The Carshalton WW1 Memorial

Hamish’s letter to the Sutton Guardian was published last Thursday, 8th March 2012:-

“I’d like to respond to the article about the plans to remember the fallen men and women of Carshalton (Plan for Carshalton war memorial discarded ‘due to cost’). It’s true that the Carshalton and Clockhouse Committee had set aside £35,000 for a memorial for those lost in World War II. In recent weeks, we’ve been in discussion with the Royal British Legion, but these plans have changed significantly as a result. With the rise in metal thefts, including that of 14 brass plaques from the World War I memorial, it would be unwise to use metal (that was originally planned) in any new memorial. Unfortunately a stone memorial would be significantly more expensive than the original budget. Recent research by a local historian, Andrew Arnold, also uncovered another 250 or so names of fallen servicemen, which means the memorial would have to be double the size of the original proposal. Estimates put the cost of a stone memorial of this size and quality at around £80,000, and this is money we simply don’t have at present. Of course, if residents and organisations were to come forward with substantial donations we’d be delighted to look again at the proposals, but in the mean time we’ve been working with the Royal British Legion on some exciting new plans which we feel will allow our community to pay their respects appropriately. Subject to the approval of the local committee and other detailed work, we hope to add a tribute to the existing memorial, by Carshalton Ponds, and we plan to create a new book of remembrance to include all the names of the fallen, to be displayed in the new Carshalton Library, in the Westcroft Centre. We’re also going to set up a new adaptable website, which will contain photographs, biographies and relative’s memories of those who died in service, and will therefore contain far more information than a new memorial.

Cllr Hamish Pollock, Chairman of the Carshalton and Clockhouse Committee