NEWTON, CAMBRIDGE WAR MEMORIAL

The war memorial stands at the crossroads on Cambridge Road, Newton, outside the memorial hall. It takes the form of a four sided stone column with a horse trough set at the front which is now filled in and used as a flower bed. There are 55 names listed for World War 1, 46 who served and returned and 9 who gave their lives; for World War 2 there are 2 names listed. The memorial was unveiled 14 November 1920; The stonework was cleaned and the lettering highlighted in 1991.

Extract from Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 19 November 1920, page 8:

NEWTON’S MEMORIALS.
Unveiling by Mr. H. W. Burrell and Lady Walston.

Two appropriate memorials to the men of Newton who fell in the war were unveiled on Sunday afternoon, in the presence of very large gatherings. The first was in the form of a beautifully designed brass tablet, placed one the walls of the picturesque old church, which was unveiled by the churchwarden (Mr. H. W. Hurrell), after a suitable address by the Vicar (the Rev. K. E. Colebrook). The tablet was executed with great skill at the village metal school. At the top are a laurel wreath and Crusader’s sword, and it bears the inscription: “To the glory of God and to the memory of the men who gave their lives in the Great War, 1914-1919.” Following are the names of the fallen. The second memorial is a handsome drinking fountain, placed at the four cross-roads, just outside the new village hall. It will prove a boon to the villagers. The unveiling ceremony was performed by Lady Walston, after an address by Sir Charles Walston, the front of the fountain are inscribed with the names of the nine men of the village who were killed, and on the sides are those who served in the war and returned safely. Above the names of the fallen are the words: “To the unconquered dead,” and below: “Who dies if England live?”

The names of the killed are as follows: Reginald Bareham, Sydney Charles Newling, Alexander Rogers, Malcolm Rogers, Leonard Hunt, Claude Redding, Frank Rogers, Harry Hignell Speed, Ernest L. Simons.

THE CHURCH SERVICE.

The church was crowded. Included in the congregation were the Newton and Harston Posts of the Comrades of the Great War, under Lieut. Hart and Lieut. V. Northrop, and the 7th District (Harston) Troop Boy Scouts, under Scoutmasters H. A. Compton Bishop and W. E. Compton Bishop.

Before the unveiling ceremony a short address was given by the Vicar. He look his text from St. Luke xxiii, 23. “On him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.” In some churches in England, he said, and quite commonly in churches abroad, they would find that subject dealt with in a series of pictures, designed to bring home to men’s minds and consciences what it cost to redeem the world. Those pictures were generally called the Stations of the Cross, and one of the best-known of those sets—the Antwerp Stations—the artist had vividly marked the unwillingness of Simon of Cyrene to have anything to do with the business, by setting him at the light end of the cross, as far as possible from the Christ Who carried the heavy end with its great cross beam. The next picture showed how the exhausted Jesus could carry it no further, and fell to the ground for the second time. And Simon, moved now by pity for the sufferer, took the greater portion of the weight, and in doing so came nearer to the Saviour of the world. And this was the spiritual truth conveyed by those pictures: That however unwillingly we might at first take up the cross, yet patient and brave bearing of it brought us nearer to the spirit of Him Who bore the cross for our salvation.

This was a fact we needed to remember when we thought those who undertook the duty of soldiers by compulsion of the State. The service was entered upon with great unwillingness but accepted as a duty by thousands who would not have volunteered, it was patiently and bravely carried out. He had not the slightest doubt that, having been compelled to see the sacrifice necessary for the salvation of their country, they afterwards made it willingly, and in doing so, came nearer to the heart of the Saviour of the world.

THE GLORY OF SELF-SACRIFICE

For he was sure that those who willingly made sacrifice of home and comfort, and bore the hardships of the war, with its risks of wounds and death, for the sake their country, must be very dear to the heart of Him Who died that we might live. It was not given to every man to see at once the glory of self-sacrifice. To very many of us, some compulsion by circumstances or by those in authority over us was necessary before we could see the vision, and happy was the man who, having seen it, took up his cross and followed Christ. In this sense the volunteer was better than the pressed man, in that he saw the glory of self-sacrifice. He might not describe it in that way. He would probably say, “I am only doing my duty.” But the vision of duty involved a willing sacrifice, a real taking and bearing of the cross. On the coffin of the Unknown Warrior, buried in Westminster Abbey, there was placed, by command of the King, an old Crusader's sword, and the same emblem was figured in their memorial in that church. It represented the warrior’s form of cross bearing The Crusader’s ideal was to set free the Holy Land, where our Saviour had lived His earthly life, and suffered for our salvation, from the oppression and persecution of its Moslem overlords.

