‘INVICTIS PAX

IN MEMORY OF THE

MEN AND WOMEN

OF CHELSEA

WHO GAVE

THEIR LIVES IN

THE GREAT WAR

MDCCCCXIV

MDCCCCCXVIII

AND

MCMXXXIX

MCMXLV

THEIR LIVES

FOR THEIR COUNTRY

THEIR SOULS TO THEIR GOD’

This Memorial in the centre of Sloane Square, Chelsea,  is a bit of a puzzle since it is very unusual in mentioning Women as well as Men; however it covers both WW1 and WW2.

There is no sign of re-cutting or indeed refacing, despite saying the ‘Great War’ in the singular, it has dates for both World Wars.

Our explanation is that there was space left below the ‘MDCCCCCXVIII’, so the WW2 dates were added.

The ‘Cross of Sacrifice’ was designed for the Imperial War Graves Commission by Sir Reginald Blomfield in 1918 in different sizes.

Ref No 3.0 in my list of WW1 War Memorials, looking at what the dedications tell us about how ordinary people felt about the War that had just ended.

Pictures by Sally Blandford