ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS - SOUTH AFRICAN WAR

Submit a new image

Reference WMO/74700

Address:

Gun Hill

jct Hospital Road

Aldershot

GU11 1FL

England

Open large map
Edit memorial name, location & address
Status: On original site
Type: Freestanding
Location: External
Setting: Within a garden/park/churchyard/enclosure/Marketplace
Description: Composite
Materials:
  • Metal Bronze
  • Stone Granite
Lettering: Inscribed on a plaque
Conflicts:
  • Boer War, Second (1899-1902)
About the memorial: II A granite and bronze memorial to the members of the Royal Army Medical Corps who fell in the Boer War, built c1905 with a bronze sculpture by Sir William Goscombe John RA and architectural setting by RW Schultz Weir RA.The Royal Army Medical Corps Memorial is a dignified and elegant granite design comprising a grey granite obelisk centrally set within a curved wall terminated by pillars and approached by three steps. At the top of the obelisk is the Corps insignia below which is inscribed, 'RAMC To those who gave their lives for their country'. At the base of the obelisk is a plinth inscribed, 'South Africa 1899-1902' on which is a bronze sculpture depicting two uniformed Corps members treating a soldier in a pieta composition. The flanking walls have vertically set bronze panels recording over 300 names. HISTORY: In 1852, 8000 acres of low cost heath at Aldershot were purchased as the site of the first permanent training ground for the Army, large enough to run regular summer exercises for 10 to 12 battalions at one time. Here the new railways could provide easy access to London, Dover and the main naval arsenals at Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth. In February 1854 work had started on the construction of the barracks, and by 1856 North and South Camps, (later to become Stanhope and Marlborough Lines), consisting of regular grids of wooden huts, had been erected. Permanent barracks, named the Wellington Lines, were built between September 1854 and 1859. The lack of a wall around the barracks, formerly considered necessary for separateness and security, was an innovation and emphasised the difference between Aldershot and previous barracks, with their civil policing role. Aldershot was the first of the large-scale camps, followed by Colchester and Shorncliffe, and it included some of the earliest examples of a garrison church, library and gymnasium. Today there are only isolated buildings, and the overall plan of the camp has been lost to post-war redevelopment. The British Army had attendant medical services from the time of the formation of the regular Army after the Restoration in 1660. At first each regiment had its own surgeon and assistant, but by 1898 the army's medical recources were combined into one organisation in the Royal Army Medical Corps. The RAMC developed during the Boer War and reached its zenith during the First World War. Latterly it has contracted and its main bases were the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Millbank and the Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot (Grade II), which have now closed. The memorial, built in c1905, lies close to the Cambridge Military Hospital and McGrigor Barracks (named after Sir James McGrigor who was Wellington's Surgeon-General), built to house the medical staff working at the Cambridge Military Hospital. The Royal Army Medical Corps memorial features a well-crafted bronze sculpture by Sir William Goscombe John RA (1860-1952) who trained with William Burgess's studio and at the Royal Academy Schools. Burgess was one of the leading Victorian architects, a champion of the Gothic Revival, whose most important works were for the Marquess of Bute in Wales in the rebuilding of Cardiff Castle and the reconstruction of Castell Coch. John won the RA Gold Medal and Travelling Studentship in 1889 and was influenced by Rodin whom he met in Paris. The architectural setting of the memorial is well laid out by Robert Schultz Weir (1860-1951) who trained at the offices of R Norman Shaw and Earnest George and Peto. Schultz studied at the RA Schools and in 1887 also won the RA Gold Medal and Travelling Studentship and also worked for the Marquess of Bute. He became Master of the Art Workers' Guild in 1920. Sculptor: Sir William Goscombe John
Edit memorial details
Report a concern with this memorial
Report a duplicate memorial record
Report an inappropriate record
Submit a condition update
Report this condition update

View more details
Report this condition update

View more details
Report this condition update

View more details

Grants to support the repair and conservation of war memorials are available from the charity War Memorials Trust if it has raised funds. Support is focused on war memorials in Very bad or Poor condition or where there is a serious Concern.

Before applying for a grant you should read the advice available on War Memorials Trust`s website. The What we can and cannot fund helpsheet explains what types of work the charity can fund.

If you believe your project is eligible for a grant you should complete the Pre-application enquiry form. You will need to be registered and logged in to complete this.

The Pre-application enquiry form is a series of questions to see if your project is eligible. If it is, you will need to provide further details and submit current colour photographs of the war memorial in either a png, gif, jpg or jpeg format.

You can save your Pre-application enquiry form as you go along. Once submitted War Memorials Trust will respond.

Please be aware that a summary of your enquiry, without your contact details, will appear on this page once submitted. This ensures others are aware that an enquiry has been made and can read the response to avoid duplicate enquiries. Information provided by you to us will be used for the purpose of managing the grant enquiry, for further details please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy .

pre-application

As a charity, War Memorials Trust relies on voluntary donations and every contribution, no matter how large or small, makes a really big difference to our work. Your donation will help protect and conserve war memorials for future generations so please support War Memorials Trust’s work.

donate here
Submit a new comment
Report this comment
Edit information

OBELISK: RAMC/ TO/ THOSE/ WHO/ GAVE/ THEIR/ LIVES/ FOR/ THEIR/ COUNTRY/ SOUTH AFRICA/ 1899-1902 WALL: PLAQUES STEPS: ERECTED BY THE OFFICERS, WARRANT OFFICERS AND NON COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN/ OF THE ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS IN MEMORY OF THEIR COMRADES OF THE CORPS

Suggest information

Grade II (England)

https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1393807

1393807

Information Required

Information Required

Claim Custodianship

Information Required

Information Required