We knew, alas! that many of them fell short of the ideal presented to them. Yet it remained true that many noble and unselfish deeds were done for the sake of it, and that those who followed it in true hearted loyalty were examples for all time of what was possible to a sinful man, who would take up his cross and follow Christ. ‘‘Crusader," then, stood for all that was best in the warrior’s life and the willing sacrifice of his death. And so they came to hallow the memory of their own crusaders, who had made the supreme sacrifice for the good of home and country, who died that we might truly live, in freedom and content. Should we not try in turn to be Crusaders too, and follow them in our small way, that we at length might share their triumph over every selfish aim?

CHURCHWARDEN’S TRIBUTE.

Mr. Hurrell, after unveiling the tablet, said that inevitably sad must their thoughts be on such an occasion as that, when they thought of these men whose names were inscribed on that tablet, who went forth from that village in all their pride of manhood, to fight for their King and country, but still there was another and a more cheerful side when we thought what that memorial was for, and when we felt that it commemorated what those men did for us and for those who would come after us. We must realise those men went determined to serve their country, and that they met a glorious death. To those who were mourning, some of them their dearest and their best, would be extended the most sincere sympathy, for all had been brought into close contact with death, suffering, and loss. It could, therefore. Be asked, without want of feeling. “Was it worthwhile?” He was sure the answer of those brave men would be that their losses were endured gladly for the great cause.

Almost every parish throughout the land had put some memorial to those brave fellows who gave their lives to their country. The memorial in that church would point to the people of the village their duty, and would show to those who came after them that they nobly done their duty, and hoped it would inspire them to follow in their steps and do their duly to their land, and try and make that little spot of theirs in Newton a happier and better place to live in. There was a thought that was given expression to Mr. Balfour a few weeks ago in unveiling a memorial, which was somewhat as follows. Mr. Balfour exhorted all those present to think — as think they must, and ought, when they thought of those men who had been taken from for ever — to think of them as men who had added glory to their race, security to their country, and freedom to the world. Their thoughts then would be tinged indeed with sadness, but full of a high pride and a noble joy.

The Vicar dedicated the memorial, and the service concluded with hymn and prayers.

UNVEILING OF MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN.

The entire congregation then proceeded to an open air service at the memorial fountain, conducted by the Vicar. After the hymn. “O God, our help ages past,” had been sung, an eloquent address was given by Sir Charles Walston, who paid tribute to each individual fallen soldier in moving terms. Those men, he proceeded, had won the war for us. What did we owe them? In the first place we owed it to them to keep fresh and living in our hearts their memories. They had won the war, and we, to honour them, if not for our own interests, must win an adequate peace. How were we to win that peace? Those lads had taught how — by being best at work and best at play. We must work to save this country from economic ruin. We must all do our best. Every labour deserved its reward. The reward he hoped would always be adequate to the labour, but the labour must adequate to the reward. Whatever our walk in life, whether we were chosen to be leaders or followers, we must work, not for the good of ourselves only, not for the good of a restricted community, not for the good especially of a class, but for the good of the whole country, for the good of the world to raise this country up materially, intellectually, and morally, and lift it nearer to God and our highest ideas. We must do this by honest, united work, for the good of our country, our King, and the world.

Lady Walston having unveiled the memorial, the Vicar dedicated it, prayers were said, and beautiful wreaths placed around by relatives and friends of the fallen. Mr. Norman Thomson, formerly a bugler in the Navy, sounded the “Last Post” and the “Reveille,” the first verse of the National Anthem was sung, and the Blessing pronounced.

Photographs Copyright © Ann Thompson 2000

THIS MEMORIAL IS ERECTED
BY THE PEOPLE OF NEWTON
IN THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE
OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH
WHO BY THE GRACE OF GOD
GAVE THEIR LIVES AND OF
THOSE WHO SERVED IN THE
GREAT WAR OF 1914-1919
AT THE CALL OF THEIR
COUNTRY FOR THE CAUSE
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND
PEACE THROUGHOUT THE
WORLD.

