The war memorial stands on the southern side of Coggeshall Memorial Recreation Ground. The location was chosen as it marks the site of a crater caused by a High Explosive bomb which was dropped from a German aircraft, FF29 number 203 on 21 February 1915. Shrapnel damaged a carpenter’s shop, abs another piece of shrapnel flew through a cowshed, just missing a cow, before smashing through a window into a house. There were no casualties, although the wife of an agricultural worker died from shock as a result of the explosion. The sculpture and recreation ground were conceived together as the memorial for the area.
The memorial comprises a bronze sculpture of Victory standing on an orb, holding aloft a wreath and trumpet. The sculpture stands on a square, rough-hewn, Cornish granite column, supported by a tapering plinth. The plinth stands on a two-stage square base. All inscriptions are attached in raised lead lettering. The names of 79 servicemen who died during the First World War are inscribed on the front face of the plinth. The dedicatory inscription on the front face of the upper stage of the base reads:
THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED, AND THE GROUND
PURCHASED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION, AS A
THANK-OFFERING FOR VICTORY, AND IN EVER LOVING
MEMORY OF THE MEN OF GREAT AND LITTLE COGGESHALL,
WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR, 1914 – 1918.
A further inscription commemorating the servicemen who died fighting during the Second World War was added to the rear of the plinth at a later date and bears the Second World War inscription:
IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF/ GREAT AND LITTLE COGGESHALL
WHO FELL IN THE WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945. (followed by 20 names).
The railings which surround the memorial were erected after 1920. Originally the railing sails were topped with gold-painted fleur-de-lys, but these were removed following vandalism. A narrow rectangular stone trough marked by square, flat-topped, stone bollards has been added to the front of the base.
In 2009 restoration work was undertaken and one name was added to the Second World War list of servicemen.
The Cache
The cache can be found at the listed coordinates. You are looking for a magnetic nano. No room for a pen so please bring your own! There is roafside parking avaible on East Street just outside the recreation ground.
***** PLEASE NOTE IMPORTANT *****
CACHES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE PLACED ON ACTUAL MEMORIALS OR WITHIN THE BOUNDARY OF SUCH
AT ALL TIMES PLEASE TREAT LOCATIONS OF MEMORIALS WITH RESPECT