War Memorial - Melbourne Street

sec@brattonhistory.co.uk

We use Google Analytics to measure how users interact with website content. See our Cookies Policy for more information.

Reject

War Memorial - Melbourne Street

Bratton’s War Memorial is a poignant reminder of the 25 men from the village who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. It was originally designed to commemorate the sacrifice of 20 local servicemen who fell in the ‘Great War’. It was donated by the then owners of Bratton House, Mr and Mrs Diggle, as an act of thanksgiving for the safe return of their four sons from the bloody conflict. They chose a simple, yet elegant, Celtic cross memorial by Farmer and Brindley, a nationally renowned firm of monumental masons and sculptors. The Memorial was erected close to the entrance to Bratton House and dedicated in 1920. It was re-dedicated on 11 November, 2018, 100 years after the end of WWI and is Grade II listed.

In 2002 when the Bratton Branch of the Royal British Legion arranged for the memorial to be cleaned, it was discovered that the names of two men, commemorated on the First World War plaque in the parish church, were missing as they had died at home of the effects of their wounds after the memorial cross was raised. Their names were therefore added to the cross in 2004, along with the names of the three local servicemen who had died in the Second World War.

Bratton Parish Council, with support from the War Memorials Trust, organised further cleaning of the Memorial in 2023. This work, carried out by Young Johnston of Westbury, considerably improved the legibility of the lettering

The memorial continues to be the focus of Bratton’s annual Service of Remembrance organised by the Royal British Legion on behalf of the Parish Council each November.

'The people behind the names on the War Memorial'

Historic England listing

[Return]

Bratton History Association.

The Bratton History Association aims to provide all those curious about local history with an opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, and discover more about the history of Bratton and Wiltshire. Activities include monthly meetings, talks by professional historians, visits to places of interest to historians, and our own local history project.

Copyright Bratton History Association 2015-2026

Bratton History Association Privacy Statement