Winchester College WW1 and WW2

WM name reference WMO/141721

Current Location:

Winchester College College Street Winchester SO23 9NA

Description:

The memorial is a cloisters within which is a wheel cross. 16 tablets could carry the name of the 500 war dead from the college from the First World War and additional plaques were added after the Second World War. Designer: Herbert Baker English Heritage "The War Cloister at Winchester College was built in 1922-24. It is exceptional as the largest known private war memorial in Europe. It has an unusual medieval design in the form of a cloister, reflecting the college's medieval buildings and serving as a sacred way to the college precincts. It is a poignant reminder of the many young men of Winchester College that lost their lives and whose names are engraved on the outer walls and columns. It is decorated with the finest stone slabs from across the world including South African granite, Australian syenite which is similar to granite, Canadian marble and Indian black marble. The floor of the memorial also contains four pieces of stone from the destroyed village of Ypres in Belgium. "

Campaign:

World War 1

World War 2

Inscription:

THANKS BE TO GOD FOR THE SERVICE OF THESE FIVE HUNDRED WYKEHAMISTS, WHO WERE FOUND FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH AMID THE MANIFOLD CHANCES OF THE GREAT WAR. IN THE DAY OF BATTLE THEY FORGAT (sic) NOT GOD, WHO CREATED THEM TO DO HIS WILL, NOR THEIR COUNTRY, THE STRONGHOLD OF FREEDOM, NOR THEIR SCHOOL, THE MOTHER OF GODLINESS AND DISCIPLINE. STRONG IN THIS THREEFOLD FAITH THEY WENT FORTH FROM HOME AND KINDRED TO THE BATTLEFIELDS OF THE WORLD AND, TREADING THE PATH OF DUTY AND SACRIFICE, LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR MANKIND. THOU, THEREFORE, FOR WHOM THEY DIED, SEEK NOT THINE OWN, BUT SERVE AS THEY SERVED, AND IN PEACE OR IN WAR BEAR THYSELF EVER AS CHRIST'S SOLDIER, GENTLE IN ALL THINGS, VALIANT IN ACTION, STEADFAST IN ADVERSITY. Tablet two ( WW2 dedication): VIA HAEC/ IAMPRIDEM MEMORIAE/ WICCAMICORUM SACRA/ QUI PRO PATRIA/ DIMICANTES OCCUBERUNT/ ITERUM SACRATA EST/ AD XVIII KAL DEC MCMXLVIII/ EORUM ADIECTIS NOMINIBUS/ QUI EADEM SEQUENTES SIGNA/ BELLO PERIERUNT ALTERO/ SUPPLICAVIT/ MERVYN EPISCOPUS WINTON/ CONTIONATUS EST/ ARCHIBALD COMES WAVELL Tablet three:HERE/ IN EQUAL HONOUR/ FACING THE NAMES OF THE FALLEN IN THE/ FIRST WORLD WAR/ ARE INSCRIBED/ THOSE OF THE TWO/ HUNDRED & SEVENTY/ WYKEHAMISTS/ WHO DIED SERVING/ IN THE SAME FAITH/ 1939 - 1945/ If our time be come/ let us die/ manfully for our brethren/ and let us/ not stain our honour. Tablet four (Foundation stone): LAPIDEM IN(?) CLAUSTRO AD(?) FULCIENDAM CRUCEM/ POSITUM CUM SUPPLICATIONE ET CONCENTO MULI:/ :TORUM CONTIONATO EDWARDO VICECOMITE/ GREY DE FALLODON: ID: QUINCT: A.D. MCMXXII/ DEDICAVIT GULIELMUS ANDREWES FEARON:/ S:T:P: COLLEGII HUIUSCE OLIM INFORMATOR Tablet five (WW1 Dedication): VIAM SACRAM PRID:KAL:IUN: MCMXXIV PATE-/ -FECIT PRINCEPS HONORATISSIMUS PATRUUS REGIS/ ARTURUS DUX DE CONNAUGHT: DEDICAVIT/ EDWARDUS TALBOT S:T:P: EPISCOPUS WINTON: EMERITUS: COLLAUDAVIT EDWARDUS VICECOMES/ GREY DE FALLODON: A CELEBERRIMO WICCAMICORUM/ CONVENT REDDITAE SUNT DEO GRATES WW1 names: Each group of six tablets is headed CAME TO WINCHESTER, followed by the year and names, commencing in 1868. The penultimate panel, ending in 1913, continues with DIED SINCE THE WAR in italics, followed by five names. The last tablet is headed ASSISTANT MASTER, followed by one name, and then QUIRISTERS, followed by six names. (Quiristers are choirboys of Winchester College). WW2 names: The tablets are headed with years only, starting with 1913, and followed by names. On the last tablet, the last year, 1938, is followed by ASSISTANT MASTER (one name) QUIRISTERS (Three names) and REPORTED SINCE THE WAR (Six names) Craftsmen's stone built into wall in north-east corner of cloister: IN AEDIFICIO COMMUNITER LABORAVERUNT ARCHITECTUS, HERBERTUS BAKER: SCULPTORES, ALFREDUS TURNER, CAROLUS WHEELER: SIGNORUM INVENTOR, KRUGER GRAY: ARTIFEX AC PICTOR, LAURENTIUS TURNER: AEDIFICATOR, HENRICUS HOLLOWAY: MAGISTER OPERUM, ALBERTUS CLARKE. NON SIBI SED DEO ET MORTUIS (Trans: Not for thee, but for God and the Dead). (Line breaks unknown)