DOVER Civic War Memorial Kent

Transcription

1 DOVER Civic War Memorial Kent The Great War

2 Having seen the Sculptor Richard Reginald Goulden ( ) variously described as being a native of Hartpury in Gloucestershire, London and Dover, Kent, when researching various war memorials, in truth I am still unclear where he was actually born. Richard served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers during the Great War and was Mentioned in Despatches for his service on the Western Front in 1915 and Richard Goulden was responsible for several war memorials in the United Kingdom which vary quiet markedly when viewing them, both in size, materials and actual style. What is certain however is that he was the Sculptor selected to design the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, which was erected on the front lawn of Maison Dieu House. The memorial to the people of Dover who had died in the Great War was unveiled on 5 November 1924 by a Freeman of the Borough, Vice-Admiral Sir Roger Keyes ( ). Inextricably linked to Dover, Sir Roger later became Admiral of the Fleet Lord Keyes of Zeebrugge and Dover, G.C.B., K.C.V.O., C.M.G., D.S.O., R.N. Following the cessation of the Second World War hostilities, additional panels naming the towns fallen were added, after which the war memorial was re-dedicated to the dead of both world wars. Regrettably like countless other civic tributes to the war dead throughout the county of Kent, (and elsewhere) a not insignificant number were not commemorated, including the high number of Dover civilians who sadly perished directly as the result of enemy action. Please note Mention should be made of the fact that although when compared to many others of a similar size in Kent, and indeed some smaller ones, the Dover civic war memorial has proved to be a remarkably quick, and very easy war memorial to research. Despite which various census entries etcetera have been checked, either to possibly confirm that a correct casualty had been located, or to assist in finding others. The reason for pointing out same is that a thorough a nd detailed check of the 1901 census has not been carried out during the research stage. It should also be noted that where brief details of actions fought which resulted in the army deaths having been added, it has been assumed that service at that time was in the actual unit with which the casualty is commemorated, as opposed to attached or transferred etcetera. But most, possibly all, would have been serving with their own parent unit. Apologies and thanks. Where Kent newspaper extracts have been added at the following brief commemorations they will only relate primarily to those who served in Kent units, mainly The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), or others which simply caught my eye at the time. They might not be verbatim, the reason for same is that most have been in storage at home for several years, and have faded etcetera with the passage of time. During the transcription process mistakes might have occurred despite care being taken. Newspaper cutting extracts from 2

3 other counties have been kindly furnished by friends and acquaintances, as such they are as supplied, but are almost certainly absolutely correct, a huge thank you to all for same. Roll of Honour ABBOTT, ADOLPHUS SANDON SYDNEY. Corporal, GS/ th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 17 January Born Wimderara, British Guiana. Enlisted and resided Croydon, Surrey. Buried Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas De Calais, France. Grave Ref: XXI B 10A. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Although Alpolphus is the sole match with the excellent CWGC website details, it has not been possible to link him to Dover, Kent. As the civic war memorial was not unveiled until 5 November 1924, and the cutoff date for Great War commemorations by the then IWGC was on 31 August 1921, whilst the collection of names for inclusion on the war memorial was doubtless several months prior to the unveiling ceremony, the doubt remains that Alpolphus is not the correct Dover casualty, who might have died post the IWGC cutoff date and the final additional names, that said it should be pointed out that A S ABBOTT as commemorated on the addenda panel, as such it would probably be indicative of the man or woman having been included amongst the earlier names. Whilst normally very reticent to take cause of death as shown in/on O/SDGW as being necessarily correct, due to countless casualty cards or death certificates seen contradicting same, but in the case of Alpolphus, bearing in mind which cemetery he is buried in, died as shown at his SDGW entry is probably on this occasion correct. Unfortunately it does of course preclude the adding of any war diary entry or similar appertaining to his death. During the Great War, the area around Etaples in the Pas De Calais, France was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern and southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. The Military Cemetery is to the north of the town, on the west side of the road to Boulogne, it is the largest CWGC cemetery in France having identified casualties. In view of similarity of Christian names, it is possible that Alpolphus was a relative of Corporal Sidney Alpolphus Abbott, 1/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Gloucestershire Regiment who was killed by an enemy sniper at 0500 hours in Belgium on 13 June ACKEHURST, ARTHUR WILLIAM. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 2 February Aged 19. (CWGC data, please see below). Son of Mr. and Mrs. Ackehurst of 12 Edgar Road. Buckland, Dover, Kent. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Jeancourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Aisne, France. Grave Ref. I. D.18. SDGW shows Arthur s date of death as occurring on 2 February 1918 which is probably correct as his battalion had moved to the Ypres Salient in the Poperinghe area early in 3

4 January 1916, with an advance party going on 4 January and the remainder on the following day. Also Arthur s regimental number would suggest that he was a 1917 enlistment, and the information provided by the CWGC re Jeancourt Communal Cemetery Extension is of significance as regards to Arthur s demise. Jeancourt was a German hospital centre and the extension to the communal cemetery was used alternately by Commonwealth and German troops; a substantial German plot remains in the northwestern part. The Commonwealth burials, made by the 59th (North Midland) Division and other fighting troops, began in April 1917, continued until February 1918, and were resumed in September Further burials were added after the Armistice when graves, almost all of March and September 1918, were brought in from the surrounding battlefields. An alternative reason for the date confusion would be if Arthur had been attached to another regiment that was serving in the Département of the Aisne, France on 2 February 1916 which seems highly unlikely. It would seem likely that Arthur was recorded by the then IWGC with the wrong date of death quite simply by a slip of the pen or misreading casualty card information from his regiment. In view of the fact that Arthur is the first casualty on the war memorial who had died whilst serving in a battalion that was in the 18th (Eastern) Division, it seems right to add briefly something about that division here. The 18th (Eastern) Division was formed in the middle of September 1914 as part of Kitchener s Second New Army. The division was extremely fortunate in its first appointed General Officer Commanding, he being Ivor Maxse, who had been brought home from commanding the 1st (Guards) Brigade, an officer well known for his ability in training skills and for demanding nothing but the very highest standards from all ranks. He remained in post as the G.O.C. of the 18th (Eastern) Division until January 1917, when he was replaced by another highly capable commander, Richard Philip Lee. Major General Lee remained in command for the rest of the war. With the advantage of having only two GOC s, both of such a calibre, the 18th Division reached a very high peak of efficiency and became one of the best in the British Expeditionary Force. It had eleven Victoria Crosse s awarded to its members, it being the second highest number awarded to a non-regular division, after the twelve won by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division, and also gained over 4,300 other awards; but at a price as the divisions total casualties amounted to 46,503. ADDLEY, EDWARD DICKERS. Officer s Steward 2nd Class, L/3401. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Pathfinder. Died 5 September Aged 27. Born Folkestone, Kent 23 August Son of George and Caroline Elizabeth Addley of 10 Castle Hill Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 6. H.M.S. Pathfinder a 2,900 ton Pathfinder Scout Class cruiser which was built by Cammell Laird & Co Ltd at Birkenhead, she was launched on 16 July 1904 and commissioned on 18 July At the time of the start of the Great War H.M.S. Pathfinder was the leader of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla based at Rosyth, Scotland. On Saturday 5 September 1914 and running short of coal, H.M.S. Pathfinder was only making 5 knots at the time of her loss, which was at approximately 1630 hours when she was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off St. Abbs Head, Berwickshire, Scotland, it being approximately 10 miles to the southwest of the Island of May, by the type U19 4

5 Mittel-U class, German U-boat U-21 which at the time was commanded by Leutnant zur See, Otto Hersing. Edward s ship has the unenviable distinction of being the first Royal Navy warship to be sunk by a U-boat of the Imperial German Navy during the Great War, and the first ship ever to be sunk by the use of a torpedo alone fired from a submarine. H.M.S. Pathfinder was struck by the torpedo in one of her magazines, which exploded causing the ship to sink within a few minutes with the loss of 259 men; there were only 11 survivors of the sinking. Having sunk 36 ships for a total of 78,712 tons (warships excluded), on 22 February 1919 the U-21 sunk as the result of an accident whilst on passage to surrender to the allied powers. Later promoted to Kapitänleutnant, Otto Hersing survived the Great War, and when interviewed by the journalist Lowell Thomas during the inter war years, as to what he did for a living, Otto Hersing told him that he was a Potato Farmer, which took the journalist by surprise as he was expecting him to answer with something of a nautical bent. The superb U-boat museum at Cuxhaven-Altenbruch, Germany contains a lot of ephemera appertaining to Otto Hersing including his Log Book, that notes in detail the events leading up to the loss of H.M.S. Pathfinder, part of which describes the weather which prevailed at the time: - For a terrible time, snow storms and fog, reason why as soon as we could see nothing, only black cloud strips twisting in grotesques forms in front of us. But we had to cross the British lines protected by the fog. ADLEY, SIDNEY. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Died 21 September Buried Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: XVIA. B. 12. Also commemorated on the Holy Trinity Memorial Hall, Dover, Kent memorial plaque. On the Dover, Kent civic war memorial Sidney is shown with his surname spelt ADDLEY, but all other basic data accessed to compile this brief commemoration including CWGC, SDGW, MIC entry and his regiments Roll of Honour, all show Sidney s surname as being ADLEY. For the three days leading up to the day Sidney lost his life, is shown in the history of the 18th (Eastern) Division, (which included Sidney s battalion), thus There was scarcely a moment during these days of 18th, 19th and 20th September when our men were not facing a desperate and skilful enemy at close quarters, and amid every form of difficulty, showing a steadiness and courage that this record can do little more than barely indicate. The author was making reference to time spent at the Hindenburg Line where the much depleted division was pitted against a numerically superior force of picked enemy soldiers that had been ordered to hold their positions at all costs. In view of where Sidney is buried it is obvious that he had not been with his battalion during the days immediately prior to the attack on the day he died. O/SDGW although a very useful research tool either in book form, and more in recent years on CD, as a matter of course unless a death certificate or similar has been personally sighted we usually record a casualty as died as opposed to that shown on O/SDGW, the reason being that countless times over the years, it has been noted that certificated and the O/SDGW do not always match, regarding cause of death, but it was interesting to see that Sidney is shown as died, as opposed to killed in action or similar. 5

