steeple of which a flag flew at half mast and a half muffled peal was rung...................Rev. F.Barnes (vicar) conducted the service....At the conclusion of the service, a procession was formed and wended its way through the old fashioned village street to the schools....Field Marshall Robertson on unveiling the memorial reminded the assembly the people of Stoke, out of a population of 450 men women and children, sent 110 men into the service. That was about one of four of the population, and out of that number 26 fell, that was also about one in four....The last post was sounded by three buglers of the Haverhill Company of the 5th Suffolk Regiment, and an impressive ceremony concluded with the singing of the National Anthem.


The dedication on the face of the obelisk reads:-
TO THE
MEMORY
OF THE MEN
OF STOKE
WHO FELL IN
THE GREAT WAR
1914-1919

and below on the face of the plinth the name (christian name, surname) in two columns, in alphabetical surname order
except for Alfred Jay who appears to have been added later to the left hand column



Then on the faces on the plinth on either side are the names and initials of those who served, with the rank of all those above the rank of Private.
39 on the left side, and 40 on the right side, all in three columns, Army first, then Navy, all in alphabetical order of surname within each service.


On the step below the face has been added:-
1939 - 1945
C. COURT R. MAY H. WARDEN


A glazed 1914-1918 Roll of Honour inside the church



1939-1945 Roll of Honour




St John the Baptist's Stoke by Clare



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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.