What words are inscribed on the memorial?
Across the bottom of all 4 lights: To the Glory of God, this window was dedicated by relatives, friends and parishioners in Grateful Memory of:-/ (Names)/ all of this Parish, who fell in the Great War, 1914 - 1918.
Framed and glazed Information: Wilsford War memorial/ The East Window in the Parish Church, filled with/
Stained Glass, to the memory of those in the Parish who/ fell in the Great War, will be Dedicated on/ SUNDAY, JUNE 27th, at 3 p.m., and unveiled by/ Brig.-General R. L. ADLERCRON, C.M.G., D.S.O./ Buglers from Cranwell Camp./ A collection will be taken for necessitated alterations/ to Sanctuary./ ROBERT G. HOWARD, Rector./ ARTHUR CORNEY,/ JOSEPH GOSTICK,/ Churchwardens./ 1920/
The Northamptonshire Regiment Journal extract: The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Wilsford, Lincolnshire/ When we came to live in Lincolnshire in 1987 we found our village one of a/ group of nine hamlets and villages with five Churches and one Rector. In/ September 1988 the Rector accepted a living in Durham and at the/ University. During the interregnum Robert, Bishop of Lincoln, announced that he/
would celebrate Holy Communion for all the Churches of the Benefice on 10 January/ 1989, the service to be held in Saint Mary's Church, Wilsford./ In view of the possible size of the congregation we set off early on a bright/ sunny morning. As we sat waiting the start of the service my eyes wandered over/ the fine East Window through which the sun was pouring its light. There were/ four main windows with life size figures of what appeared, at that distance, to/ be Warrior Saints. Along the bottom of the window ran a dedication too small to/ read from where we sat. Above the main window was a tracery of small lights of/
various shapes and sizes which I began to study. Suddenly my eyes alighted on/ the left side of the window and for a while I studied it intently. Squeezing my/ wife's arm I said "Look at the left side of the east window in the tracery above/ the figures: what do you see?" Isn't it the badge of the Northamptonshire/
Regiment?" she replied. "I am quite sure it is" I answered and immediately/ switched my attention to the rest of the tracery. Below this badge and slightly/ left was what appeared to be the Maple Leaf of the Canadian Forces. My interest/ now thoroughly aroused, I surveyed the window generally. The tracery was enclosed/ in a wide pointed arch. At the top was the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment's badge./ Immediately below came the Sherwood Forresters (sic) (Notts & Derby). To the left of/ these two and descending from the top were the crossed lances of a Cavalry/ Regiment, then the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Below and to/ the right was a badge I could not immediately identify. It had something crossed/
with a crown above. Then, in descending order came the Royal Leicestershire/ Regiment, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and the King's Own Regiment/ At this point the Bishop entered and I switched my attention to higher and nobler/ thoughts!! When the service ended I advanced on the window to complete my/ observations. It was the Canadian Army; the crossed Lances were the 12th Royal/ Lancers and the unknown badge was the crossed machine guns surmounted by the/ Crown of the Machine Gun Corps. The figures of the main window from left to/ right were St Raphael the Archangel, St Martin, Bishop, St George the Martyr and/ St Michael the Archangel. The inscription at the foot of the window read:-/ To the Glory of God, this window was dedicated by relatives, friends and/ parishioners in Grateful Memory of - (There follows a list of 26 names) - all of/ this Parish, who fell in the Great War, 1914 - 1918./ All the badges were beautifully executed and the whole window a splendid memorial/ to the fallen. We had been attending Wilsford Church twice a month for nearly two/ years. Why had we not noticed it before? Possibly we had not been fully awake/ at 8 in the morning! Or is it unobservant old age creeping on?! Should any/
comrade be visiting this area the village of Wilsford is on the A153 road from/ Grantham to Sleaford (it has a small bypass) just east of where this road crosses/ the old Roman Ermine Street (B6403) at Ancaster. There are many comrades from/ the Nottingham & Newark area who my be interested./ V.A.H./ Extract from The Northamptonshire Regiment Journal/ May 1991 by Major Victor Harding of Oasby