6 AHERN, HAROLD WHITEHOUSE. Lance Corporal, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 18 October Aged 19. Born Dungeness, Romney Marsh, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Buckland, Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Ahearn of 60 Mayfield Avenue, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 2, where it was noticed that Harold s surname is erroneously spelt AHEARN. At the start of the Great War the1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was stationed Fermoy, Ireland, which it had left on 12 August 1914 and proceeded to Cambridge where it arrived exactly a week later, the journey allowed the battalion which was in a state of high morale time to indulge in singing on the way, the most popular song being It s a long way to Tipperary which had been arranged by Bandmaster Elvin of the battalion. After having been joined by 554 reservists, many of whom were veterans of the Second Boer War or the Northwest Frontier of India, in some cases both, their experience and it as was with of some of the regulars, combined with the youthful enthusiasm of some of the younger members of the battalion set them in good stead when the battalion set foot on French soil at St. Nazaire on 9 September 1914 having crossed from Southampton aboard the SS Minneapolis. Following a number of moves, the battalion arrived at Courcelles and took over front line trenches to the north east of Vailly sur Aisne at 0230 hours on 21 September when relieving the 1st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers and the 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Private Herbert Cole aged 21 from Battersea, became the first of at least 1120 other ranks in the battalion to die in the Great War, the second being 30 year old Private Young T.E. Town from Milton Regis, Sittingbourne, Kent. A fairly recent innovation is the sounding of the Last Post which takes place at the Ploegsteert Memorial on the first Friday of every month at 1900 hours. We have noticed in the summer months that it is advisable to arrive early for the simple but nonetheless moving tribute as the lay-by in front of the Berks Cemetery Extension where the memorial is situated usually fills up quite quickly as 1900 hours approaches, as whilst the number of those who attend the ceremony is not comparable with those at the Menin Gate in Ieper an hour later, every time we have been at the Ploegsteert Memorial ceremony the numbers seem to grow. Following the sounding of the Last Post, it is advisable to wait until the rush to Ieper is over, as there is both plenty of time to get to the Menin Gate ceremony. Leonard Ahern commemorated below, who was a brother of Harold, and probably also a regular soldier like Harold. AHERN, LEONARD JOHN. Rifleman, nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 14 March Born Cowgate, Isle of Wight. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 44. Judging by Leonard s regimental number, he was probably serving in the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade as a regular soldier, and as such would probably have been amongst those on the battalion roll when it arrived at Le Harve, France on 6 November Leonard fell during a period of notably heavy casualties to his battalion, including deaths. On 9 6

7 March 1915 the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade assembled in trenches to the north-west of Neuve-Chapelle, north of La Bassee and west of Lille in the Pas de Calais, France, in readiness to take part on the first day of what is now remembered as The Battle of Neuve-Chapelle (10-13 March 1915). Following an intense bombardment by about 500 artillery pieces of forty minutes duration, Leonard s battalion in company with the other units involved left their trenches to take part in the battle. On the battles first day the battalion attacked through the village and dug in, the attack resulted in at least 116 casualties in the battalion, and ultimately cost several lives including that of the battalion Medical Officer Captain Harry V.B. Byatt R.A.M.C. who was mortally wounded and died on the same day as Leonard. At 1230 hours on 12 March a fresh attack on the enemy was mounted by the battalion, during which the officers and other ranks of both A and B Companies were met by heavy cross fire as soon as each commenced their attacks. At 1645 hours fresh orders were sent to the battalion, instructing that the enemy s trenches were to be rushed regardless of loss. Despite incredible courage displayed by all ranks of the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade that day the assault failed, and the official battalion casualty roll shows the staggering figure of 377 all ranks. A number of the officers of the battalion who fell are buried in the little Neuve-Chapelle British Cemetery, including Lieutenant Thomas P. Pilcher the son of Major General Thomas David Pilcher, C.B., and Kathleen Pilcher, inside the village church is a memorial cross which reads, In loving memory of Lieut Thomas Percy Pilcher of 2nd Batt. Rifle Brigade aged 21, and of his fellow officers and men who fell valiantly attacking the German lines near Neuve Chapelle on March 12th When looking at the cross, it struck home that in effect it was also a memorial to all members of the battalion who died in or as the result of the battle, including Leonard Ahern. Apart from the casualty numbers, another indication of the battalions gallantry and commitment can also be gauged by the fact that two men of Leonard s battalion were subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross for the part they played in the battle, sadly one of which was posthumous. Company Sergeant Major (later Lieutenant Colonel V.C., M.C.) Harry Daniels, and Lance Corporal Cecil Nobel being the recipients, Cecil died of his wounds and is buried in Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery. The following is the V.C. citation for Cecil Noble, which is as for Harry Daniels apart from name changes etcetera, and is an extract from the Supplement to the London Gazette of 27 April 1915 (No ) which records the award of the V.C. to this N.C.O. and to C.S.M. H. Daniels For most conspicuous bravery on 12th March, 1915, at Neuve Chapelle, when their battalion was impeded in the advance to attack by wire entanglements, and subjected to a very severe machine-gun fire, these two men voluntarily rushed in front and succeeded in cutting the wires. ALDERSON, ALBERT EVELYN. Captain. 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Attached to the 1st Battalion, King s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Died 11 March Born Dover, Kent c1884. Son of Mary Alderson of Weeford, River, Dover, Kent and the late Reverend E. A. Alderson (Chaplain to the Forces, 1st Class). Buried Struma Military Cemetery, Greece. Grave Ref: VI. F. 11. Also commemorated on the Temple Ewell, Dover, Kent civic war memorial. 7

8 At the time of the 1901 census Albert s mother a native of Feltham was already a widow, Albert was a 17 year old schoolboy residing at Elm Bank, Temple Ewell, Dover, Kent. Albert s father, the Reverend E. A. Alderson has been noted as having served on the island of Malta during the late 1880 s and early 1890 s. Although it has not been possible at this point in time (August 2004) to find out when Albert was attached to the 1st Battalion, King s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Albert is the first Dover, Kent casualty commemorated on the war memorial to die in the Salonika Campaign, due to which, very condensed details of same have been added here, as well as equally condensed details of the battalion he was serving with at the time of his death. As part of the 83rd Brigade, 28th Division, the 1st Battalion, King s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry sailed onboard the SS Benares from Southampton on 15 January 1915 and landed at Le Harve, France the following day. From the busy port, the battalion moved to the battle areas of the Western Front, and later fought in the Second Battle of Ypres, and The Battle of Loos. In October 1915 the battalion left France embarking from the port of Marseilles, initially sailing to Alexandria, Egypt, and in November left Egypt and moved on to take part in the Salonika Campaign, arriving at Salonika on 7 December In September 1915, fearful of Bulgaria s true intentions, Venizelos Eleutherios the Prime Minister of Greece had asked the British and French governments for help and requested that a joint Anglo- French force numbering 150,000 be sent to help. Realising the strategic importance of the port of Salonika (Thessaloniki) on the Aegean Sea, and well aware that Turkey, having lost it the 1912 Balkan War still had the desire to regain the area, as did Bulgaria, a force was sent to assist Greece, which arrived on 5 October 1915 made up primarily of French soldiers in addition to British troops detached from Gallipoli. The objective was to help the Serbs in their fight against Bulgarian aggression. However the expedition arrived to late, the Serbs having been beaten before they landed. It was decided to keep the force in place for future operations, even against Greek opposition, as some Greek factions, including King Constantine, were pro-german. The outcome of the Gallipoli campaign was in the balance and most shipping in the area was involved so they really had no choice. Despite the failure of having been of no assistance to the Serbians, the Salonika was increased to five British and three French Divisions. By the summer of ,000 Allies and 100,000 troops made up the force in addition to a number of Russian and Italian troops also being present. In July the force advanced up the Stuma valley, the French troops eventually making contact with their Serbian allies near Vardar. Despite some localized successes by the Bulgarian forces when they attacked the centre of the Allied line they were eventually driven back, with the French and Serbian troops pressing on their right and the British turning the Bulgarian right flank. Following the capture by French and Russian troops on 19 November 1916, of Monastir (now Bitola) which was an important rail junction and military depot, the campaign then developed into one of trench warfare until the spring of 1918, at which time the Allied troops in Salonika were prepared for a major offensive intended to end the war in the Balkans. The Greek Army had by that time been reorganised and joined the Allied force. The offensive began in July 1918, but the British contingent did not play a significant part until early September. Then the British attacked a series of fortified hills, and the final assault began along the whole front on 15 September 1918 with the British forces being engaged in the Lake Doiran area. This Battle which took place on 18 and 19 September 1918 was unfortunately a disaster for the British Divisions. They had to frontally assault a location 8

