CAIRN MEMORIAL, SURBITON LIBRARY, SURREY UK
Posted by: 
AngelPick
N 51° 23.546 W 000° 17.895
30U E 687961 N 5696930
A cairn constructed from rubble from the attack on St Marks church during WW2 which resulted in severe damage to the structure. It is part of the WW2 memorial.
Waymark Code: WMCB6T
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/18/2011
Views: 20
A plaque on the stones reads:
THIS CAIRN IS OF STONE FROM THE PARIS CHURCH OF ST MARK WHICH WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED BY BOMBING ON THE NIGHT OF 2nd OCTOBER 1940.
During the 2nd World War, Surbiton missed the full force of the Blitz but it was damaged by bombs which mostly fell near the railway line, or along the bypass close to the armaments factories.
In the early hours of Wednesday 2nd October 1940, a "terrific" explosion was heard as two high-explosive bombs and an oil bomb fell on St Mark's Hill.
One bomb struck the middle of St Mark's Church roof, and the vicar, Canon John Halet, hurried out of the vicarage to find his church in ruins and blazing furiously. Unfortunately the water mains had been damaged in the same raid, and despite the use of ten fire pumps and a mile and a half of hosepipe, the fire could not be brought under control. Jets were played on the steeple and from the tower door into the church, and these saved the spire from destruction.
The tower clock remained mostly intact, but its hour hand "had been given a twist".
Twenty years later, on 30th September 1960, St Marks Church was reconsecrated.
Fortunately it seems no people were killed or hurt in the bombing.
The War Memorial and the Memorial Gardens where it resides are “Buildings of Townscape Merit (according to the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, whatever that means).
Also in The Memorial Gardens are nice memorials to those lost in WWI and WW2.
Most of the above was taken from St Marks and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames websites to whom I give thanks.
Cairn Location: Outside a library.
Cairn Purpose: Other (please describe in description)
Type if different from above list: WW2 Memorial
Types of rock: Rubble, unable to identify
Cairn Condition: 
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Visit Instructions:
An original image picture of the cairn captured at the coordinates given by yourself.
At least one sentence to describe your impression of the Cairn, or your reason for visiting if it is more than just waymarking.