WAR memorials in Solihull have been designated protected monuments.
Three memorials have been granted grade II listed status by the government, on the advice of Historic England, to commemorate Armistice Day.
These are Elmdon war memorial in Elmdon Park, Shirley war memorial and Hampton-in-Arden war memorial.
The aftermath of the World Wars saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country.
Memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt by those who lost family members and friends in the first and second world wars.
Elmdon war memorial is an imposing stone cross war memorial.
It was raised as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the Shirley local community.
It was unveiled in 1920 and was made by White & Sons at a cost of £86.
An additional inscription was added at some point after 1945 to honour the Fallen of the Second World War.
The inscription says: ‘To the glory of God and in proud memory of the men of Elmdon, who gave their lives in the two World Wars.’
The Shirley memorial is a wheel-head cross memorial and is situated in the south-east of the churchyard of the Church of St James.
Shirley war memorial was also constructed by White and Sons in the years following the First World War.
After the Second World War two curved stone tablets were erected on both sides of the memorial to commemorate those who died in that conflict.
The memorial was re-dedicated on 3 May 1953 in a ceremony attended by Colonel Philip Docker and the Reverend Kenneth Puntan.
It was restored by local volunteers in the early part of this decade.
Monumental masons White and Sons also built Hampton-in-Arden memorial.
It was constructed in 1921 and is a Latin Cross designed in permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 23 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The bottom step has the dates 1939 – 1945 carved in relief with one name incised beneath.
Each building has been listed for its special architectural or historic interest.