BAREHAM	Reginald George	Serjeant, 13777, 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment who was killed in action on Saturday, 1st July 1916. Aged 22. Born Steeple Bumpstead, Essex, enlisted Cambridge. Son of George and Emily Bareham, of Newton, Cambs.; husband of Florence Rosetta Van Stockum (formerly Bareham), of 704, Garden St., Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A. Buried in Ovillers Military Cemetery, Somme, France. Plot XV. Row G. Grave 2. See also Cambridge County High School Extract from Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 12 May 1916:
HUNT	Leonard	Lance Corporal, 15212, "B" Coy. 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment who was killed in action on Saturday, 1st July 1916. Aged 21. Born Ely, enlisted Cambridge. Son of Herbert and Emma Hunt, of Newton, Cambridge. No known grave. Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 1 C and 2 A
NEWLING	Sydney Charles	Lance Corporal, 17264, 6th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry who was killed in action on Saturday, 8th July 1916. Aged 21. Born Newton, enlisted Bedford, resident Cambridge. Son of Serjt. and Sarah Newling, of Newton, Cambs. Buried in Vlamertinge Military Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot IV. Row A. Grave 10. See also Cambridge Guildhall
READING	Claude Harold	Private, 16850, 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment who died on Saturday, 1st July 1916. Aged 19. Born Chiswick, Middlesex, enlisted Cambridge.Brother of Mr. C. R. Reading, of 294, Lancaster Rd., North Kensington, London. No known grave. Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 1 C and 2 A
ROGERS	Alexander [Alec]	Private, 103, 54th (1st/1st East Anglian) Casualty Clearing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps who died at sea on Friday, 13th August 1915. Aged 26. Enlisted Cambridge. Son of George and Alice Rogers, of Newton, Cambridge. No known grave. Commemorated on Helles Memorial, Turkey. Panel 199 and 200 or 236 to 239 and 328
ROGERS	Frank	probably Private, Frank Rogers. Royal Air Force (24199), husband of E Fuller (formerly Rogers), of Post Office Lane, Newton. Died 6th November 1918. Buried in St. Margaret Churchyard, Newton.
SIMONS	Ernest L.	No further information currently available
SPEED	Harry H.	Gunner, RMA/10004, H.Q. (Eastney), Royal Marine Artillery who died on Sunday, 9th February 1919. Aged 48. Son of James Speed; husband of Mildred Speed, of 29, Kassassin St., East Southsea, Hants. Born at Trumpington, Cambs. Buried in Portsmouth (Eastney or Highland Road) Cemetery, Hampshire. New Ground. Plot H. Row 10. Grave 3.
WHO DIES IF ENGLAND LIVEAND IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1939 — 1945
COPLEY	John James Hawke	Pilot Officer, 41258, 41 Squadron, Royal Air Force who died on Thursday, 14th September 1939. Aged 18. Son of Squadron Leader Reginald James Copley and Josephine Myra Copley, of Newton. Buried in St. Margaret Churchyard, Newton. See also Perse School, Cambridge.
CORNELL	Peter Claude	Private, 14724245, 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment who died on Sunday, 6th May 1945. Aged 19. Son of Alfred and Ann Cornell, of Newton. No known grave. Commemorated on Rangoon Memorial, Myanmar. Face 15.
TO THE MEMORY OF THE HORSES WHO HELPED OUR ARMIES TO VICTORY THEY ALSO SERVED
ANDREWS, Snr.	Ernest	No further information currently.
ANDREWS, Jnr.	Ernest	No further information currently.
ANDREWS	Charles T.	No further information currently.
CORNELL	Alfred	No further information currently.
CORNELL	Frederick	No further information currently.
DAY	James	No further information currently.
FULLER	Albert F.	No further information currently.
FULLER	Esau	No further information currently.
HART	Harold B.	No further information currently.
JONES	Louis	No further information currently.
KNIGHT	William	No further information currently.
LUCAS	John	No further information currently.
LYON	John	No further information currently.
MARKHAM	Harry	No further information currently.
MANSFIELD	Charles	No further information currently.
MANSFIELD	William	No further information currently.
MINNS	David	No further information currently.
NEWLING	William J.	No further information currently.
NORTHROP	Richard	No further information currently.
PINK	Hubert C.	No further information currently.
PINK	William	No further information currently.
PINK	Norris	No further information currently.
PEAT	John	No further information currently.
PEACOCK	John	No further information currently.
PLUCK	Edward J.	No further information currently.
PLUCK	Frederick W.	No further information currently.
STARR	Arthur	No further information currently.
STARR	Thomas	No further information currently.
SMOOTHEY	Bertle J.	No further information currently.
TODD	Albert	No further information currently.
TYRRELL	James	No further information currently.
TYRRELL	Joseph	No further information currently.
TYRRELL	James S.	No further information currently.
ROGERS	Albert	No further information currently.
ROGERS	Cyril	No further information currently.
ROGERS	Frederick G.	No further information currently.
ROGERS	Leonard W.	No further information currently.
ROGERS	Frank F.	No further information currently.
ROGERS	Percy	No further information currently.
ROGERS	Morris	No further information currently.
ROGERS	Reginald A.	No further information currently.
ROGERS	Reuben	No further information currently.
SHARP	John	No further information currently.
SUTTON	Herbert	No further information currently.
WARREN	Alfred	No further information currently.
WHITTAMORE	Alfred J.	No further information currently.

Last updated 18 November, 2022