Martham – War Memorial

Martham’s war memorial is located in the churchyard of St. Mary’s Church and was erected here in 1920, designed by F Perfitt of Stalham. It commemorated the 41 people from the area who were killed during the First World War, noting:

“To the glory of God, the giver of victory and in memory of those of this parish who gave their lives for us in the Great War 1914 to 1919”.

The 41 names are:

Allen, Frederick
Bracey, William
Brown, Arthur
Brunson, Frederick
Brunson, John
Dyball, Leslie
Dyball, Lewis
Futter, Robert
Garman, Blanche
Garman, Harry
Guymer, William
Hayton, George
Hodds, John
Johnson, Leonard
Johnson, Ralph
Knights, Harry
Larter, John
London, Henry
London, Leslie
Long, Elijah
Mays, James
Moore, Ernest
Nichols, Edmond
Rivett, Robert
Sale, George
Sims, Herbert
Smith, Harry
Starkings, William
Turner, Alfred
Turner, James
Turner, Redvers
Utting, Edward
Utting, George
Watson, Charles
Watson, Ernest
Watson, George
Watson, Robert
Wedge, Maurice
Widdick, Herbert
Wilkinson, Henry
Youngs, Charles

The Yarmouth Independent reported on 24 July 1920:

“With all fitting circumstance and solemnity, Martham’s War Memorial was dedicated on Sunday afternoon. Glorious summer weather shone upon the ceremony. Remarkably impressive proceedings were heralded by a muffled peal on the church bells. A large number of ex-servicemen paraded on the Green, and marched to church, under the command of QMS Sumser. A troop of Boy Scouts from Winterton, under the lead of Scoutmaster Dyble, attended and assisted the police in keeping the entrance to the church. The beautiful church was crowded, even standing room being unavailable, and many remained in the churchyard.

The names of the forty brave men and one noble young woman who made the supreme sacrifice were read out by Archdeacon Lisle Carr, vicar of Yarmouth, who also gave a touching and hopeful address, expressing the deep debt of gratitude to those who had fallen in a great cause, and also to those who had returned, and heartfelt sympathy with the relatives and friends of the departed, urging the thought of ‘what they had gone to’ rather than ‘what they had gone from’, and the inspiration to duty and noble sacrifice which the cross in the churchyard should be to both the present and future generations”.

A further ten names were added to the memorial following the end of the Second World War, the names being:

Cubit Armes
Stanley Bean
Robert Chamberlain
Robert Durrant
Reginald Frazer
Harry Miller
George Moll
John Wiseman
Frederick Woodrow
Beryl Applegate (a young air-raid victim)