My wife has very acutely noticed that WW1 War Memorials very rarely say what they are popularly thought to say: “They died for King and Empire”.

Given that most War Memorials were paid for by public subscription, and that the inscription would have as a result have been carefully considered and debated, they are a unique window into what people thought about the War and why it was fought.

So I am going to publish the inscriptions from War Memorials when I see them, and we can see what conclusions may be drawn.

Here is the first one from Baconsthorpe Church in the heart of the North Norfolk countryside.

It reads:

“To the honoured memory of

the men from this Parish who

gave their lives for their

country in the War 1914-19″