Manual Ref* SUseLA001 Show image 1086
Title*

Memorial to Johannes van Mesdag
County Suffolk   District Council St Edmunsbury District Council 
Civil Parish or equivalent Lawshall  Town/Village* Lawshall 
Road Bury Road 
Precise Location Roadside, opposite Hill Farm 
OS Grid Ref TL859567  Postcode IP29 
Previous location(s)  
Setting Roadside  Access Public 
Artist/Maker Role Qualifier
Not known  Letter carver(s)   

Commissioned by

 Not known 

Design & Constrn period

  

Date of installing

  

Exact date of unveiling

 8 November 2009 

Category
Abstract Animal Architectural
Commercial Commemorative Composite
Free Functional Funerary
Heraldic Military Natural
Non-Commemorative Performance Portable
Religious Roadside, Wayside Sculptural
Temporary, Mobile Other  

Object Type
Building Clock Tower Architectural
Coat of Arms Cross Fountain
Landscape Marker Medallion
Mural Panel Readymade
Relief Shaft Sculpture
Statue Street Furniture War Memorial
Other Object Sub Type: Roadside memorial

Subject Type
Allegorical Mythological Pictorial
Figurative Non-figurative Portrait
Still-life Symbolic Other

Subject Sub Type
Bust Equestrian Full-length
Group Head Reclining
Seated Standing Torso
Part Material Dimension
Memorial  Stone  160cm x 60 x 50 

Work is
Extant Not Sited Lost

Owner/Custodian

 All Saints Lawshall 

Listing status
Grade I Grade II* Grade II Don't Know Not Listed

Surface Condition
Corrosion, Deterioration Accretions
Bird Guano Abrasions, cracks, splits
Biological growth Spalling, crumbling
Metallic staining Previous treatments
Other  
Detail:

Structural Condition
Armature exposed Broken or missing parts
Replaced parts Loose elements
Cracks, splits, breaks, holes Spalling, crumbling
Water collection Other
Detail:

Vandalism
Graffiti Structural damage Surface Damage
Detail:

Overall condition
Good Fair Poor

Risk
No Known Risk At Risk Immediate
Signatures/Marks  
Inscriptions IN MEMORY OF/ FLIGHT SERGEANT/ JOHANNES/ BARTHOLOMEUS/ JAT VAN MESDAG/ OF NO. 64 SQUADRON WHO/ AGED 21/ FLYING HIS MUSTANG MK.111/ LOST HIS LIFE NEAR THIS SPOT/ ON 6TH MARCH 1945, HIS MOTHER’S BIRTHDAY/THIS MEMORIAL WAS DEDICATED/ ON 8TH. NOVEMBER, 2009/ BY ALL SAINTS CHURCH, LAWSHALL. 

Description (physical)

 A fine irregular stone memorial, strikingly set besides the road. 

Description (iconographical)

 Johannes Van Mesdag is buried in Cambridge City Cemetery, Grave 15561. His parents are recorded as Mr and Mrs J.S. van Mesdag of Hilversum, Holland. There is a further, earlier, wall plaque to Johannes Van Mesdag in All Saints, Lawshall. The ceremony and Van Mesdag's career were described in the onesuffolk/Lawshall/features (accessed 25/03/2011): 'Since his death Johannes’ family have kept in touch with All Saints’ Church and have been very supportive of all the work that has taken place in the church over the years. The event at 10am will tie in with The Remembrance Display at the church and the Service at 10.45, following the dedication of the memorial. On a night of dense cloud and rain, when the Americans had cancelled operations, Johannes Van Mesdag crashed in a field on Bury Road, almost opposite Hills Farm. Jan or Jat as he is known by his family was a Dutch man but was in the British RAF, stationed at Bentwaters near Ipswich. He had made 13 raids escorting Bombers to Germany and had been in 49 bombing raids flying Spitfire planes. Johannes’ memorial is on the south wall of All Saints’ Church near the tower.' 

Photographs

 Date taken:  17/3/2011
Date logged: 

Photographed by:
Sarah Cocke

On Site Inspection

 Date:  17/3/2011

Inspected by:
Richard Cocke

Sources and References

 www.haileybury.com/honour/HAILEYBURY; Suffolk churches, Lawshall both accessed 17/03/2011 

Database

 Date entered:  25/3/2011

Data inputter:
Richard Cocke