"LIDGATE WAR MEMORIAL"

To the eternal memory of the men of LIDGATE who died in the service of their country
Ten in the Great War of 1914-1919 and three in 1939-1945 ( plus one from 1914-1919 and one from 1939-45 not on the memorial)




Lidgate's war memorial is a stone Maltese cross on a square, tapering plinth. The unveiling of the memorial was reported in the Bury Free Press on 15th January 1921, the ceremony taking place on 9th January 1921. The unveiling was carried out by Lt.Col.A.H.Catchpole, attended by local clergy and dignitaries.
The shaft of the cross tapers outwards towards the plinth. The circular centre boss of the cross bears and wreath surrounding the letters 'IHS' which is the Christogram for the first three letters of the Greek for Jesus iota-eta-sigma. This is also sometimes said to stand for Iesus Hominum Salvator (Jesus, Saviour of Men)

On the curved face of the plinth is the Dedication:-

1914-1918
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF
names
WHO DIED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918
SONS OF THIS PLACE, LET THIS OF YOU BE SAID
THAT YOU WHO LIVE ARE WORTHY OF YOUR DEAD
THESE GAVE THEIR LIVES THAT YOU WHO LIVE MAY REAP
A RICHER HARVEST ERE YOU FALL ASLEEP


THe Bury Free Press recorded:-
LIDGATE MEMORIAL CROSS - Impressive Unveiling Ceremony:
Sunday will for many years be remembered in lIdgate as a most memorable occasion, when the unveiling and dedication of the War Memorial Cross took place. The cross is situated in a conspicuous and beautiful spot in the churchyard, overlooking the village.
Theservice in church began with hymn 165 sung as a processional. A short service was conducted by the Rev.E.A.Gray, Rector of Lidgate and Rural Dean of Newmarket......the choir came down the church followed by Lt.Col A.H.Catchpole and his Adjutant (Capt. Leach) he 1st Lidgate Scouts and 1st Lidgate Guides and ex Servicemen and formed a long procession to the MemoriaL Cross in the churchyard....the ceremony was proceeded with and Lt-Col. Catchpole addressed the assembly...the Rector read the names of the fallen..."Last Post" was sounded by two buglers belonging to the Newmarket Scouts....Mr A.H. Hanchett of Bury erected the Memorial Cross.

In 2019 the memorial cross was renovated and the names of the three casualties from 1939-1945 were added. The memorial was then re-dedicated on Sunday 3rd November 2019.

In addition there is a memorial plaque inside the church to Thomas Catchpole



The gate to the churchyard is also a memorial to 2nd Lt. Richard Dewing

Wooden gates with solid panels in the lower half. The top of the gates curves down towards the centre. Inscription is carved in raised lettering and runs across the width of the gate on an arched beam of wood. Two additional metal plaques bear inscriptions, mounted on a central beam.

Dedication:- Gates:
AS BEST I MAY I WILL MY WOE ENDURE

NOR MAKE NO COUNTENANCE OF HEAVINESS
Left hand plaque reads:
THESE GATES WERE RESTORED IN 1960,
AGAIN IN 2012 AND ARE A MEMORIAL TO
THOSE WHOSE NAMES THEY BEAR
Right hand plaque reads: (Names)


St. Mary's Church, Lidgate


There is also a plaque that was originally installed in the Congregational Chapel
Newmarket Journal 8th March 2001:- "Lost War memorial Found - At Car Boot Sale" A chance purchase at a car boot sale has resulted in a First World War memorial plaque being returned to its rightful owners.
The plaque, commemorating the lives of 10 Lidgate men who died in the war, has been returned to the village after it was bought for £1 at a Fordham car boot sale as a dirty piece of metal that could be turned into a bowl.
David Alexander, church warden at St Mary's Church, Lidgate, said:"We are pleased it has come back to the village where it rightly belongs and the memory of these men is where it should be."
Mr Alexander said the plaque was put up in Lidgate Chapel soon after the First World War.The chapel was turned into a garage about 25 years ago but the plaque remained on the wall. Then it turned up at the car boot sale.
"Who removed it from the wall in the garage and how it turned up at the car boot sale we do not known," said Mr Alexander. A man from Thurlow who bought the plaque said the seller told him he found the metal in his father's house in Lidgate when he cleared it out.
When the Thurlow man, who does not wish to be named, cleaned up the metal he got in touch with the Royal British Legion who revealed the names matched the dead of Lidgate.

The Newmarket Journal of 8th November 2001 carried the story of a special dedication of the war memorial, now installed in St Mary's Church, Lidgate. Geoffrey Woollard, a relative of one of the men read from contemporary Newmarket Journal reports of scenes in the town as the men set out for the Front. Members of the CATCHPOLE, BRUNNING, RANSOME and FOREMAN families whose relatives were killed, were present at the service.

The plaque is inscribed: TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF PTE.S.BRUNNING, CAPT. T.J.CATCHPOLE, SGT G.CRANN, PTE G.H. CRANN, PTE. W.DAY, CORPL. W.DAY, PTE.E.J.FOREMAN, PTE T.E.MOULD, PTE A.J.MOULD, PTE H.RANSOME. WHO DIED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 THEIR NAME LIVETH EVERMORE.



from Newmarket Journal 8th March 2001


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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.