{On the west, the front of the plinth:}
{On a bronze plaque:}
Erected by the nursing staff in honour of the patients who died in the King George Hospital, H. M. Stationery Office Stamford Street, used as a military hospital during the war.
{All other inscriptions are carved into the stone.}
{Either side of the plaque:}
A. M. D. G.
{Stands for 'Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam', Latin motto of the Society of Jesus, meaning 'For the greater glory of God'.}
{On the body of the plinth:}
In memory of those who have given their lives for their country.
The names of those who died in the King George Hospital are inscribed on a parchment roll placed with the church records.
The names of those who were parishioners of St. John’s Church are inscribed on the three remaining panels of this memorial.
{The other three sides each contain 17 names. Those on the south and north form an alphabetic list. Those on the east (the back) are approximately in alphabetic sequence and we guess they were the late additions. Some on this side are very badly weather-damaged. We think we’ve managed to read them correctly but we have noted which these names are, just in case.
{A biblical text, John 15:13, followed by a prayer, is on a frieze wrapping around all four sides, starting below the plaque and above the names. It is long enough to need 7 sections so it makes another part-circuit immediately above the names:}
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Eternal rest grant to them O Lord and may perpetual light shine upon them.
Unusually this memorial commemorates two quite separate groups of WW1 dead: patients of the local temporary war hospital, and the parishioners of the church. It's touching that, at least in part, the memorial was erected by the nursing staff of the hospital.
We love this style of lettering. Rather than cut out the letters the carver has removed the background, leaving the letters level with the surround.
Site: WW1 Memorial at St John's Waterloo (1 memorial)
SE1, Waterloo Road, St John the Evangelist
This church, designed by Francis Bedford, was built in 1824 to celebrate victory in the Napoleonic wars. The churchyard was converted into a garden in the 1870s, with the involvement of Octavia Hill. Badly bombed in 1940 but restored in time to be the church for the 1951 Festival of Britain.
IanVisits, true to his name, has visited the 'secret crypt' of this church.
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