9 called Pip Ridge which was a heavily defended mountain ridge some 2000 feet high with fortresses built on some of the higher mountains, notably the Grand Couronne. It being what the Bulgarian forces had been working on in the first months of 1916 and early in They sustained very heavy casualties, after which time several troops were withdrawn from the campaign. The battalion that Albert had served in left to return to France again on 20 June Although Albert lost his life due to drowning, it should be pointed out that a significant number of deaths during the campaign were the result of Malaria, as opposed to those actually lost due to enemy action, with some dying partially as the result of both, having been wounded and subsequently contacting the disease. Malaria proved to be a serious drain on manpower during the campaign. In total the British forces suffered 162,517 cases of the disease out of a total 505,024 non-battle casualties. With the campaign being regarded as a low priority by the War Office, the assistance rendered by voluntary medical organisations, such as the Scottish Women s Hospitals proved invaluable. On 30 September 1918 the fighting ended in Salonika. ALLEN, STUART. Lance Corporal, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Born Ashby-De-La-Zouch, Leicestershire. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of William Allen of 39 Dour Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2, and on the Marine Department Panel of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway war memorial, at the Marine Station, Dover, Kent, also at the Congregational Church which is now the United Reformed Church, Dover, Kent. At the action fought at Monchy-le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France on 3 May 1917 during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, the 6th Battalion suffered at least 376 casualties amongst its officers and other ranks they being a combination of killed, wounded and missing. The battalion having spent the preceding night waiting in shell holes for zero hour which had been set for 0345 hours, with A Company on the right flank, B Company on the left, with C Company supporting, and the officers and men of D Company behind those of B Company the battalion formed up ready to take part in the days attack. Exactly at the agreed time the British artillery commenced firing as a prelude too, and in support of the battalion, who as with the gunners also left their start area on time as ordered and set off into total darkness, as the battalion pressed on every effort was made to keep communication with them, Second Lieutenant McAuley, the battalion signaling officer along with two of the battalion signalers and two orderlies, went forward to establish an advanced HQ in what was known as Devil's Trench, but he later returned at 0430 hours and reported that no communication had been possible. A fairly early indication however that all was apparently going well, was when two German prisoners were sent back down the line from the battalion, but at that time nothing definite could be ascertained, even later on when daylight came, gunfire and snipers made it hard to get any news of how matters were proceeding; but at dusk it was discovered that the battalion had already suffered a substantial number of casualties, and that despite the sacrifices being made by the battalion of all ranks the line in their front was practically as before. With the growing concern of the continuous loss of officers at the time which was so serious that Second Lieutenant s Seago and Sowter were sent for from the detail camp and, arriving about 2200 hours, and very quickly were sent forward 9

10 to reorganize the remnants of the devastated battalion. Part of the objective allotted the battalion on the morning of 3 May 1917 had been a spot called Keeling Copse, and it was found after the battalion had taken stock of its significant losses, that Second Lieutenant s P. A Cockeram and Norman O.F Gunther with about 40 men and a Lewis gun had actually got there, only to then realize that they were completely isolated with the enemy infantry having reformed its line behind them, and both sides being their original trenches, the result being that three lines of Germans intervened between this handful of men and their comrades, nothing daunted however, they held their own all day during which time they accounted for many of the enemy soldiery surrounding them. Under the cover of darkness when night fell, and by then having expended every cartridge and bomb they possessed, they gallantly fought their way back again, breaking through one line after another, until at last the two subalterns and thirteen of the men with them were able to report themselves to battalion Head Quarters. The casualties in this terrible action were Second Lieutenant s John H Dinsmore and Harold V Hardey-Mason killed, and Captain John B Kitchin died of wounds; Capt McDermott and Second Lieutenant s Williams and H.G Nesbitt wounded; Second Lieutenant s Charles Warnington, Athol Kirkpatrick, H.W Evans and R.L.F Forster, Lieutenant s K.L James, Grant, King and Wills posted as missing of whom the first five were found to have been killed; 25 other ranks were also killed, plus 128 wounded and in addition to which 207 were initially reported as being missing, but ultimately many were later found to have lost their lives during and resulting from the attack of 2 and 3 May About 0200 hours on 4 May the remnant was relieved and got back, on the following day what remained of the battalion was reorganized into two companies each of which consisted of only two platoons, No 1 Company had Second Lieutenant Stevens in command, with Second Lieutenant s Sowter, Seago and Sankey under him; No 2 Company was commanded by Captain Carter, assisted by the intrepid Second Lieutenant s Gunther and Cockeram. Following a later debriefing meeting to see if lessons could be learned from the attack of 3/4 May by the battalion a few things became obvious, the main points raised being that it was a pity that the ground was quite unknown to the battalion which had not held the same position previously, and that the orders to attack came so late that there was no time for systematic reconnaissance, also that the early part of the engagement had been undertaken in the dark. Those surviving members of the battalion who were not in the hands of the medical teams left Monchy-le-Preux and were then rested in nearby Arras for a mere 48 hours and then underwent a further ten days in the trenches before being relieved on 17 May when the battalion moved to Duisans. Both Second Lieutenant s Cockeram and Gunther received the Military Cross for their gallant conduct on 3/4 May 1917, but it is sad to have to add that Norman Gunther, who was an attached officer of the Royal East Kent Yeomanry was killed shortly afterwards, with the cruel irony of his death occurring within half a mile of Keeling Copse when gallantly defending a trench the Germans were attacking, although not strictly speaking a Buff, we have included a commemoration to the brave 19 year old subaltern on this roll of honour alongside the 396 members of the regiment, who have no known grave that are commemorated on the Arras Memorial, some of whom died with him. Second Lieutenant Cockeram MC later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an Observer, on one occasion whilst a member of 48 Squadron based at Bertangles, he and his pilot Captain H.C Sootheran flying a Bristol BF2b shot down an enemy aircraft, and despite numerous encounters with enemy 10

11 aircraft and being subjected on numerous occasions to anti-aircraft fire both RFC officers thankfully survived the war. AMOS, ALBERT EDWARD. Gunner, th Siege Battery. Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 14 October Aged 22. Born Peckham, Surrey. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided River, Dover, Kent. Buried Grove Town Cemetery. Meaulte, Somme, France. Grave Ref: I. L. 45. Albert is also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent, civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St. Peter & St. Paul, and on the Great War memorial plaque located in the Unitarian Church, Adrian Street, Dover, Kent. Data accessed indicates that Albert was probably killed during an artillery exchange of fire, at Bray-sur-Somme, France on the night of 13/14 October AMOS, JAMES ERNEST. Airman 2nd Class, Royal Flying Corps. Died 17 February Aged 40. Buried Curragh Military Cemetery, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland. Grave Ref: Also commemorated on Whitstable, Kent civic war memorial. The above is the sole CWGC ma tch, but unfortunately like many other United Kingdom home deaths, James was not recorded by SDWG, to compound the problem of locating the correct casualty he has no MIC entry and as such probably never served abroad during the Great Wa r. On the 1881 census the following is probably the family of which James was a memb er and resided at 73 Victoria Street, Whitstable, Kent where James was possibly actually born:- James AMOS. Aged 29. Born Whitstable, Kent. Baker Susanna AMOS. Aged 29. Born Whitstable, Kent. Luce AMOS. Aged 8. Born Whitstable, Kent. Scholar. Horace AMOS. Aged 7. Born Whitstable, Kent. Scholar. James E. AMOS. Aged 5. Born Whitstable, Kent. Scholar. At the time of the 1901 census James was recorded as being a Carpenter who was born at Whitstable, Kent. Probably of important significance is that in a 1912 trade directory James is also listed as being a Carpenter, and at the time residing at 13 Beaconsfield Avenue, Dover, Kent. In view of his civilian trade, it would seem likely that James skills were put to good use by the Royal Flying Corps as an Air Frame Fitter or something else very similar to it. AMOS, RICHARD. Gunner, nd Battery, 222nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 21 January Aged 21. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Kirkee, India, Memorial. Face A, and on Great War memorial plaque located at St. Martins School, Dover, Kent. Richard was a former Dover, Kent (pre war enlistment) based member of the Territorial Force, Royal Field Artillery, and is the casualty commemorated in the 1st/3rd Kent C 1072nd Battery, 11

