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St Saviour's
Pimlico
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The War Memorial
Our War Memorial
The St Saviour's war memorial stands on Lupus Street, Pimlico, with little gardens on either side, creating a place for reflection. The memorial's inscriptions honour the dead from both World Wars. The north face of the plinth reads: "Pray for the souls of those who fell in the Great War 1914 R.I.P. 1918," listing 29 names. The east face commemorates the fallen of World War II with the inscription: "May they rest in peace 1939 - 1945," followed by six names.
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It was official Government policy during the First World War not to repatriate the dead – so
for some men this memorial is the only physical monument close to home. Our memorial represents their graves and their sacrifice, and provides a place for family and friends to grieve in this country without travelling to the war graves in Europe.
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The names on the memorial are unusual in that they are not in alphabetical order – suggesting they were perhaps added at different times rather than all at once. Many of the men listed also have memorials in other places around the country, as well as battlefield memorials, which might indicate that the men weren’t all parishioners of the church but had other links to the area.
One such possibility is that the memorial’s creation is maybe closely tied to the Royal Army Medical College. This was opened by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1905, which served as a general hospital during World War I, treating trench fever, frostbite, shellshock, and gas gangrene. This historic association underlines the community's deep connection to the military and the significance of remembering those who served.
It is also possible that, due to the lack of a war memorial at Westminster Cathedral, men of Catholic faith may have been inscribed on our memorial instead. This isn’t confirmed, but seems a plausibility. A number of the men are also sons of clergy.
First World War, 1914-1918
Trooper Hubert Bernard Hodson
Born in 1892, Hubert was the son of Reverend Thomas Hodson and Catherine Anne Maskew. He served as a Trooper in the Fort Garry Light Horse and was killed in action on 8 May 1915, at Ypres, Belgium. Hubert is also commemorated with a stone reredos in Oddington St. Nicholas.
Captain John Cyril Deed
Captain Deed served in the Royal Marine Light Infantry aboard HMS Formidable. Born on 22 May 1876, in St Albans, he was educated at St Alban's Grammar School and Greenwich College. He was killed in action on 1 January 1915, when HMS Formidable was torpedoed in the English Channel.
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Captain Arthur Michael Durrant
Arthur Durrant, an architect by profession and married to Jemima, joined the military early in life. He was a Captain in the 257th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, and was killed in action on 5 December 1916. He is buried at Pont-du-Hem Military Cemetery in France.
Captain Cyril Francis Hawley
Captain Hawley of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps was killed on 2 November 1914 aged 36. He served in the South African Campaign and is commemorated at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium
Lieutenant Humphrey William Devereux
Lieutenant Devereux, of the 5th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment, was killed by a shell on 26 June 1916, at the age of 22. He was a scholar of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge when war broke out, and his fearless leadership was greatly admired by his comrades. Of him, his Colonel wrote, “his loss is a great grief to all who served with him. I wish to Heaven I had more of his sort. His fearless resolution was an inspiration to his men.”
Lieutenant-Commander Arthur Gerald Onslow
Lieutenant-Commander Onslow of the Royal Navy was mortally wounded on the destroyer, Onslaught, during the Battle of Jutland and died on 1 June 1916 ten hours after he was first injured. He had a distinguished career, earning the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during the Somaliland Expedition.
Second World War, 1939-1945
Lieutenant David Frederick Godfrey-Faussett
A Swordfish pilot, David was part of the attack the Bismarck and was killed on 1 June 1942, when he was piloting Swordfish L2772 as a member of 767 Squadron operating from HMS Condor (Arbroath) when it flew into the sea off Easthaven on a night formation flight. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and mentioned in despatches twice.
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Flight Sergeant Roy Fairplay
Flight Sergeant Fairplay served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as part of Bomber Command 158 Squadron. He was killed on 22 March 1944 at the age of 21, when his Halifax aircraft was lost over Frankfurt. He is buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
Driver Peter Wilfred Waite
Driver Peter Wilfred Waite of the Royal Army Service Corps was captured at Abbeville on 2 June 1940 and died as a prisoner of war at Stalag XXA Thorn camp. His service and sacrifice are remembered with honour.