New War Memorial To The Fallen Since World War II Is Dedicated In The Castle Grounds

Published on: 30 Sep, 2018
Updated on: 4 Jun, 2021

Updated with video inserts. Guildford’s new war memorial, to those who lost their lives in military service since the Second World War, was dedicated today (Sunday, September 30, 2018) in the Castle Grounds.

The new war memorial in the Castle Grounds.

Family members and fellow service personnel of the 18 servicemen commemorated on the memorial attended a service at Holy Trinity Church, after which they walked to the Castle Grounds via High Street and Tunsgate along with the clergy and choir, civic dignitaries and invited guests, who included the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, and Guildford MP Anne Milton.

Civic dignitaries make their way to the Castle Grounds.

Followed by families and service personnel, linked with those commemorated on the new memorial.

The dedication, on a bright sunny morning, was led by the rectory of Holy Trinity and St Mary’s Churches, the Revd Canon Robert Cotton.

The Revd Canon Robert Cotton leads the service of dedication.

The names of those commemorated were read out during the service that also included singing by Holy Trinity Church’s choir and Vivace Chorus. The service closed with the singing of the National Anthem.

The service of dedication with the Castle Keep in the background.

The bronze memorial stands at the opposite end of the bowling green to the existing war memorial, which of course commemorates the fallen of the two world war.

The additional memorial is a project by Guildford Borough Council. It asked people to make contact if they had relatives or knew of service personnel from the borough of Guildford killed on military service since 1945.

Wreaths and flowers being laid at the memorial.

The Mayor of Guildford and the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey lay wreaths.

The council requested artists to submit designs and the one chosen is by Scottish sculptor David Annand.

It has been previously reported that the memorial would cost £50,000 – to cover all fees, materials, fabrication and installation.

It features the figure of a man dressed in military fatigues holding a book with the names on it. He is not wearing a specific uniform and therefore represents all three of the British armed forces.

Close up view of the names on the new memorial. There is space for further names if required.

Surrounded by three columns or arcs (also representing the army, air force and navy, they create a ‘nave’ in a style associated with the Norman period of Britain – complementing the ruins of Guildford Castle that date from that period.

The men commemorated are:

Lance-Corporal Gerald Alexander Wheatley, Royal Military Police. Age 19. Date of death: August 21 1947. Place of death: Palestine.

Flying Officer Frederick William Jelly, 208 Squadron, Royal Air Force Age 22. Date of death: July 14 1949.Place of death: Great Bitter Lake, Egypt.

Private Reginald Streeter, Middlesex Regiment. Age 19. Date of death: September 8 1950. Place of death: Daegu, Korea.

Private Reginald John Gray, Gloucestershire Regiment. Age 19. Date of death: June 29 1951. Place of death: Korea.

Leading Radio Electrical Mechanic, Robin Henry, Royal Navy. Age 20. Date of death: August 26 1951. Place of death: South Africa.

Private Reginald Leonard Gray, Royal Leicestershire Regiment. Age 19. Date of death: November 5 1951. Place of death: Korea.

Private Robert A Ketteringham, Royal Norfolk Regiment. Age 22. Date of death: August 2 1952. Place of death: Korea.

Lance-Corporal Ronald Ansell, Royal Army Service Corps. Age 23. Date of death: August 27 1952. Place of death: Egypt.

Flying Officer Francis Henry Giffard Booth, 77 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. Age 28. Date of death: January 27 1953. Place of death: Sinmak, Korea.

Private Gerald William Thompson, Queen’s Royal Regiment. Age 19. Date of death: April 23 1953. Place of death: Korea.

Flying Officer George Peter Dollittle, 77 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. Age 25. Date of death: May 17 1953. Place of death: Haeju, Korea.

Private Ian Ronald Wallace, Royal Army Ordnance Corps. Age 21. Date of death: July 30 1953. Place of death: Korea.

2nd Lieutenant Alan Vaughan Palmer, Queen’s Royal Regiment. Age 19. Date of death: April 12 1954. Place of death: Malaya.

Flight Lieutenant Timothy Robert Gush, Royal Air Force. Age 26. Date of death: June 6 1955. Place of death: Eastbourne.

Lieutenant George Coryton Edwardes, 803 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm. Age 25. Date of death: May 3 1961. Place of death: Singapore.

Lance-Corporal Christopher Farmer, Blues and Royals. Age 23. Date of death: June 29 2007. Place of death: UK.

Major Sean Birchall, Welsh Guards. Age 33. Date of death: June 19, 2009. Place of death: Basharan, Afghanistan.

Lieutenant Andrew Robert Chesterman, Rifles. Age 26. Date of death: August 9 2012.Place of death: Nad ‘Ali, Afghanistan.

See also: New War Memorial – Relatives Show True Cost of the Loss Represented

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