Unveiling ceremony of the War Memorial 18th December 1920.
The war mainly in Europe, among most of the world’s great powers had been one of the bloodiest in history, without a single decisive battle. Over 65 million people had been mobilised; of these 8.5 million were killed and about 37 million wounded. Of the casualties over 3 million were from the British Empire and of these 809,000 were killed.
The end of the war was greeted with a general feeling of relief by a war weary population and a determination that this was to be a “war to end wars”. There is hardly a town or village which existed at the time where there is not a memorial to those from that town or village who gave their lives. Goffs Oak was no exception. Bearing in mind that the total population (men, woman and children) was barely 1,000, the 32 men killed represented a significant proportion of the adult male population.
The ceremony was performed by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Meux.
The memorial, standing in a very central location in the village, was unveiled on the 18th December 1920 by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Meux of Theobalds Park.
Made of Portland Stone, it was manufactured by Messrs Hanchett of Waltham Cross and stands 16ft high. The men named on the memorial served in a variety of regiments (mainly infantry) and were aged between 18 and 45, although most were in their 20s. Unfortunately the “war to end wars” did not live up to its name and barely 21 years later in 1939 Britain became involved in World War II which cost the lives of another 271,000 men and woman in the armed forces alone, with a similar number wounded. Another three names were added to the Goffs Oak memorial. In this war the whole population was also involved with many fatalities. Goffs Oak as a community experienced several air raids. Perhaps the most serious was the V1 which landed 100 yards east of Goffs Oak House in the middle of Goffs Lane destroying the cottages that stood there, killing five and injuring twelve.
The Memorial in the 1920s
However, it should be remembered that the end of World War II was not the end of sacrifice by our servicemen and woman. With one exception, every year since 1945 our men and woman have been called upon to serve somewhere in the world. To name but a few these include Korea, Malaya, Kenya, Falklands, Northern Ireland, the Balkans and Iraq.
All this has happened within living memory. No doubt there are many with their own recollections of events and sorrow, but we should all reflect, even for a short time, how these men and woman have in some way helped to shape our lives and wonder how it would have been without their sacrifice.
Those residents from the new houses along Hammondstreet Road may wonder why their roads were named as they were.
Almost in every case they will find the answer on the War Memorial.