12 222nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Book of Tributes. The impressive book is fortunately in the safe keeping of the Dover Museum, Market Square, Dover, Kent, CT16 1PB. He is commemorated in the book as Gunner, 1096, R. AMOS. Died Bombay, India 21 January The regimental number as entered in the book is Richard s former number which is obviously both understandable and acceptable, but the variance in the date of his demise is different to that as commemorated by the CWGC, which is recorded as occurring on 27 June Unlike the vast majorities of the thousands of commemorations we have researched over the years, we have not entered the CWGC date, as after locating Richard s casualty card entry details, it shows that he died of Colitis at the Simla Military Hospital, Northern India, on 21 January 1918 and buried in Simla Old Cemetery. Unfortunately as is so often the case when checking old documentation, some of Richard s is not very clear, but it shows that he had enlisted in 1912, and had embarked from the United Kingdom on 29 October 1914, and previously had been hospitalized whilst serving in Mesopotamia, possibly for a period of 9 months? ANDREWS, CHARLES RAYMOND. Captain. (Mentioned in Despatches). 2nd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. Died 24 May Aged 25. Born Rangoon, Burmah 1 February Son of Mrs A. G. Andrews (neé Chambers) of 6 Ennismore Gardens, Dover, Kent and the late Lieutenant Colonel R. C. Andrews (Indian Army). Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 19, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Educated at the Army School, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, Charles was Gazetted as a Second Lieutenant, in the (Special Reserve) The King s (Liverpool Regiment) on 21 April Served in the British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 17 January Having survived the action fought on 11 May 1915 which had cost the life his friend and brother officer serving with him in the battalion, Captain Charles Hayes- Newington (please see commemoration), Charles Andrews was numbered amongst six officers of the battalion who fell at Bellewaarde Farm, Hooge, Belgium on 24 May The day after he was killed the remnants of his battalion returned to Brandhoek, which they had left on 22 May to take part in the action fought at Bellewaarde Farm. When the roll call was taken following the action it revealed casualty figures of 295 killed, wounded or missing, a number of the latter were subsequently later known or assumed to have lost their lives. Charles was recorded on the battalion casualty roll for the 24/25 May 1915 as wounded and missing, but later recorded as accepted as dead. Following his confirmed death, the Brigadier commanding his brigade (84th Brigade) wrote the following to his mother, Your son was seen by one of my Staff officers just before the night attack, in which he led his battalion with great gallantry, and as far as I can gather, he was the first into the German trench, where he was seen to fall or stumble. I think he must have been hit. Although a Captain, Charles was leading his battalion during the attack which cost him his life due to the absence and non availability of more senior officers due to them all having themselves at that time become casualties. Charles Mention in Dispatches reads For gallant and distinguished services in the field. It is probably fair to say that Charles would have felt at home had he served as an officer in one of the regiments of the Indian Army, apart from his late fathers service with same, 12

13 Charles maternal grandfather Colonel C.Y.O Chambers had also many years of service with the Indian Army. ANDREWS, GEORGE WILLIAM. Lance Corporal, nd Battalion, The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 26 October Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of George Morley Andrews and Agnes Andrews (née Jenkins). Buried Perth Cemetery (China Wall), Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. F. 12. Formerly Private, G/2046, Private, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). At the time of the 1901 census, George and his brother Richard who is also commemorated were residing with their parents George and Agnes Andrews at 9 Hartley Street, Dover, Kent, their father who was a Greengrocer was the Head of the house. Although around dusk on 25 October 1917 an officer in George s battalion, Captain Richard L. Atkinson M.C. had been wounded for a second time whilst visiting his posts, but for the rest of that day and night passed relatively quietly, apart from enemy artillery shelling nearby Dunbarton Lakes when the battalion was at an area near the castle at Gheluvelt. On German wartime documents the castle was called Weisshaus. Following zero hour at 0540 hours on the following day all changed dramatically for George and his comrades. As part of the planning for the day s events, a forward observation post had been constructed complete with the latest telephone equipment, manned by a Lieutenant Burdon, two runners and two signallers, but prior to the attack by the battalion the telephone lines were all put out of action which resulted in difficult communications as the battalion advanced in the rain across the mud, with D Company on the right, B Centre, C left and A Company in support. Initially all seemed to be going to plan, and by 0610 hours it was noted that was progressing particularly favourably. Shortly after that time, the forward observation post referred to earlier received a direct hit and buried those manning it, miraculously they not only managed to survive but were able to verbally report that thing were not going well to their front with soldiers of various units having become disorganized during the advance. The disarray which resulted in several log-jams afforded the enemy perfect opportunities (and targets) which they obviously capitalized on in full. Written at the time, the 2nd Battalion, The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) war diary entry for the day does no wholly reflect the true extent of the losses, mainly because at that time the actual fate of an officer and 63 other ranks posted as missing was at that time unclear, it would seem that 2 officers and 22 other ranks had either been killed or died of wounds, but SDGW shows 98 other rank deaths, including of course George Andrews. 13

14 ANDREWS, RICHARD STEPHEN. Private, th (Service) Battalion, The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 21 March Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of George Morley Andrews and Agnes Andrews (neé Jenkins). Buried Noyon, New British Cemetery, Oise, France. Grave Ref: I. C. 7. Richard was amongst the 15 other ranks of his battalion who lost their lives as the result of the first day of the German Spring Offensive 1918 when his battalion was outnumbered about four to one. Prior to the attacks starting, Richard s battalion and all those in the sector were issued with a warning at 1500 hours on 20 March which in today s military parlance would equate to a Red Alert, it was expected that the enemy would attempt to capture the town of Noyon. As expected enemy artillery commenced shelling at 0445 hours, combined with explosives, a heavy concentration of gas shells were fired by them onto the village of Liez, and Quenet, Verger, Vieville and Vivier Woods. As dawn broke the area was engulfed in a thick mist which rendered it impossible to see more than about twenty five yards; the Battle Zone however was untouched, the exceptions being the village of Liez and Ronquenet Farm Road. As the mist cleared and as the day wore on, it was realised that that the Germans had broken through both flanks having full advantage of the prevailing mist. Despite their clear numerical advantage combined with the smoke screen which nature had provided, the enemy soldiers were denied the positions which were held by the 7 th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) at Vendeuil Fort, and both the support and reserve areas were also denied to the enemy. On the right of Richard s battalion, the enemy was successful and fighting involving some of C Company personnel took place, as such it would seem likely that Richard was probably numbered amongst those of that company who fell in the fighting. Two days after Richard s death, his Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Bushell D.S.O. from Neston, Cheshire won the Victoria Cross, in an action which was fought to the west of the St. Quentin Canal. Over the past fifty years or so it has been noticeable that several Kent locations (including Dover) claim Christopher Bushell V.C, D.S.O. as theirs. But in truth none have any genuine claims to him, although his mother at one time resided at St. Margaret s-at-cliffe near Dover. Christopher married Rachel Lambert who was a daughter of the Reverend Edgar Lambert a former Vicar of Wye near Ashford, Kent, at Wye on 24 August Rachel Bushell resided for a number of years with her young daughter at 114 Lower Bridge Street, Wye, Kent prior to moving to Church Lane, Boughton Aluph, Ashford, Kent. Regrettably that is about the sum lot of connections our county really has with the Great War hero. ANSTREWS, H R. As commemorated on the war memorial is probably as under. ANDREWS, HENRY RICHARD. Stoker 1st Class, K/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Arethusa. Died 11 February Aged 22. Born Dover, Kent 8 April 1893 Son of Henry James and Henrietta Andrews of 32, Military Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 17 and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Henry s ship, a 4,400 ton Arethusa class light 14

