Byfleet – St. Mary’s Church

DSCF0188

DSCF0187

DSCF0186messedwith

St. Mary’s church in Byfleet is a must-visit place if you have an interest, as I presume we all do, in the Great War…

DSCF0183

…as it contains what is surely one of the finest collections of battlefield wooden crosses anywhere in the U.K.

DSCF0100

DSCF0127

DSCF0128

DSCF0104

Amazingly, you will find practically all the names on the crosses inscribed here on the Roll of Honour.  How so many crosses of local men were acquired is quite beyond me.  Anyone know?

DSCF0105

DSCF0129

DSCF0134

DSCF0150

DSCF0163

DSCF0152

Note the Graves Registration Unit tag on the October 1915 cross above; in time the G.R.U. became the Imperial War Graves Commission (see October 1917 cross below), and now, of course, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

DSCF0130

DSCF0168

DSCF0133

DSCF0149

DSCF0107

DSCF0108

DSCF0109

DSCF0162

DSCF0115

DSCF0119

DSCF0111

DSCF0118

DSCF0175

DSCF0122

DSCF0155

DSCF0156

DSCF0123

DSCF0124

DSCF0125

DSCF0180

DSCF0121

Buckle Wooden Cross

DSCF0182

DSCF0097

DSCF0034

DSCF0035

DSCF0036

DSCF0037

DSCF0038

DSCF0039

DSCF0040

DSCF0042

DSCF0043

There are a number of other posts about Byfleet elsewhere on this site – use the Search box – but for a follow-up to this one, click here.

This entry was posted in Surrey, U.K. Churches, Memorials & Cemeteries - Back in Blighty. Bookmark the permalink.

6 Responses to Byfleet – St. Mary’s Church

  1. Jon Trigg says:

    I am researching the memorials on this page, and am wondering whether you would mind contacting me on my e-mail address please?

  2. Jim Allen says:

    You were querying how the wooden crosses in St Mary’s Church Byfleet, came to be there. The idea was apparently thought up and financed by the local benefactor, Frederick Cornelius Stoop, of West Hall, in gratitude for the safe return his two sons (both England Rugby internationals) from the war

  3. Nick Stone says:

    Hi. There’s a bit more information here on how these crosses came back, It was part of a scheme set up by the WGC/IWGC at the end of the war. With requested crosses collected or returned by the lorry load at one point. Some very much became proto-memorials in local churches before the stone memorials we now see were built. The practice continued for several years after the end of the conflict with The British Legion, Toc H and various church charities getting involved in distributing and placing them. It is believed that more than ten thousand were returned, they exist in over 450 (and counting locations) and probably near a thousand still exist. Curiously, or perhaps not, we still don’t have a full survey for Byfleet, large collections take quite a lot of work to catalogue! Byfleet is as far as I’m aware the largest collection in a British Parish church, with Cavendish in Suffolk coming second. Cheltenham and Bradfield College also have large collections. More info here on the project in general. http://thereturned.co.uk/the-grave-markers/

    Nick Stone
    Project lead
    Returned from the Front.

    • Jim Allen says:

      Nick.
      We have full details of those commemorated by the wooden crosses in St Mary’s Church, Byfleet, including some who were not directly connected with the parish. There is information in my book, ‘Byfleet and the Great War’ (Second edition), including some photographs, and there are also details in the church guide book.

    • Magicfingers says:

      Hello Nick. Thank you very much for that, particularly the bit about the lorries. Seriously. And whilst looking for something entirely different since your comment, I came across a postcard of a cemetery with crosses stacked awaiting collection which will appear in a post very soon. With regard to Byfleet, which I have revisited since to take further photos – any I missed first time round etc – Jim is your man (above), but if I can be of any help just shout.

Leave a Reply to Nick Stone Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.