Memorials and Plaques commemorating Bruce Bairnsfather

On this page you can find details, including location, of the all the memorials and plaques commemorating Bruce Bairnsfather which have been erected since his death.

Bruce Bairnsfather's grave - Cheltenham Gardens of Remembrance, Bouncers Lane, Cheltenham GL52 5JT  

Bruce Bairnsfather died at Worcester Royal Infirmary on 29 September 1959, aged 72. On 3 October 1959 he was cremated at Cheltenham Crematorium and his ashes interred in Plot 71 in the Terrace Gardens at Cheltenham Gardens of Remembrance. His wife Cecilia outlived him by six and a half years, passing away on 10 February 1966. Her ashes were interred alongside her husband. Both graves are marked by bronze memorial plaques.

Major Thomas Henry Bairnsfather's grave - St Michael's Churchyard, Northchapel, West Sussex GU28 9HP

Bruce Bairnsfather's father, Major Thomas Henry Bairnsfather, died at Haslemere Hospital on 31 December 1944 aged 85, and was buried in St Michaels Churchyard, Northchapel, West Sussex - the village which had been his sons' home since 1940, and where he and his wife had lived since 1942. More than fifty years later, Bruce Bairnsfather's name was added to the inscription on his father's grave, at the request of the cartoonists daughter. 



GLC Blue Plaque Commemorating Bruce Bairnsfather - 1 Sterling Street, London SW7 1HN

On 24 August 1981, Bruce Bairnsfather's daughter Barbara Littlejohn unveiled a GLC Blue Plaque commemorating her father, at 1 Sterling Street, London - his London residence from 1919-21. The plaque was instigated by Bairnsfather's biographers, Tonie and Valmai Holt, and was followed by a Reception at the Better 'Ole Club at the Stafford Hotel. The plaque was the first to be put up honouring the cartoonist.

Plaque Commemorating Bruce Bairnsfather - St Yvon, Belgium


On 13 December 2003 a plaque commemorating Bruce Bairnsfather was unveiled by Valmai Holt and Gilbert Deleu (Mayor of Comines-Warneton), at No. 12 Chemin du Mont de la Hutte, St Yvon, Belgium. This house is on the site of the original ruined cottage which was Bruce Bairnsfather's 'home' during the winter of 1914-15, and where he first began to draw the humorous sketches of life at the front, which later became famous as Fragments from France. The plaque was sponsored by Tonie and Valmai Holt, who worked closely with the local authorities and Historical Society, to get the plaque erected. 


Plaque Commemorating Bruce Bairnsfather - Victoria Spa Lodge, Bishopton, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 9QY


On 10 September 2005, a plaque commemorating Bruce Bairnsfather was unveiled by the famous British cartoonist Bill Tidy, MBE, at Victoria Spa Lodge, Bishopton, Stratford upon Avon - the home of the creator of Old Bill and his parents, from 1904-1922. The unveiling was attended by Bruce Bairnsfather's daughter, Barbara Littlejohn, who flew over from her home in America with two of her daughters, Janet Farella and Margaret Nelson, especially for the event. The plaque was instigated by Mark Warby, Editor of The Old Bill Newsletter, and following the ceremony at Bishopton a 'reunion' for Bairnsfather enthusiasts was held in Stratford upon Avon, which included an Old Bill Lookalike Competition, which was judged by Bill Tidy, Barbara Littlejohn and Tonie and Valmai Holt.

Plaque Commemorating Bruce Bairnsfather - St George's Memorial Church, Ieper, Belgium

On 28 May 2007, the Dedication Ceremony for a plaque commemorating Bruce Bairnsfather took place at St George's Memorial Church, Ieper (Ypres). The dedication was conducted by Senior Churchwarden Rita Hawkes, in the presence of a large group of Bairnsfather enthusiasts, and was the final event at the close of a special 'Bullets & Billets' Battlefield Tour visiting locations associated with Bruce Bairnsfather's first six months in France with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, in 1914-15. Also present were descendants of the Charlet-Flauw family, with whom Bruce Bairnsfather had been billited in April 1915, and several local researchers and historians who had helped make the tour possible. This latest plaque was proposed by Mark Warby, and sponsored by The Old Bill Newsletter.



Plaque Commemorating Bruce Bairnsfather - Colwall Royal British Legion Club, Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6QW

On 24 September 2011 a plaque commemorating Bruce Bairnsfather was unveiled by Mark Warby, at Collwall Royal British Legion Club, Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire. Colwall was Bruce Bairnsfather's home from 1951-54, and the plaque was instgated by Colwall Village Society. During his time in the village Bairnsfather had been well-known to members of the British Legion Club, and in 1952 drew four cartoons for them, which are still proudly displayed today. Following the unveiling a Reception was laid on courtesy of the RBL, and a large exhibition of Bruce Bairnsfather memorabilia was organized by Mark Warby for the occasion.