15 cruiser built at Chatham dockyard and commissioned in August 1914 as flotilla leader of the 3rd Harwich Destroyer Force. On 28 August 1914 she took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, where she was seriously damaged but stayed afloat and had to be towed home, after being repaired she took part in the Cuxhaven Raid on Christmas Day The following year she fought at the Battle of the Dogger bank 1915 (24 January 1915), and later the same year in June 1915 was transferred to the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron Harwich Force. On 11 February 1916 H.M.S. Arethusa struck a mine and broke her back in the North Sea off Felixstowe, which was claimed to have been laid by the German minelaying submarine UC-7 of the Flandern Flotilla. At the time of the loss of Henry s ship, the UC-7 was commanded by Georg Haag, who was lost with the other 17 crew members of the submarine on 5 July 1916 when it is presumed to have blown up on a mine off the coast of Zeebrugge ARNOLD, WILLIAM JOHN. Able Seaman. Mercantile Marine. S.S. Achille Adam (London). Died 23 March Aged 27. Son of Edward Richard and Elizabeth Hannah Arnold of 13 Bulwark Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, and on the South Eastern and Chatham Railway war memorial, at the former Marine Station, Dover, Kent. Also commemorated on the former Holy Trinity Hall Memorial. William was amongst six lost when his 460 ton ship built in 1886, was captured by the German coastal minelayer submarine UC-66 commanded by Herbert Pustkuchen, off the French coast at a position approximately 30 nautical miles due south of Beachy Head, Sussex, and was sunk by bombs. Four of those lost are commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. It would appear that the deaths of the crew were mainly due to exposure, as opposed to the actual sinking of the ship. It is thought that the UC-66 was probably later lost with all the submarines twenty three crew, on 12 June 1917, having been forced to dive by H.M.T. Sea King. After being depth charged, it is suspected that the submarine finally blew up from an internal explosion of her own mines still on board whilst submerged. ASHMAN, CHARLES WILLIAM. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 15 June 1917 Aged 35. Son of the late Edmund and Charlotte Ashman (neé Boorman) of Dover, Kent. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Dickebusch New Military Cemetery Extension, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. C. 42. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1881 census the Ashman family was residing at 1 Dour Cottages, Charlton, Dover, Kent:- Edmund G. ASHMAN. Aged 35. Born Singledge, Kent. Cordwainer. Charlotte ASHMAN. Aged 34. Born Dover, Kent. Edmund T. B. ASHMAN. Aged 7. Born Dover, Kent. Edward G. ASHMAN. Aged 4. Born Dover, Kent. John M. ASHMAN. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. Charles W. ASHMAN. Aged 5 months. Born Charlton, Dover, Kent. 15

16 In June 1917 during the Battle of Messines, Charles s battalion took over frontline trenches near a position named The Bluff, which was close to Hill 60 near Hollebeke, Belgium. Whilst ensconced in the new position, an attack involving the 8th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was arranged to be carried out on 14 June. The battalion given the objective of capturing high ground to the east of The Bluff, this high ground is in fact soil heaped there when the Ypres-Comines Canal was cut. It appears on trench maps (The Bluff/Hill 60 Sector) as merely Spoil Bank, it being just down from Triangular Dump, Battle Wood where the battalion had relieved the 18th Battalion, London Regiment and the 3rd Battalion, Rifle Brigade. With zero hour set for 1930 hours, it was planned that Charles s battalion would take one side of the railway line and soldiers of the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) would take the opposite side. Prior to the commencement of the attack, a certain amount of sniping took place as the battalions moved forward to the assembly positions, fortunately and somewhat surprisingly there was no intervention by German artillery at that time. A and C Companies led the advance behind an artillery barrage, the range of which was altered by a hundred yards every four minutes. Six minutes after the first British artillery had commenced firing, their opposite number shelled the assembly positions but fortunately to no avail as thankfully by that time the area had been cleared of the assaulting troops. Nine men of Charles s battalion fell on 14 June during the attack, and amongst the officer casualties was the loss of the Artist, Ernest Carlos who was serving as a Second Lieutenant in the battalion. On the day Charles died another thirteen other ranks fell, with another four on 16 June when being relieved at night by the 2nd Battalion, Leinster Regiment. In rememberance of the Buffs fallen, later trench maps and various other official documentation when making reference or showing the position where Charles and so many of his comrades died or were wounded, call the location Buffs Bank. The fact of which we have drawn attention to in the past, as in view of the number of regimental memorials and similar which populate the entire length of the former Western Front battlefields, combined with the proliferation of interest over the last few years, and the benefits? generated by the tourist spin off, perhaps a memorial to those who fell at Buffs Bank would not now be inappropriate. It should be noted that in view of the location of Charles s place of burial in relation to Buffs Bank it would appear that he had probably been wounded on an earlier occasion and succumbed to same on the day he died. The New Military Cemetery was begun in February 1915 and was used until May 1917 by fighting units and field ambulances, with a few further burials taking place in March and April The cemetery extension where Charles is at rest was used from May 1917 to January ATKINS, HENRY RICHARD. Leading Stoker, K/7427. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Simoom. Died 23 January Aged 27. Born Chislehurst, Kent 4 January Son of Henry Edward and Elizabeth Jane Atkins of 122 Clarendon Place, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 23. Henry s 975 ton R class destroyer which was commanded by Commander Edward T. Inman R.N., was left in a severely damaged condition after being in action against German destroyers in the Flanders Bight. On the night of 22 January 1917 the Harwich 16

17 Force put to sea to intercept the German 6th Destroyer Flotilla which was en-route from Heligoland Bight to Zeebrugge. In theory the Harwich Force possessed significant superiority over the enemy, having six cruisers and eighteen destroyers. When the Royal Navy ships engaged the enemy destroyers H.M.S. Simoom exchanged several salvos with the German S50, which in reply fired a torpedo that hit the magazine of Henry s ship, despite which she remained afloat. The S50 subsequently withdrew from the engagement after which H.M.S Simoom s survivors were taken off by H.M.S. Morris. Left crippled, H.M.S Simoom was later torpedoed and sunk by H.M.S. Nimrod at 1040 hours, on the orders of Commodore Sir Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt C.B., R.N., the Harwich Force commander. At the time of her loss Henry s ship was virtually brand new, having been ordered in December 1915 from John Brown Shipbuilders. H.M.S. Simoom was launched on 30 October 1916, she had a ships complement of 90, of which three officers and forty four ratings were lost on 23 January 1917 including her Captain. Being Dover information it seemed prudent to add that Sub-Lieutenant, Brian M. Armitage R.N.R, from Stapleford, Cambridgeshire, who was another of the officers who perished in the sinking of H.M.S. Simoom is buried in St James s Cemetery, Dover. Grave Ref: N. W. 2. To hopefully avoid possible confusion, it should be noted that the name H.M.S. Simoom was also later given to an S class destroyer which was ordered in April 1917 from John Brown. She was launched on 26 January 1918, and fortunately surviving her service in the Great War, and was eventually sold for scrapping in January year old ex boy entrant, Leading Seaman, George Parker from Hanbury, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire who sadly fell from the ship and drowned on March 1918, was her only wartime casualty. ATTENBOROUGH, HERBERT GEORGE GOMER. Serjeant, Number 2 Depot, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 21 September 1917 Aged 23. Born Chislehurst, Kent. Son of George Herbert and Marian Attenborough of 8 Matthews Place, Dover, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: I. G. 12. At the time of Herbert s death, Number 2 Depot, Royal Garrison Artillery was located at Gosport, Hampshire. AUSTEN, FRANK. Gunner, st/1st Kent Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 25 March Aged 41. Husband of Rose Austen of 97 Balfour Road, Dover, Kent. Born Ramsgate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried Bac-Du-Sud British Cemetery, Bailleulval, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. C. 10. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. The Home Counties (Kent) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (Territorial Force) was formed with its Ammunition Column from part of the 1st Kent Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) in The unit headquarters was initially at Gravesend, Kent and moved later to Faversham, Kent. The Home Counties (Kent) Ammunition Column was based at Chatham, Kent. Upon mobilisation at the outset of hostilities in August 1914, to cope with the numbers of volunteers, and in common with other Territorial 17

18 Force units and formations, the unit was duplicated. The duplication resulted in the forming of the 1st/1st and 2nd /1st Home Counties (Kent) Heavy Batteries, Royal Garrison Artillery. The 1st/1st Home Counties (Kent) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (Territorial Force), to which Frank belonged, served in the United Kingdom until early 1915 when it was deployed to France and Flanders. The Battery ended the war on 11 November 1918 in the 92nd Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery, supporting the 3rd Division. Following the officers and other ranks demobilisation, the battery was then like many other batteries placed in suspended animation. AUSTIN, E W. Former Stevedore Edward William Austin, Stoker 1st Class, K/242 was born at Dover, Kent on 1 August 1889, and appeared to be an obvious possibility for the casualty commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. After purchasing a copy of his service papers it was revealed that fortunately Edward had survived the Great War. He had enlisted on 11 February 1908 for a 12 year engagement, upon completion of which he then enlisted in the Royal Fleet Reserve on 20 January The following appears to be the best match so far found at this time (March 2003), but caution is advised for anybody viewing same who is carrying out more detailed research on this casualty or those on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial at some time in the future, as the casualty is not in truth a good match. This casualty is also commemorated on the former Holy Trinity Hall Memorial, Dover, Kent. AUSTIN, ERNEST WILLIAM. Able Seaman, J/ Royal Navy, H.M.S. Wear. Died 1 October Aged 26. Born Clanfield, Bampton, Oxfordshire 30 December Husband of Gladys Mildred Austin of Wheeler s Farm, Clanfield, Oxfordshire. Buried Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Malta G.C. Grave Ref: Protestant 389. The River class destroyer on which Ernest served was commissioned in 21 January 1905, she survived the Great War and was broken up in During her time spent taking part in the Dardanelles Campaign, Ernest s ship had played a vital role in bringing assistance to the Formidable class battleship H.M.S. Irresistible, and managed to take off 28 officers and. 582 ratings, after she had hit a Turkish mine in Kephtx Bay, in the Dardanelles Straights and was sunk on 18 March AUSTIN, JONATHAN JAMES. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (1st Gwent), South Wales Borderers. Died 15 September Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Son of Edward Austin of 3 Edred Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Buried Varennes Military Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: IV. A. 28. Formerly Sapper, , Royal Engineers. Jonathan s battalion was raised by the Welsh National Executive Committee in October In December 1914 the battalion moved to Colwyn Bay, North Wales as part of the 130th Brigade, 43rd Division. On 29 April 1915 the formation became 115th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division, and in July 1915 moved to Hursley Park, Winchester, Hampshire, and then to Hazeley Down, Southampton. On 4 December 1915 the battalion landed at La 18

