Memorial to Norman Charles Henry Macdonald Moreton in the form of a mosaic of St George, on the south aisle of St Mary's church, Iwerne Minster.
The blue of the sky consists of small mosaic tiles, the remainder of the image is made up of larger painted tiles.
The inscription below reads:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF NORMAN CHARLES/ HENRY MACDONALD MORETON/ ONLY SON OF LIEUT-COL MACDONALD MORETON LATE/ COLDSTREAM GUARDS OF HILL GROVE & ANNA HIS WIFE/ BORN 18 JULY 1888 KILLED IN ACTION 13 OCTOBR 1915/ BURIED AT CAPPY IN FRANCE./ HE SERVED IN INDIA &/ DURING THE EUROPEAN WAR 1914-195 AS LIEUT IN THE 3RD/ BATTALION KING'S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS APPOINTED/ TEMP. CAPT. FOR SERVICE IN THE FIELD, MENTIONED IN/ DESPATCHES & AWARDED THE MILITARY CROSS FOR/ GALLANTRY DURING THE 2ND BATTLE OF YPRES/ HE TRIED TO DO HIS DUTY"Very little is known about St. George’s life, but it is thought he was a high ranking officer in the Roman army who was killed in around AD 303.
It seems that the Emperor Diocletian had St. George tortured to make him deny his faith in Christ. However despite some of the most terrible torture even for that time, St George showed incredible courage and faith and was finally beheaded near Lydda in Palestine. His head was later taken to Rome where it was interred in the church dedicated to him.
Stories of his strength and courage soon spread throughout Europe. The best-known story about St. George is his fight with a dragon, but it is highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever visited England, however his name was known there as early as the eighth-century.
In the Middle Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil. Unfortunately the many legends connected with St. George’s name are fictitious, and the slaying of the ‘Dragon’ was first credited to him in the 12th century.
St. George, so the story goes, killed a dragon on the flat topped Dragon Hill in Uffington, Berkshire, and it is said that no grass grows where the dragon’s blood trickled down!
It was probably the 12th century Crusaders however who first invoked his name as an aid in battle.
King Edward III made him the Patron Saint of England when he formed the Order of the Garter in St. George’s name in 1350, and the cult of the Saint was further advanced by King Henry V, at the battle of Agincourt in northern France.
Shakespeare made sure that nobody would forget St. George, and has King Henry V finishing his pre-battle speech with the famous phrase, ‘Cry God for Harry, England and St. George!’
King Henry himself, who was both warlike and devout, was thought by his followers to possess many of the saint’s characteristics.
In England St. George’s Day is celebrated, and his flag flown, on his feast day, April 23rd.
An interesting piece of trivia – Shakespeare was born on St. George’s Day 1564, and if the story is to be believed, died on St. George’s Day 1616."
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"Captain Norman Charles Henry Moreton Macdonald was born on 18 July 1888. He was the son of Lt.-Col. Augustus Henry Moreton Macdonald and Anna Harriet Mary Sutton. He died on 30 October 1915 at age 27, killed in action.
He was awarded the Military Cross (M.C.) He gained the rank of Captain in the 3rd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps. He fought in the First World War, where he was mentioned in despatches."
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