Remembrance Sunday 2025, Fishpool Street’s War Memorial

Today we stand in front of our street’s 104 year old ‘Cannon Glossop memorial’ to honour those that have served and the memory of those that left this street for the first world war and did not return:

• Private Stanley Gosling, who was billeted in Fishpool Street and died in 1916

• Lance Corporal Kenneth Martin was born at 11 Fishpool Street and died in France aged 23

• Sergeant Walter Foster, lived at 29 Fishpool Street, and was killed in action aged 29

• Gunner Arthur Walker, lived at 31 Fishpool Street, and died aged 28

• Private Thomas Bourne lived at 33 Fishpool Street, and was killed in action aged 31

• Acting Bombardier James Ansell, lived at 50 Fishpool Street and died of his wounds, aged 24

• Private Joseph Peacock, lived at 52 Fishpool Street and was killed in action, aged 22

• Private Frederick Fellows, lived at 66 Fishpool Street and was killed in action aged 19

• Private George Baker, lived at 96 Fishpool Street, and was presumed killed in action aged 19

• Lance Corporal George Brown, who lived at 116 Fishpool Street went missing and was presumed dead aged 32

• Corporal Jack Ward, lived at 135 Fishpool Street, and was killed in action. 

  
  

  Private George Rawles, lived at 141 Fishpool Street, and was killed in action, aged 21

• Private Frederick Sibley, lived at 156 Fishpool Street, and died of his wounds aged 24

• Private Harry Furness, lived at 156 Fishpool Street, and died of his wounds aged 22

• Private Alfred Rainsden, lived at 180 Fishpool Street, was sadly drowned at sea, aged 34

The following reading was taken from Goodman, A (1987), ‘The Street Memorials of St Albans Abbey Paris’, St Albans and Archaeological Society, p 27.

‘By this time, 1921, the whole country was beset by industrial unrest, bitterness and disillusion.  The ‘war to end war’ hope that a new era of selflessness and peace was on the way already seemed likely to be dashed.  The Bishop, in his address at Lower Dagnall Street, was not exempt from this backlash of disillusionment.  Reminding his hearers of the heroism and sacrifice of the war, the urged for an end to national strife:

‘As they have won the war, they have left us to win the peace’ he declared, but how this was to be done was another matter.  ‘These tablets as you see,’ he continued, ‘have been placed where they will be seen, and should be seen, by those who will pass by in the future years through the streets where these men once lived.  Each of the tablets we are unveiling today bears the words, “For Remembrance”.  I do not suppose that any of you who have lost husband, son or brother in the war will ever be likely to forget, but there could be others, as the years by, who will forget, or indeed never knew, the price that was paid in those terrible years for what we believed to be peace of the world.’

The Bishop concluded his address to silent crowds in Lower Dagnall Street with the words, “the figure of Our Lord on the cross surmounting these memorials is a reminder to us all that death was the price paid by these men for our safety and peace.’