19 Havre, France, remaining on the Western Front until the cessation of hostilities on 11 November Following spells in the Line at Givenchy on the Somme in the spring of 1916, the Division moved to the River Ancre on 3 July during the opening phase of the Battle of the Somme The 10th (Service) Battalion, (1st Gwent), South Wales Borderers had their first real action in the attack on Mametz Wood where they had five days of hard fighting in a thick wood flanked by enemy machine guns. It required courage, skill and determination on the part of all ranks to flush the enemy troops, and during which time the 10th Battalion lost 180 officers and other ranks. After a fairly uneventful winter in the trenches the 38th Welsh Division took part in the attack of the Pilckem Ridge on 31 July 1917, it being the opening day of the Third Battle of Ypres. The two leading Brigades were to capture as their three objectives the German line to the east of the Ypres Canal, the German second line on the Pilckem Ridge, and a further ridge east of Pilckem known as Iron Cross Ridge. The 115th Brigade was then to pass through, push forward another 700 yards to the Steenbeeke and secure crossings over that stream. The attack commenced at 0350 hours, with the first two objectives being taken as planned, but there was hard fighting at Iron Cross Ridge, and when the 11th Battalion reached that particular area about 0900 hours to pass through they came under enemy machine gun fire from pillboxes which had not been captured. Despite this, the 11th Battalion completed the capture of the Iron Cross Ridge and swept down to the Steenbeeke, dealing with the pillboxes in a manner which was noted as being of the highest order. Examples of which was a German machine gun emplacement which was holding up the left, which was rushed and captured by a platoon, together with about fifty prisoners. Another machine gun was causing heavy casualties at short range, Sergeant Ivor Rees led his platoon forward till he had worked round to the rear of the position and was within twenty yards of the gun, he rushed the post, shot one of the team, bayoneted another and silenced the gun. Then he bombed the adjacent pillbox, killed five of its garrison, and captured the rest, which was comprised of two enemy officers and thirty men. For his gallant and dashing piece of leadership, Ivor Rees received the Victoria Cross. At this time the 10th Battalion being held in reserve was busy digging a line in front of Iron Cross Ridge to act as a support of the 11th Battalion along the Steenbeeke. About 0500 hours D Company of Jonathan s battalion was sent forward to help the 11th Battalion and did magnificent work in helping to repulse a second counter attack. By this time rain, mud and shells were making conditions very difficult. The 11th Battalion had lost heavily, the Germans were only 100 yards from the Steenbeeke, and the enemy machine guns and snipers made movement very dangerous. The Next day (1st August 1917) the Germans opened an intense artillery barrage along the Steenbeeke and on Iron Cross Ridge, which seemed to be the prelude to a counter attack. B Company of the 10th Battalion went forward to reinforce the 11th Battalion, and A Company began consolidating a support line in the old German machine gun posts, during which time C Company was used as carrying parties taking up fresh ammunition and bombs. At about 0900 hours the shelling lessened, and Jonathan s battalion did fine work in organising the position and sending out patrols. Next day, after playing a part second to none in a most successful action, both battalions were relieved. Their Division had gone straight through to its final objective, had consolidated the ground won, and had smashed up the famous German 3rd Guards Division, but in so doing the 10th Battalion suffered 200 casualties. After taking part in the Battle of Langemarck in the latter half of August, in which the 19

20 10th Battalion lost another 100 men and the 11th only slightly less, the 38th (Welsh) Division was relieved and sent down to Armentières. In this sector both battalions again distinguished themselves by their vigorous patrol work in which they took prisoners, made valuable identifications, and generally kept the German patrols subdued by their determined action. On the night of the 7th/8 November Jonathan s battalion carried out a big raid by 10 officers and 270 other ranks on a front extending to about 300 yards, during which time they penetrated 200 yards into the enemy defences, blew up three concrete dugouts, killed at least 50 of the enemy and took 15 prisoners, at a cost to themselves of only five killed and 45 wounded. In February 1918, the 11th Battalion was disbanded on the reduction of the strength of the British Infantry Brigades from four battalions to three. The 10th Battalion remained in the 38th (Welsh Division), and took part in its victorious advance across the former 1916 Somme battlefields, in the great British offensive of August and September 1918, during which, Jonathan lost his life. The Battalion took part in the breaking of the Hindenburg Line in September and October, and on 8 October, in the attack on Villers Outreaux, which cost the battalion approximately 200 casualties, 32 year old Company Serjeant Major Jack Williams won another Victoria Cross for the Regiment. At the time of the cessation of hostilities the 10th (Service) Battalion, (1st Gwent), South Wales Borderers was located near Aulnoye, France. It would be quite wrong to not add brief details about Company Serjeant Major Jack Williams V.C., D.C.M., M.M. & Bar; he survived the Great War despite extensive wounds in his right arm and leg, and died on 7 March 1953, aged 66. When the former colliery Blacksmith received the V.C., D.C.M., M.M. & Bar from H.M. King George V in 1919, it was not surprisingly the first time that H.M. the King had decorated the same man four times in one day. At the time of the multiple investiture, Jack had not fully recovered from his severe wounds, and during the presentation the wound in his arm opened up again with the result that medical attention had to be given to him before he could leave Buckingham Palace. BACK, CHARLES HENRY. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 23 March Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panel 16. Charles was amongst 27 members of his battalion that lost their lives in the same defensive action that Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Bushell V.C., D.S.O., commanding the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) won the Victoria Cross, both battalions being in the 55th Brigade, 18th (Eastern Division). Two days prior to Charles s death, the part played by his battalion on the first day of the 1918 German Spring Offensive, was not only heroic but quite literally lifesaving. As the numerically superior German army pressed home their attacks, the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was the only unit of the British 3rd Corps that held its ground in the forward zone of the battle area when it was attacked north of Travecy. In making the determined stand in the face of overwhelming odds, it enabled other units in the area to successfully fall back, regroup and reorganize behind the more easily defendable positions behind the Crozat Canal near Vendeuil to the south of Saint-Quentin. On 21 March 1917 the battalion was defending a front of almost five miles in conjunction with 20

21 two other 18th (Eastern) Division infantry battalions, namely the 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), and the 8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. As the day wore on the Germans captured Vendeuil, but the soldiers garrisoning the old French fort to the west of Vendeuil managed to held on to their position. the 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) tenaciously held on to the village of Moy, until an enemy break through to north. Some units managed to fight on until about 1630 hours, with the 8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment Berks holding Alaincourt. Unfortunately the supporting Divisional Field Artillery was overrun in the fog, and captured as German Storm Troopers managed to slip past the defended posts. The 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) withdrew to a small wood to the south of their original defensive positions at 1400 hours, once there consolidation work quickly got underway, mainly in the form of constructing trenches and making suitable shell holes more secure and defendable, all of which was carried out by men who had been deprived of sleep, had been engaged in heavy fighting when outnumbered, and having not eaten. Due to being sent to assist the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment), it was not until about 1500 hours on 23 March that those who were able so to do, occupied the positions which had hastily been constructed under duress two days previously. It has not been possible to ascertain where, when or exactly how Charles lost his life, but it would seem eminently feasible that it was whilst taking part in the action that Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Bushell V.C., D.S.O., won his Victoria Cross. BACK, JOHN RICHARD. Able Seaman, (RFR/CH/B/2843). Royal Navy, H.M.S. Cressy. Died 22 September Born Charlton, Dover, Kent 28 October Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 2. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist 21

22 with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February BAILEY, BENJAMIN JOHN. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 7 October Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face. 5 D. Benjamin was probably amongst the 8 officers and 121 other ranks who lost their lives in the 6th Battalion that day during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges, the total casualty roll for the day numbers 368, which included the battalion Medical Officer, Captain Wilfred Pagen R.A.M.C, who is also commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. What follows is basically the battalion War Diary entry for the day:- Quiet morning. At 1.30 p m the enemy opened heavy machine gun fire and shrapnel barrage on the front line. At 1.45 p m the attack commenced. Very heavy M.G. fire was opened, which held up C Company on the right. A and B companies reached the 1st objective (Rainbow Trench) with fairly heavy casualties but on advancing from 1st to 2nd objectives were completely held up with M.G. fire. Twenty men of C Company succeeded in getting into the German trench, with troops from the 61st Brigade, and advanced with them. The 1st objective was held until 12 midnight when the Battalion was relieved by the 6th Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). 22

