For most of human history, war memorials were erected to commemorate great victories; remembering the dead was a secondary concern.

Coombe Hill Monument is one of the first and largest examples of a war memorial erected to honour the names of individual men who fell whilst fighting for their country.

At 850 feet (260 m) above sea level, it sits on one of the highest and most striking spurs of the Chilterns, commanding a wide view of the Vale of Aylesbury.

The committee consisted of: The Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Sir Henry Aubrey Fletcher Bt JP (Patron); Major General Stuart Watson CBE (Chairman); Mark Bailey, Buckinghamshire County Council (Project Manager); Lt Col (Retd) Ingram Murray, Honorary Secretary of the Friends of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry; Patricia Birchley, Elected Member, Chiltern Ridges; Johanna Sienkiewicz, local resident, Project Researcher; Chris Arnold, Ellesborough Parish Council; Pam Priestley, Elected Member Wycombe District Council; Paul Rogerson, Elected Member, Buckinghamshire County Council; and Neil Harris, The National Trust A new plaque corrects spelling errors in the original and adds 2 names that were previously omitted.

[2] The memorial was deep-cleaned, weathered joints were replaced, fresh gold leaf has been applied to the finial, and the county crest and bronze flags above the plaque have been restored.

[4] Coombe Hill has 3 different types of land including acid heathland, chalk grassland and deciduous woodland.