Christopher Cecil Tower

Two crosses both for Tower, one appears to be a standard British Army Cross, the other a more personalised larger cross.

Location:
St Peter’s Church
South Weald
Essex
CM14 5QJ

Details on cross:

IN MEMORY
CAPTAIN C.C. Tower ESSEX YEOMANRY
KILLED IN ACTION OCT 2nd 1915

Tags on smaller cross
I.W.G.C.
1-K-16
CAPT. C.C. TOWER
ESSEX YEL.

Text type (e.g. hand-written, GRU tags, carved):Hand painted in black
Cross dimensions
(millimetres please)

Large Cross
Shaft Height:1300mm
Cross beam width:750mm
Width of wood:105mm
Thickness or depth:50mm

Small Cross
Shaft Height:625mm
Cross beam width:400mm
Width of wood:53mm
Thickness or depth:26mm

Other information
Mounting to wall: propped up against a stone pillar
Detailing:
Evidence of use in field (earth marking, cracking, staining, shrinkage): No evidence of the large cross being in the ground, but the vertical element of the smaller cross looks short, as if the rotten pointed part may have been removed
Surface insertion depth (into ground if apparent): not apparent
Finish (varnish, paint, oiled, unfinished etc): Black painted script on large cross. looks like natural aged patina
Condition (cracked, paint peeling, woodwork, damage etc): Good. There is not any visible corrosion between the aluminium tags and the ferrous nails, which suggests they weren’t outside in the rain much.

Notes and observations:
There is a plaque on the wall with the following inscription;
GIVING THANKS TO GOD
FOR THE LOVED MEMORY OF
CHRISTOPHER CECIL TOWER
OF WEALD HALL
1, LIEUTENANT ESSEX YEOMANRY, A.D.C.12 DIVISION.
KILLED IN ACTION VERSAILLES, NEAR LOOS, FRANCE
OCT 2ND 1915.  AGED 30
ELDER SON OF
CHRISTOPHER JOHN HUME AND CECELIA TOWER
BELOVED HUSBAND OF DOROTHY CYNTHIA
ELDER DAUGHTER OF
BRIGADIER GENERAL SURTEES, CB,DSO,MVO
OF MAINSFORTH HALL, CO. DURHAM,
AND OF MADELEINE, HIS WIFE

CC Tower at Christ Church Oxford.

CWGC
Rank: Lieutenant
Date of Death: 02/10/1915
Age: 30
Regiment/Service: Essex Yeomanry attd. as A.D.C. to Major General Wing, 12th Div
Grave Reference: I. K. 16.
Cemetery: NOEUX-LES-MINES COMMUNAL CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Christopher J. H. and Cecilia Tower of Wealdside, Essex; husband of Cynthia (daughter of Brig. Gen. Herbert Conyers Surtees, of Mainsforth Hall, Co. Durham), of Weald Hall, Brentwood, Essex. His brother Hugh Christopher Tower also fell. Link

Survey and photographs courtesy of Michael Black
Date of survey:17/12/2016