Monument

Wimbledon war memorial

Inscription

{On the main face, south-east, below the angel, and then anti-clockwise:}
Invictus Pax

{north-east:}
In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die yet is their hope full of immortality

In honoured memory of the civilians of Wimbledon who lost their lives in the Second World War, 1939 - 1945, and those killed in other conflicts.

{north-west, within a moulded frame:}
In honoured memory of the men of Wimbledon who gave their lives for their king and country in the Great War 1914-1918.

{south-west:}
All these were honoured in their generation & were the glory of their time.

In honoured memory of the men and women of Wimbledon who gave their lives serving in His Majesty's forces during the Second World War, 1939 - 1945, and those killed in other conflicts.

The first quote comes from the ancient Greek writer Hermes Trismegistus; the second from Ecclesiastes 44:7.

This monument is a good example of how WW1 monuments were, with very minor modifications, used to commemorate WW2. In this case just the addition of two sentences referring to "serving" men and women and "civilians". And then later these two sentences were extended to refer to "other conflicts". A catch-all that leaves an image of the bureaucrats of the time thinking "Right, that should be the last time we need to bother about that memorial, come what may."

Site: Wimbledon war memorial (1 memorial)

SW19, The Causeway

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Wimbledon war memorial

Subjects commemorated i

World War 1

We'd always assumed that this war was known as the Great War until WW2 came a...

Read More

World War 2

Sorry, we've done no research on WW2, it's just too big a subject. But do vis...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Edmonton war memorial - Edmonton Green

Edmonton war memorial - Edmonton Green

N9, The Broadway, The Green

{Front face of monument:} To our glorious dead Erected by the people of Edmonton in loving and grateful memory of her sons who fell in th...

3 subjects commemorated
Poplar civilians killed in WW2

Poplar civilians killed in WW2

E3, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, Southern Grove

The local listing (which we can no longer access) for this memorial contains: "Located at the eastern end of the Cemetery Park, this is a...

4 subjects commemorated
Loughton war memorial

Loughton war memorial

IG10, King's Green

The quotation on the 1919 face comes from the Bible, Joshua 4:3, 6-7: "... and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of ...

War dead | WW1, WW2
172 subjects commemorated
Fleet Air Arm

Fleet Air Arm

SW1, Victoria Embankment, Victoria Embankment Gardens - Whitehall section

This bronze figure represents Daedalus, the Greek guy who crafted wings for himself and his son Icarus to escape Crete.  But he used wax ...

7 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
Brentford Monument

Brentford Monument

TW8, High Street Brentford, County Court

Brentford High Street have carried out some magnificent research on Brentford Local Board members and Councillors. That page contains a l...

11 subjects commemorated, 19 creators

Previously viewed

Battersea Park bandstand

Battersea Park bandstand

SW11, Battersea Park

It's always worth checking the central point in the floor of a bandstand.  This plaque is not too interesting but we found Lord William R...

1 subject commemorated, 5 creators
William Exmewe

William Exmewe

Monk at London Charterhouse. Executed at Tyburn.

Person, Execution, Religion

1 memorial
St Aloysius' College
2 memorials
Patrick Troughton

Patrick Troughton

Actor.  Born Mill Hill.  Played the second Doctor Who 1966-9.  Died in a hotel at  Columbus, Georgia, USA where he was attending a Science Fiction convention.

Person, TV & Radio, USA

2 memorials
Morley mosaics - KEW - Octavia Hill

Morley mosaics - KEW - Octavia Hill

SE1, King Edward Walk, Morley College

These 10 portrait mosaics are the result of a project by Morley College to celebrate the achievements of significant women who have lived...

2 subjects commemorated, 3 creators