Additional general notes on the memorial
In the North aisle, which is dedicated to St John the Evangelist, is the memorial window to those who died during the First World War. It contains much fascinating symbolism. God is protrayed wearing a papal tiara, a traditional way of expressing sovereignty. He is giving a blessing, and holds an orb with a cross, symbol of Christ as ruler of the world. Below him is a dove repsenting the Holy Spirit. The crucifixion scene shoes St Mary and St John on either side of Christ. The pelican, nesting on the cross, recalls the seafarers' legend that the bird fed its young on its own blood. Blood flows from the wounds of Christ into the opened tomb, while weeping angels hide the sight from their eyes. The sun is to the right of Our Lord, the crescent moon to the left. This may show the whole of creation subject to Him; alternatively, the sun represents the New Testament, the new light, while the moon is the Old Testament, resting in its shadow. The crescent can also signify rebirth. St MAry Magdalene kneels by the open tomb. Flowers spring to life, showing that death is not the end. In the outer lights appear the patron saints of soldiers, the archangel Michael, judge of the dead with his scales, and St George the dragon killer. At the bottom is a roundel with emblems of the passion. In the bottom light the Latin inscription translates: "In honour of the Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, this memorial to those who offered their lives for their country." The coats of arms at the top of the window are of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, East Anglia, the Haberdasher' Company, Clare, and the Crown.