Oldfield Park Junior School (Bath) WW1 Memorial Project
Bathwick St Mary's Church (Bath)
WW1 Memorials
This main WW1 memorial is on the north wall of the church:
The selection of the imagery for the memorial was clearly an opportunity for the church to reinforce its catholic leanings within the Church of England.
From Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette, Saturday 7th December 1929:
ST. MARY'S BATHWICK
War Memorial Shrine Dedicated
A handsome War Memorial Shrine has been
placed in St. Mary's Church, Bathwick, Bath, by the congregation. It
was dedicated by the Rector (Prebendary George Ruck) on Sunday morning.
The dedicatory prayers were followed by the singing of "Valiant
hearts". The shrine, which stands in the North Aisle, in front of the
organ, is of unpolished oak. Upon a richly embellished cross of red and
green, on a blue background, is a gilt figure of the Saviour, either
sides are panels bearing the names of the 27 members of the
church who lost their lives the war.
Inscribed names:
| Sydney Uphill Gerald H. M. Blake Edward Rossler Beard Frederick Charlton Cyril Clack John Edward L. Clarke William H. Clarke Alfred Clavey Ralph Walter E. Ellis John Francis Fox John M. Hardyman Charles H. E. Head John William Herd Ernest Hillier Louis R. Hillier R . I . P . [Somerset coat of arms] | Henry H. F. Turner Herbert A. Kennedy Egbert Lewis Edwin John Long Charles Miles John Henry Odey Reginald C. B. Perkins William Ridewood Ronald H. J. Rose Cyril Shannon Martin G. Sutton Francis W. Veal Reginald Worsley E. Young R . I . P . [Bath coat of arms] |
Ralph Walter Elley Ellis
On the opposite wall, adjacent to the doorway through to the church hall, is the individual memorial to Ralph Ellis (also mentioned on the main memorial). This is one of the most attractive war memorials in the city and commemorates one of Britain's early fighter pilots in the Royal Flying Corps. Reports from the time reveal that Lieutenant Ellis was a victim of none other than Manfred von Richthofen, the infamous 'Red Baron'. Ellis was flying with Lieutenant Harold Carver Barlow in 9 Squadron when their plane became the Baron's 53rd victim.
