The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Willen as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by three members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. A meeting of the Newport Pagnell Rural District Council on 31 October 1923 confirmed that there was no objection to the proposed location, and the memorial was duly unveiled and dedicated by the Suffragan Bishop of Buckingham on 5 April 1924.
The approximately 2.5m tall war memorial stands in the lawn outside the Grade II-listed Wall and Gates to the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary Magdalene, in front of the Grade II-listed School House and Brook Farmhouse. It takes the form of an obelisk, square on plan, in rough-hewn grey granite. The obelisk stands on a chamfered pedestal and base.
A panel cut back into the front face of the pedestal bears the inscription in applied metal lettering, reading 1914 + 1919/ IN HONOURED MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ (3 NAMES). The names are recorded with rank and service, regiment, or corps.
To the right, the old school house has a year on it, under AD, above a door. Make this ABCD.
N52 03.(D-A)(B-A-D)0 W0 43.0(B-D-A)C
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