2011

TQ2636 : St. John the Baptist, Crawley: churchyard (3)

taken 13 years ago, near to Crawley, West Sussex, England

St. John the Baptist, Crawley: churchyard (3)
St. John the Baptist, Crawley: churchyard (3)
Looking towards the war memorial.
Cross of Sacrifice

The Cross of Sacrifice or “War Cross” is a feature in most cemeteries with 50 or more war graves. It was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield (LinkExternal link Wikipedia) for the Imperial War Graves Commission (now Commonwealth War Graves Commission LinkExternal link ).

The monument is normally a tall, freestanding, carefully proportioned four-point limestone Latin cross standing on an octagonal base. Depending upon the size of the cemetery, it can range in height from 18 to 32 feet (4.5 to 9 metres). A downward-pointing bronze broadsword is depicted on the face of the cross. Together, the sword and cross embody the military and spiritual nature of the cemetery; the cross symbolises the faith of the majority of the war dead and the sword represents the military character of the cemetery.

There are many of them in war cemeteries in France and the Commonwealth and also around this country including Peel Green Cemetery at Salford SJ7497 : Peel Green Cemetery War Memorial (Cross of Sacrifice), Leigh Cemetery SJ6899 : Leigh Cemetery War Memorial (Cross of Sacrifice), Newark-on-Trent Cemetery SK8052 : Newark-on-Trent Cemetery, Cross of Sacrifice, Widnes Cemetery SJ5187 : Widnes Cemetery, Cross of Sacrifice and others.

Most of the memorials have this inscription on the base:
THIS CROSS OF SACRIFICE IS ONE IN DESIGN
AND INTENTION WITH THOSE WHICH HAVE
BEEN SET UP IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM AND
OTHER PLACES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
WHERE OUR DEAD OF THE
GREAT WAR ARE LAID TO REST,

THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE
SJ6899 : Cross of Sacrifice - Base


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Basher Eyre and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · St John the Baptist [67] · Looking [18] ·
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TQ2636, 503 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Basher Eyre   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Saturday, 13 August, 2011   (more nearby)
Submitted
Saturday, 13 August, 2011
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TQ 2686 3654 [10m precision]
WGS84: 51:6.8471N 0:11.3408W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TQ 2688 3654
View Direction
WEST (about 270 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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