23 BAILEY, E. Best match found is probably the following casualty, but needs more in depth research to confirm same:- BAILEY, ERNEST WALTER. Deck Hand, 910DA. Royal Naval Reserve, H.M. Drifter Lindsell. Died 3 September Born Dover, Kent 27 May Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 8. Formerly served in the Royal Navy, with the Official Number: F2087. H.M. Drifter Lindsell was mined and sunk in the river Humber on the day that Ernest died, with the loss of five crew members. BAILEY, EDWIN THOMAS. Private, th Field Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died 9 September Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Folkestone, Kent. Buried Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Mametz, Somme, France. Grave Ref: III. H. 14. Formerly Private, G/21328, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). BAILEY, FREDERICK CHARLES. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Died 26 December Aged 20. Born Rotherhithe, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Bailey of 81, Hillside Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Croix-Du-Bac British Cemetery, Steenwerck, Nord, France. Grave Ref: I. C. 5. Formerly Private, 18868, The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment). BAKER, GEORGE FRANK. Private, A Company, 10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 11 November Aged 28. Born Mereworth, Maidstone, Kent. Enlisted Broad Oak, Sturry, Canterbury, Kent. Resided Littleworth, Partridge Green, Horsham, Sussex. Son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frank Baker of Mereworth, Maidstone, Kent. Buried Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel. Grave Ref: M. 14. Also commemorated on the Salem Baptist Church Roll of Honour, Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 1870, East Kent Yeomanry, George was a veteran of Gallipoli and Egypt, he was killed by shellfire near Gaza, Palestine whilst serving as a Dispatch Rider. George was numbered amongst the officers and other ranks that were posted to A Company of his battalion as at 1 March BAKER, GEORGE HENRY. Corporal, L/ nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died 14 September Born Margate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France. 23

24 George is also possibly the casualty commemorated on Margate, Isle of Thanet, Kent civic war memorial as G Baker. Obviously a regular soldier, George would have been with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment when it had arrived at Le Harve, France onboard the S.S. Olympia and S.S. Agapenor on 13 August George had escaped death a few days earlier during what in modern day parlance would be described as friendly fire, as on 10 September whilst passing through the village of Preiz when within 750 yards of the Germans, British artillery shelled B Company as it led the battalion. 32 year old Captain Anthony E. Jemmett-Brown and 18 other ranks were killed during the shelling, plus 2 officers and 83 other ranks wounded. Private Thomas Swaine from Rye, Sussex was killed on 13 September as the battalion passed through Bourg, prior to the battalion going into billets at Moulins. On the day that George lost his life his battalion left Moulins very early in the morning and advanced to Vandresse in support of an attack on high ground by the 2nd Brigade (to which they belonged), above Troyton (Cerny). At 0300 hours in pouring rain and a dense mist the attack was launched by the brigade. With commendable speed the 2nd Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps actually made it to the top of the ridge, but they soon then found themselves facing very stiff enemy opposition, notably from those ensconced inside a sugarbeet factory. George and the rest of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment was brought forward from the rear to launch an attack on the factory. At about 0700 hours the 1st Guards Brigade arrived at Vendresse with instructions to push on through the 2nd Brigade, but by that time it was patently clear that the German defenders of the ridge had stopped their retreat and were defiantly making a defiant stand despite mounting casualties. It then fell on the soldiers of the 1st Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment to try and render support to the 2nd Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps, and for George s battalion to concentrate all its attention on the offending sugarbeet factory. Eventually after a hard fought engagement the three battalions involved in the attack on the ridge succeeded in capturing their respective assigned objectives and dug in to consolidate their newly won positions along the ridge, where they were subsequently engaged in fighting off enemy counter attacks throughout the day. Eventually the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards was also able to fight its way up the slope from Vendresse and then enter Cerny Village, but where they then found themselves surrounded by German infantry. Primarily due to the prevailing weather conditions, mainly the fog, both sides in the village initially took the other for allies. Fortunately it was the Coldstream Guards that were the first to realise the error and took full advantage of the element of surprise and opened fire on the enemy troops, putting most of them to rout and inflicting several casualties amongst their number. For fear of hitting their own sides personnel in the fog, who were still at close quarters with the Germans, the British artillery resisted firing, it being in stark contrast to the enemy gunners, who it would seem continued firing irrespective of the consequences, indeed the war diary entry of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment makes mention of capturing 250 prisoners that were moving forward under a White flag when they were fired on by their own side. At approximately 1300 hours the Germans launched a large and concerted counter attack which pushed both the 2nd Brigade and the 1st Guards Brigade back to where they had setoff from in the morning, during the process taking the sugarbeet factory, the earlier capture of which had probably cost George his life. Also numbered amongst the 6 officers and 52 other ranks who forfeited their lives that day was the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 50 year old 24

25 Lieutenant Colonel Ernest H. Montresor, who was veteran of the Nile Campaign 1884, Hazara, 1888, and the Second Boer War. BAKER, JOSEPH SAMUEL. Lance Corporal nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Died 26 August Aged 29. Born and enlisted Portsmouth, Hampshire. Husband of E. Perkins (formerly Baker) of 3, King s Gardens, London Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Esnes Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: 1. Prior to the start of hostilities the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers with Major C.J. Griffin commanding were in post at the Citadel, Western Heights, Dover, Kent. Four days into the Great War and the battalion left Dover by train and went to Cromer, Norfolk, three after which a move was made to the City of Norwich, then on 13 August the battalion marched northwestwards to the village of Costessey, but after spending only four days there the battalion marched back to Norwich, to entrain south again for Wembley. On 21 August another train journey took the battalion to Southampton where it embarked with 27 officers and 974 other ranks onboard the Donaldson Line ship SS Saturnia the following day, arriving at Boulogne on 23 August. In addition to the main body, the transport, 2 offices and 70 other ranks crossed from Dover to Le Harve. By train the battalion went to Viesly on 25 August, but was withdrawn to positions just north-west of Ligny during the night. Later the battalion was moved to a line on high ground near Longsart Farm located between Haucourt and Wambaix. Early on the morning of 26 August the battalion was attacked, and was with mounting casualties was forced to withdraw to positions located on a high ridge south west of Haucourt. The casualty returns for the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers on the day that Joseph died make sad reading, although the death toll amongst other ranks is not exactly clear, but by checking SDGW a figure of 92 is revealed which is probably about right, in addition to which 86 were wounded and 402 posted as missing. As always officers lost are entered in the returns and show 3 Captains and 3 Lieutenants killed, 3 wounded and 6 missing. Of the 3 officers and 402 other ranks originally posted as missing, 3 officers and 143 men subsequently were accounted for, but the bulk of the remained were assumed to have died, but not necessarily on the same day. As Joseph s battalion had been in England since 1902 after returning from the Second Boer War, and for some of that time based at local lady whom he met whilst in post at the town. Dover, it might be that his wife was a. BALDING, FRANK. Corporal, Army Pay Corps. Died 13 July Aged 25. Born Ranley, Louth, Lincolnshire. Enlisted Oldham, Lancashire. Son of Marshall and Lizzie Balding. Husband of Evelyn Beatrice Balding of 8, The Avenue, Kearsney, Dover, Kent. Buried Louth Cemetery, Lincolnshire. Grave Ref: Formerly Private, 14220, 24th (Service) Battalion, (Oldham) (Pioneers), Manchester Regiment 25

26 Also commemorated on Louth, Lincolnshire civic war memorial, and on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul which erroneously shows Frank as being a member of the Manchester Regiment, it being the regiment in which he had originally served as can be seen above. Probably not rated as one of the more exotic functions within the army, but from the serving soldiers point of view, and their families, the importance of Frank s latter corps would have rated in importance as that of the cooks. It has not been possible to date to ascertain why Frank was transferred to the Army Pay Corps, or indeed if it was at his own request. In 1878 the Army Pay Department (A.P.D.) was established which included officers from the Control Department and Regimental Paymasters. These officers were to provide pay departments at each of the 69 Brigade Depots. In 1893 the Military Clerks who assisted these officers were formed into the Army Pay Corps (A.P.C.). Although under different names the A.P.D. and A.P.C. formed one branch of the service. During the Second Boer War the pay system broke down completely. This was principally because the regimental officers simply could not deal with the complications of detailed pay requirements and command their men whilst on active service. In 1912 the Clayton Committee recommended an imaginative proposal that the pay administration be should be based on a two tier system. Fortunately the Clayton system was firmly in place and running smoothly by the time of the Great War. The vast amount of work the war produced meant the strength of the A.P.D. of approximately 170, and that of the A.P.C., approximately 400 was simply not enough. By 1918 the additional staff in the F.C.P.O. s included 844 Acting Paymasters, 138 Lady Superintendents, 11,000 specially enlisted Clerks and 15,000 civilian Clerks. It was almost certainly due to the massive war time expansion as set out, that Frank had been transferred to the Army Pay Corps. By Army Order 146, in 1920 in view of their performance during the Great War the A.P.D. and the A.P.C. were granted the title Royal and were amalgamated into a single Corps, The Royal Army Pay Corps, on 1 April N.B. Shortly after we initially starting to research and transcribe the Dover, Kent civic war memorial more fully early in 2004, it was learned that to their credit, the Louth, Lincolnshire town council was intending to get their impressive civic war memorial refurbished in time for the November 2006 Armistice Day Parade. It is regrettable that many other councils or other organisations be they religious or secular, that have the important responsibility for the upkeep of the nations precious war memorials, sadly do not always do the same as the council, and good folk of Louth, Lincolnshire. BALDRY, ALBERT HENRY. Rifleman, st/18th (County of London) Battalion, (T.F.) London Regiment (London Irish Rifles). Died 23 August Aged 29. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of the late Henry and Amelia Baldry. Buried London Cemetery and Extension, Longueval, Somme, France. Grave Ref: 10. H. 39. Formerly Private, 4290, 4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). The Battle of Albert 1918 took place over August 1918, and amongst the British Infantry Divisions engaged in same was the 47th (2nd London) Division, to which Albert s battalion belonged. The Division was a formation created by the establishment 26

