Ensuring Every Name is Remembered The Trinity Club War Memorial Appeal
The Trinity Club War Memorial Appeal seeks to raise £25,000 to ensure every name is properly commemorated.
Why we need to upgrade the Trinity War Memorial
Summary of problem and proposal for solution The existing War Memorial has two granite stones, one containing the names of students and staff who lost their lives during World War 1 and the second, where the plaque for the Fallen from World War 2 is displayed. During extensive research by two of our alumni, historians Mark Gardiner and Neil Mackenzie, they have found additional names of former students from both WW1 and WW2. These additional names exceed the available space on both the WW1 and WW2 plaques, and the space required on the exiting stones.
A. The Original WW1 Memorial Stone Plaque: There were 94 names listed on the original plaque and a small addendum plaque underneath. Also included are the 3 Currie brothers, students at the school who died after a Zeppelin bomb destroyed their home. B. A new WW1 Addendum Plaque was added in 2018. It contained 36 brand new names (plus one added to the original WW2 plaque) and the 11 that were on the old smaller addendum plaque, so a total of 48 names on the re-cast 2018 addendum plaque. C. There are now 24 new and additional WW1 names since 2018, that need to be added to the plaque/stone. There is insufficient space on both the plaque and granite stone to accommodate these additional or any future names. D. The WW2 Plaque (which is now on a new angled stone at the foot of original WW1 stone), contains 88 names. E. 12 new WW2 names need to be added to this WW2 memorial stone and again, there is insufficient space on the plaque and stone to accommodate this nor any additional names that may be found in future years
The proposal is to remove the WW2 granite stone and move it to a new position to the right of the main stone and add a newly cast plaque for all WW2 names, with space for additional names in the future. Add a new granite stone to the left of the main stone and add a newly cast addendum plaque with all 68 names and space for additional. The overview of the proposed design is shown below. The existing cobble stones will be lifted during the work and re-laid to the original design, so the overall view once completed will be consistent with current state.
History of the War Memorial The school’s War Memorial is currently situated in the grounds of Trinity School, Shirley Park. The Memorial commemorates all those fallen former students (Old Mid-Whitgiftians), who lost their lives in the Great War (1914-18) and in the Second World War (1939-45), and any conflicts since. It was unveiled on November 19th, 1921, by Mr Howard Houlder (former Mayor of Croydon and Chair of the Whitgift Governors) with a ceremony in the playground of the Whitgift Middle School in Pump Pail, Old Town, Croydon. It was a plaque, made of bronze, listing the name of the fallen (94 former pupils and masters plus the 3 Currie brothers) and was later installed on the wood panelled wall near the headmaster's study. An addenda panel was added in the mid 1920s with 11 additional names.
The memorial plaque moved to North End in 1931, when Whitgift Middle School took over the building in central Croydon that was formerly home to Whitgift School. On the morning of Founder's Day in March 1937, the Memorial was moved outside to a position in front of the school, affixed to a granite stone. A new plaque with the names of 88 Old Boys who fell in WW2 (plus 1 additional casualty from the Great War) was attached to the bottom of the granite stone. The new Memorial was dedicated on June 29th, 1949, and unveiled by the headmaster, Horace Clayton.
With the school moving to Shirley Park in 1965, the Memorial Stone was moved again to its current site. By now, the name of the school had been changed to Trinity School of John Whitgift and is now referred to as just Trinity School. The War Memorial was installed surrounded by a wall on three sides to give it a strong sense of ‘monument’ and position within the new school grounds which were quite bare and undeveloped. Some years later, this wall was removed, and the memorial garden area allowed to develop to provide a more appealing appearance but also to allow for suitable flowers and shrubs to be planted to complement the granite Memorial and cobble stones in front. The garden is now considered to be an integral part of the Memorial and is tidied and kept by the school ground staff to ensure it remains a respectful area for students, staff, parents, alumni and visitors at all times.
Following a decade or more of tireless research, two former students of the school, Mark Gardiner and Neil Mackenzie, have been able to provide the names and details of additional former students who died in the Great War but whose names and records were unknown at the time the original Memorial was dedicated. On 7th November 2018, we were delighted to unveil and dedicate the updated Memorial, with the additional names added to a new plaque, below the original World War 1 names. The bronze plaque of the Second World War names was moved onto a new piece of matching Granite and attached to the foot, creating a wonderful new and enhanced Memorial.
Original Funding of the War Memorial A fund was originally started in 1919 for the Great War Memorial, and old boys of the school were invited to contribute. The John Whitgift Foundation was prepared to underpin the costs of the Memorial should insufficient funds be raised. However, the generosity of many old boys and some other contributors ensured that the cost was covered. Following the Second World War, The Old Mid-Whitgiftian Association set up a memorial appeal fund and again, through the generous support of the alumni of the school, but also parents of the bereaved whose sons were named on the Memorial, together with a small donation from the Foundation, money was raised to cover the enhanced Memorial. In 2018, through careful management of budgets by the Estates Team, the additional granite stone and revised brass plaque was installed ready for the re-dedication.
Funding required for additional works to conclude in Autumn 2026 New funding is now required to facilitate the installation of the new granite stone, the move of the existing small stone, and the re-casting of the plaques as described above. As the names of the Fallen represent former students of the school - i.e. the ‘Old Boys’, it is hoped that our current ‘Old Boys’, their families and friends of the Trinity community will once again step up and support this Memorial and ensure that the sacrifice made by all of these brave souls will not be forgotten but will endure forever. The intention is that funding is achieved by the end of October, so that the works can be ready for a re-dedication in November at the Remembrance Ceremony and Wreath Laying. The target fund required is £25,000 and the launch of the fundraising will be made at the Founder’s Day Supper on March 20th and followed up by extensive campaigning by both the Trinity Club and supported by the Development and Alumni Relations team at the school. A GoFundMe site has already been established, and the invitation will be made to all former students plus ‘friends’ of both Trinity and The Trinity Club, to donate as soon as possible for the work to be undertaken to the timeline outlined.