Unknown Soldier
Location: St Mary’s Church
Town/village: Long Sutton
County: Lincs
Postcode: PE12 9JJ
Details on cross:
Unknown British Soldier
Text type: GRU tag (or imitation of one)
Cross dimensions (millimetres please)
Shaft Height: 1003
Cross beam width: 400
Width of wood: 60
Thickness or depth: 25
Other information
Mounting to wall: Mounted on wooden plinth standing on a window sill.
Detailing: None, plain sawn timber. RBL poppy wreath at base.
Evidence of use in field: None
Surface insertion depth: None, although shaft finishes in a point. Doesn’t look like it was ever in the ground.
Finish: Signs of varnishing.
Condition: Good.
Other information, notes and observations:
The cross is mounted on a wooden plinth on a window sill at the east end of the south aisle of the church in the Lady Chapel.
I wonder if this was in fact a locally made wooden cross produced after the war as a general memorial. It doesn’t look as if it has been outside for any length of time and there is no sign of it ever having had a GRU cartouche or plot number tag on it. If it was a GRU marker to an unknown soldier why did it finish up in Long Sutton? I’ll email the church and see if they know any more of its history.
Survey and photographs by Andrew Macdonald
Date of survey: 29/07/16
