The Suffolk Regiment South African War Memorial is a Grade II Listed monument that stands in the middle of Cornhill in the historic market square of Bury St Edmunds. The memorial includes 193 names of men serving in the Suffolk Regiment, who lost their lives in the Boer War between 1899 and 1904. It was dedicated on 11th November 1904 and whilst there are records of the names in the stone being reworked in recent years, there is no historical record of the bronze work ever being significantly restored, nor cleaning of the higher stonework. With money provided through a local donor and Bury Town Council, Richard Rogers Conservation carried out a restoration of the memorial, with the works completed in November 2023.
This memorial was ahead of its time in commemoration of the everyday man, with 160 of the 193 names listed being ‘privates’, the lowest ranking soldier. The artist, Arthur Walker, borrows from classical work but uses the style in a more modern interpretation – unlike other memorials of the time Walker conveys a more realistic view of war, with his Suffolk soldier not head bowed and respectful but reflective and battle weary, almost even beaten. The appearance to the bystander is thus a memorial that is easier to engage with, representing a community that was in an agricultural depression at the time of war, where many of the private soldiers had enlisted simply to escape the rural poverty at home. This memorial has a considerable significance, locally and nationally, and in particular to the town, commemorating the Suffolk Regiment soldiers in Bury St Edmunds.
Completed: 2023
Image to come
