Norwood and the Great War

The result of much painstaking research, Norwood and the Great War – Reflections on Military and Social History was published in 2022. It gives key information concerning the 595 servicemen or women who died either during, or after the war of service-related conditions, 27 who served and died well after the war, and 16 civilians with WW1 connections.

There are also photographs of all the Great War graves and of family graves bearing commemorative inscriptions that survive in the cemetery, as well as web links to photographs of some of the individuals. In addition, there are photographs of some now lost gravestones.

Commemoration of those who died in conflict changed significantly in 1914. Service personnel who died as a result of injuries received during combat or sickness were normally buried close to where they died. This left many bereaved families in need of a focus for their mourning and existing memorials often received inscriptions reflecting the loss of a son or daughter who had died. Many were poignant reflections of the pain felt by those left behind. This book stands as a tribute to the sacrifices of service personnel and their families from South London in general and from Norwood especially at this time.

Sadly, Lambeth Council carried out extensive, indiscriminate, illegal clearance operations that continued until 1991, when they were stopped by order of the Consistory Court of the Diocese of Southwark. The clearances swept away unrecorded many thousands of gravestones including some that marked the locations of ‘war graves’. Fortunately, and perceptively, the late Eric E.F. Smith FSA recorded the inscriptions of many, but by no means all, of these now lost monuments.

Detailed study of these and other records has enabled Peter Hodgkinson and John Clarke to compile as detailed a picture as is now possible of the sacrifices made by the individuals and families of Norwood and elsewhere as recorded originally in the Cemetery. Not only were there burials and some cremations of those who died on active service, but also many hundreds of those who gave their lives overseas were recorded on family memorials. Notably, 38% of these have no known grave. In addition, some who contributed to the war effort in other ways came to rest at Norwood and are also discussed in the book. 

Great War Connections

This section lists extra material associated with our publication Norwood and the Great War (listed above). It comprises 25 pdf albums containing photographs of all the surviving great War graves and family graves bearing commemorations in the cemetery as well as web links to photographs of some of the individuals. In some cases there are old photographs of memorials now lost. In addition there is an Amendments and Additions document (No. 26) which includes corrections and updates to some of the existing entries, along with 46 additional names identified since Norwood and the Great War was first published.

1. Screen Wall
2. Adam to Axtens
3. Backler to Bottomley
4. Bowden to Butteris
5. Canham to Clark
6. Clowes to Cutler
7. Dalrymple-Hay to Dyke
8. Edgley to Frow
9. Garland to Gurton
10. Hackenschmidt to Hider
11. Hill to Hutchinson
12. Ingram to Jennings
13. Kay to Knox
14. Laing to Liberty
15. Lippold to Lyons
16. McCallum to Maxim
17. Mayhew to Mustoe
18. Neate to Owen
19. Pady to Procter
20. Radcliffe to Russell
21. Savel to Slee
22. Smail to Syder
23. Talbot to Tyrrell
24. Uden to Wilkins
25. Wilkinson to Wrigley
26. WW1 Amendments and Additions (revised Sept 2025)