The memorial to the fallen in two World Wars stands in the churchyard of St Michael’s Church to the left of the Lych Gate and near the boundary to the market square. The memorial was unveiled on the 19th December 1920 to commemorate the fallen in the World War I (The Great War).
This is the article published in the North Wilts Herald on Friday Dec 24th 1920:
Unveiling Ceremony 3pm Sunday 19th December 1920
The unveiling of the War Memorial stirred the heart of Lambourn to its depths, and long before the hour fixed for the commencement of the special service on Sunday last most of the available seats in Saint Michael’s church were occupied. At a few minutes to three a strong squad of ex servicemen who had paraded in the Market Square under major Jones took up their positions just behind the seats that had been reserved for relatives of the men who had died for England. The organist played Chopin’s funeral March and the impressive strains of which had scarcely died away when the choristers made their appearance. The vicar then opened the service by reciting the sentence “I am the resurrection and the life and I know that my redeemer liveth.”
The unveiling was performed by General Rennie, who prefaced the act by a brief but eloquent speech, in which he paid tribute to the noble example of self sacrifice and devotion to duty set out by the men whom they were honouring. He bade all who heard him ever remember that but for their glorious patriotism, England would have been surely crushed by Germany and her inhabitants reduced to a bondage worse than which the Israelites experienced at the hands of the Egyptians
The final acts in this most touching service of Remembrance were the playing of the Last Post by Corporal J Wicks and the singing of the national anthem. Subsequently tokens of affectionate regard were placed around the cross by the choir, the ex servicemen, the football club, the Tennis Club, the Boy Scouts and many others.
The cross is boldly fashioned of grey Cornish granite upon a pedestal and three tiers of steps, and bears the inscription:- 1914-1919 Robert Adams, Raymons T. Adams, Ernst Asker, Alan Busby, John Ball, Alfred Boston, William Bradley, Percey Brown, Frederick Coles, Ernst Candy, Charles Dobson, Frederick Diekson, Thomas Eyles, Frank Embling, Frederick Francis, Arthur Gosling, Leonard Gilby, Samuel Helbrow, Charles Jefferies, William Joyce, Thomas Lockey, Frederick Lockey, Alfred March, Frank Merchant, Edgar Mildenhall,Walter Pike, Thomas Pilcher, John Palmer, Frederick Reynolds, Joseph Shephard, Frederick Shephard, Frederick Standing, Leonard Taylor, Frederick Standing, Leonard Taylor, Frederick Williams, Charles A. Wing. The west panel is left vacant so that other names may be added which have been overlooked.
