Why the Anchor?

[Gareth Davies]

Lionel Clifford Hodge died on 30 Nov or 1 Dec 17 at Cambrai (during the counter attack).  His body was never identified and so he is commemorated on the Louverval Memorial.  He is also commemorated in Tonbridge by this fine memorial.  Why the anchor?

 

 

From http://www.tonbridgehistory.org.uk/people/ww1-obits-2.htm 

Lionel Clifford Hodge was born in Tonbridge in 1889, the son of Walter and Fanny. In 1901 the family were living at 4 Meadow Lane and Lionel attended Judd School. By 1911 had moved to Dumsford Road Wimbledon and Lionel was working as an article clerk for a chartered accountant. In 1917 he joined as a Private the 28th London Regiment and entered France on 2nd August, he later transferred to Royal West Kent Regiment 6th Battalion on commission to 2nd Lieutenant. He was killed on 30th November 1917 and is remembered on the Cambrai memorial Louverval.

Edited 30 December , 2017 by Gareth Davies

[max7474]

The anchor and chain has Christian connotations as in' steadfast in ones faith'.  The symbology was also used by the Boys Brigade.

[Gareth Davies]

First it was badgers, now it is Christian symbology. You never cease to amaze me Max (not his real name).

 

Thank you.

[Gareth Davies]

.

[clive_hughes]

May be off-track here, but shortened/broken pillars in funerary art betoken a life cut short in some way.  You can add to that the Biblical reference "Christ is the anchor of our souls" , but I'm still not sure that's the full answer... 

[seaJane]

Sunday-school hymn memory perhaps?

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift or firm remain?

 

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love

[Gareth Davies]

Thank you.

[MBrockway]

See also Hebrews Chapter 6 ...

 

¹³ For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, ¹⁴ saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. ¹⁵ And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. ¹⁷ Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: ¹⁸ that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: ¹⁹ which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; ²⁰ whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

[Authorised version]

 

Source of all those Hope and Anchor pub names!

 

Since the anchor is here firmly attached to the broken pillar, I would read the symbology as a life cut short early but which remained anchored to the faith and therefore hope of eternity among the blessed is certain.

 

Other readings are, I'm sure, possible!

 

Mark

 

[David_Underdown]

On ‎31‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 00:07, seaJane said:

Sunday-school hymn memory perhaps

The Boys' Brigade hymn - BB use of the anchor symbol already mentioned up thread.

[alf mcm]

On 12/31/2017 at 00:07, seaJane said:

Sunday-school hymn memory perhaps?

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift or firm remain?

 

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love

 

In the Boys Brigade version of this hymn, 'Steadfast' is spelled 'Stedfast'.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[MBrockway]

All rooted in Hebrews 6:19 - see post #8.

 

King James version has 'stedfast'

Authorised Version has 'stedfast'

Revised Standard Version has 'steadfast'

 

I haven't dared check how the modern happy-clappy versions render this wonderful poetry