War Memorials

Chaddesden War Memorials

While there are a few memorials to those who lost their lives in the Crimean and Boer Wars and in notable battles before the twentieth century, the First World War was on a much greater scale than any that had taken place before, with many soldiers being lost in action and having no known final resting place. Numerous memorials were erected to those who had lost their lives in the War. Starting on 9 November 1919, the second Sunday in November was designated Remembrance Sunday, a day to remember those who had died in the conflict, that being the nearest Sunday to the anniversary of Armistice Day, 11 November 1918.

Chaddesden Village War Memorial

The War Memorial on Chaddesden Lane was erected as the result of a public meeting at which it was agreed that collections should be made for the erection of a war memorial on land given by Major J.D. Kerr. The tablet was provided by Mr Warren of Derby and the stonework was done by the villagers including Messrs B. Oldershaw, A. Bullock, A.E. Brown and Sergeant-major W. J. Wild who was secretary of the appeal.

On Sunday 16 September 1923, the memorial was unveiled by Major-General Straubenzee (Northern Midland Division, Sherwood Foresters) and dedicated by the Rev J. E. S. Hackforth, the vicar of the parish and honorary chaplain to the forces. The Annual Parish Meeting held in the Church War Memorial Hall on 12 March 1928 resolved, with the approval of the trustees, Lt Col Kerr, A. Oldershaw, J. H. Smith and J. Bullock that the Chaddesden Village War Memorial Shrine was handed over to the Chaddesden Parish Council (or other authority).

The men mentioned on this memorial are:
Davidson, John W*
Downing, W^m*
Fell, Albert J*
Fletcher, Arthur*
Flixon, Wallace
Hall, Bert^m
Mills, George*
Oldershaw, John*
Pell, R.H.
Whiting, Edwin*
Wilmot, Rob^t*
Wilmot, H Cecil
Wilmot, Thos N., M.C.

The names are not exactly the same as those on the memorial on the Church War Memorial Hall.
Only those with marked with an * appear on both memorials.

Chaddesden Park War Memorial

Although the village war memorial is in a prominent location, there is not space in front of it to hold services of remembrance without closing Chaddesden Lane to traffic. A proposal to move the war memorial to Chaddesden Park came to nothing. Instead a separate memorial has been created in the park, dedicated to those from Chaddesden who have fallen during conflicts. The children from the local schools place wreaths at the site.

Chaddesden Church War Memorial Hall

The parishioners of St Mary’s Church Chaddesden decided to create a permanent memorial in the form of a church hall at a cost of £2,000. It was to be built well back from Chaddesden Lane, exactly opposite Chaddesden Hall. On the front was a white Calvary Cross with the names of the fallen underneath. There was a main hall 70ft x 24ft, a billiard room 24ft x 19ft 6in with one table and a reading room 19ft 6in x 16ft. The main hall was furnished with 140 chairs and 30 tables by parishioners subscribing to a table or chair. Outside there were two tennis courts and a bowling green. The building was erected by Mr Shardlow of Stenson Road, Derby.

On Easter Monday 2 April 1923, the unveiling, dedicating and opening was carried out in front of a large gathering including the Bishop of Derby, the Duke of Devonshire and Captain Drury-Lowe. The Duke unveiled the memorial stone and the Bishop dedicated the stone.

Those with marked with an * are also named on the village war memorial.

St Mark's Church War Memorial
(Nottingham Road War Memorial)

The Nottingham Road district was a self-contained part of Derby containing about 250 houses on Nottingham Road east of the railway bridge, St Marks Road, Francis Street and Cowsley Road (now known as Cornwall Road). To the south it was bounded by the Derby Canal and to the north was open countryside, the Cowsley estate not being built until the late 1920s.

Cllr E Chambers suggested that a memorial should be erected to the men of the district who had lost their lives in the war. As St Mark's church had no spare land, a site was found on Nottingham Road opposite the end of St Mark's Road and a temporary memorial erected. A public subscription raised £200 for a permanent memorial in the form of a cenotaph* of Hopton Wood stone set in a recess of Staincliffe stone designed and worked by Messrs Beresford of Derby.

The memorial was unveiled by the Mayor (Cllr A.J. Eggleston) on the afternoon of Sunday 7 November 1920. A procession from St Mark's church reached the memorial by way of Francis Street, Cowsley Road and Nottingham Road. About 2,000 people were present to hear Mr J.A. Aiton speak of the wonderful response from the district from which 237 men volunteered and 31 of whom laid down their lives. The ceremony was completed by the vicar (Rev W.H. Symonds) blessing the memorial.

* A cenotaph is is a memorial to someone buried elsewhere which is true of all war memorials, not just the well known memorial in London.

St Mark's war memorial after being cleaned by the Victorial Cross Trust on 4 November 2024.

In the 1960s the memorial was removed to Roe Farm Lane, outside the Royal British Legion Club. to permit the widening of Nottingham Road. In the 1990s it was moved to its present site in Nottingham Road Cemetery where it may be found in zone A20. It is now a grade 2 listed structure.

War Graves in Nottingham Road Cemetery

On 13th January 1926, the Cross of Sacrifice was unveiled in Nottingham Road Cemetery by what was then the Imperial War Graves Commissions, now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). This is recognised as a Commonwealth War Graves Site.

One Chaddesden man who is buried there is Walter William Hancock who died of his wounds at his home on 27th October 1918. He grew up on Nottingham Road, moved to Highfield Cottages whilst working for the Midland Railway, from here he joined the Sherwood Foresters. One of several workers from Chaddesden Sidings who died during the war, he is commemorated on the Chaddesden village memorial, the St Mark's memorial and the Midland Railway Memorial on Midland Road. The last memorial was dedicated in December 1921 to the 2,833 men employed by Midland Railway who died. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who designed the Cenotaph in London.

His grave has a CWGC headstone. Many families chose to have a family headstone, so it is not always easy to recognise what are official Commonwealth War Graves. Details can be obtained from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website www.cwgc.org Many men did not return home and families incorporated inscriptions on family graves. Photographs of the graves and inscriptions, recorded so far, can be found on the War Graves Photographic Project website www.twgpp.org