At the end of the First World War in 1918, the country was determined to remember the many who fought and gave their lives. To ensure that these were never forgotten memorials were erected in towns and villages all over the country.
The people of Eaton were no exception and on 11 March 1919 a meeting was held in the parish room in Colman Road when it was decided to erect a memorial cross on a site that suited the whole parish. The present site was glebe land and conveyed to four trustees by the Church Commissioners for £5.
The design is based on that of Sir Reginald Blomfield RA which was adopted for use on the battlefields. It is of Portland Stone and made by Mr E W D Potter of Chapelfield Road under the direction of the architect Mr E C Boardman. It was completed, dedicated and unveiled on 1st May 1921.
There are 107 names of the fallen from the First World War and 33 from the Second World War inscribed on the memorial, though there are almost certainly others whose names for whatever reason do not appear there. We remember them all.
Each year, at 10.45 am on 11 November, a short service is held at the War Memorial. Wreaths are laid by members of Christ Church, St Andrew's Eaton and local schools. There is a two-minute silence during which it is not unknown for traffic on the busy Newmarket Road to stop.
Fundraising
The memorial was built by public subscription and over the years the Trustees have endeavoured to raise funds to keep it in good order and maintain the site. The last appeal was in 2014 and raised sufficient funds to enable it to be cleaned in 2014 and again in 2018 using the recommended methods for a listed structure.
To mark the centenary of the dedication an appeal was launched to raise funds to undertake the re-cutting of some names to help maintain them for a further 100 years as well as a major steam clean. This work, along with significant hedge pruning and tidying in the area and repairs as the result of vandalism, were completed in 2022. Our thanks to all who donated.
If you would like to support the ongoing maintenance of the war memorial, donations, large or small, may be left at or sent to the Eaton Parishes Office, 41 Church Lane, NR4 6NW. Cheques should be made payable to Eaton War Memorial. Please mark your envelope "Donation for Eaton War Memorial" and, if you wish, enclose your name and address. If you wish to pay by BACS or if you have any questions please contact David Scott
Thank you
The Trustees
Below are some photographs of the inscriptions on the War Memorial - those of the First World War followed by those of the Second World War. Please click on each image to see an enlarged version