27 of the Territorial Force in The infantry of the division was initially entirely comprised of battalions of the London Regiment. The division went to France over a period from 9 to 22 March 1915, and served with distinction on the Western Front throughout the Great War. The new designation of the division, its brigades and other units constituting the division, changed from the 2nd London to 47th in the middle of May In view of his battalion and date of death, it would seem likely that Albert fell in the latter stages of the The Battle of Albert 1918, and that Albert was laid to rest in the London Cemetery and Extension, Longueval, Somme, post Armistice. It is a somewhat apt place of burial as the original London Cemetery at High Wood, was begun when 47 men of the 47th Division were buried in a large shell hole on 18 and 21 September Other burials were added later, they being mainly of officers and other ranks of the 47th Division who died on 15 September BALLARD, THOMAS JOHN. Corporal, D/ nd Dragoon Guards (Queen s Bays). Died 16 September Aged 28. Born and resided Buckland, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. R. J. Ballard of 6, Randolph Road, Union Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Grove Town Cemetery, Méaulte, Somme, France. Grave Ref: I. C. 30. For the duration of the Great War the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen s Bays) in which Thomas served were part of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, along with the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales s) Dragoon Guards and the 11th (Prince Albert s Own) Hussars. The Cavalry division to which they belonged was not formed until the Great War had started. The 1st Cavalry Brigade was at Aldershot, the 2nd Cavalry Brigade at Tidworth and the 3rd Cavalry Brigade was in Ireland, whilst the 4th Cavalry Brigade was in London and in the south east of England. The Division was formed in August 1914 and went to France between 15 and 18 August On 16 September the Cavalry Division became the 1st Cavalry Division. At times during the war the division served in the trenches as infantry, each Cavalry Brigade once dismounted formed a dismounted regiment under the command of a Brigadier. The 1st Cavalry Division served all of its time during the Great War on the Western Front until the signing of the Armistice. Amongst the actions fought by the 1st Cavalry Division was that of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette which began on 15 September 1916 as a subsidiary action that part of the overall Battle of the Somme The Battle of Flers-Courcelette was important due to it being the first occasion that tanks were used in battle. An attack on Flers-Courcelette by the British 41st Division was supported by 49 tanks. But unfortunately such was their lack of reliability that only fifteen of the tanks actually got to the Flers-Courcelette area and took part in the battle. Seventeen of them had simply broken down or not started before getting to the front line. At first glance it would appear that the Flers-Courcelette engagement was were Thomas had been wounded, it being the only major engagement fought by the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen s Bays) since that which had been fought at the Battle of Bellewaarde in Belgium, 24 May The cemetery where Thomas is buried was the location where in September 1916, both the 34th and 2/2nd London Casualty Clearing Stations were established, known to the troops as Grove Town; they were put in place there to deal with casualties from the Somme battlefields. As Thomas s casualty card or similar documentation has not personally been sighted, a thought remains that the wounds to 27

28 which he succumbed at Méaulte, might not have been inflicted during the actual Flers- Courcelette engagement, and might have been resultant of an earlier injury during the Somme battles. BANKS, FREDERICK WILLIAM. Serjeant, TF/ st/8th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died 15 September Aged 36. Born Charlton, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Hounslow, Middlesex. Resided Twickenham, Middlesex. Son of Richard and Emily Banks of 9, Albert Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Combles, Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. F. 48. Also commemorated on Salem Baptist Church Roll of Honour, Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent. The Christian names for Serjeant F.W.BANKS as set out above is as accessed from the CWGC, all other data checked including SDGW and MIC shows his first name as FRANK, as does both the regimental records and the 1881 census, at which time his family was residing at 1 Odo Road, Charlton, Dover, Kent:- Richard BANKS. Aged 25. Born Westcliffe, Kent. Gardener (Journeyman) Elizabeth BANKS. Aged 26. Born Studdal, Kent. Emily BANKS. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. Frank W. BANKS. Aged 1. Born Dover, Kent. Mary WEBB. Aged 63. Born Barham, Kent. Nurse. (Lodger). By the time of the 1901 census the two children above are shown as still residing with the family, in addition to which 13 year old Edith and 10 year Albert are also shown, all residing at Harold Cottage, Ashentree Lane, Dover, Kent. Although the same lady as on the 1881 census, 46 year old Elizabeth Banks is shown with place of birth as being Mongeham, Deal, Kent. Frank is shown as an Ex Pupil, Teachers School. Frank s battalion was having a particularly active and costly period during the Battle of the Somme around the time he lost his life. On 4 September 1916 the1st/8th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment boarded trains at St Riquier heading for Corbie. On arrival at Corbie the battalion was quickly disembarked from the cattle wagons (officers in railcars) that had carried them, and all marched to Bois des Tallies near to the front line positions. Duty in the forward trenches in the vicinity of Leuze Wood began on 10 September. At midnight the following night A and B Companies attacked the German line on the Ginchy-Morval road and their objectives reached, taken, and held despite several strong enemy counter attacks, but at a cost as they sustained 165 mixed casualties. Following the battalions relief it took up support positions between Wedge and Leuze Woods until 15 September when the battalion moved forward for another attack which was launched on the enemy down the north west side of Bouleaux Wood at 1340 hours. It was almost certainly during the heavy fighting in the wood that Frank fell, he being amongst the 245 casualties to his battalion that day. 28

29 BARBER, GEORGE JONATHAN. Private, th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Died 12 October Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Waterford, Ireland. Son of Ellis and Caroline Barber of Buckland Farm, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 79, and the former Holy Trinity Memorial Hall, Dover, Kent war memorial. Formerly 32902, Private, 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge s Own). It would appear that George was unfortunately numbered amongst the 85 other ranks deaths suffered by his battalion on the day he lost his life. At 0300 hours on the morning of 10 October 1917, a warning order was issued to the battalions which made up the 55th Brigade of the 18th (Eastern) Division, one of which was the 8th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, which at the time was located at Dirty Bucket Camp near Vlamertinghe, Ypres, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. The order was in respect of a move to be made that night by the brigade to relieve the 32nd Brigade in the front line near the village of Poelcapelle, which is about six miles to the north east of Ieper (Ypres). Having carried out the planned relief the brigade was to carry out an attack on 12 October, but as on other occasions in time of war, all did no go according to plan. Arrangements were put in place for a number of guides to meet George s battalion at the Steenbeek, near Verna Farm and lead it to the 32nd Brigade position near Poelcapelle. It was planned for the first of the battalion s platoon s to arrive at their Battalion Headquarters at approximately 2130 hours on 11 October, but it did not arrive there until just before 0400 hours on the morning of the following day, by which time the battalion s officers and other ranks (heavily laden) were absolutely exhausted. A major contributory factor in the awry timing disaster was that of the number of guides which had been expected from the 32nd Brigade, only one was sent, and he had unfortunately got lost. It is clear when reading about the attack by George s battalion that there were a number of significant factors not in its favour, the exhausted state of the soldiers has been toughed on, but when the battalion commenced the assault at 0535 hours on its allotted objectives, the supporting artillery fire was irregular, and had commenced at zero hour minus four minutes, not only was the barrage insufficient as it moved forward at a rate of fifty yards every four minutes, it had opened up on targets too far forward of what was required for proper infantry support, in doing so a number of important enemy positions were left unscathed by the shelling, with several machine gun posts situated between the battalion front line and its objectives. A stream called the Lekkerboterbeek which was normally about six feet wide was indistinguishable from the ground through which it normally meandered due to the constant shelling in the area; as such the whole area was simply a marshland waste. Although the artillery barrage that the battalion followed would not have been overly fast in different and less trying conditions, it proved impossible to maintain even a semblance of sufficient speed on the part of the infantrymen following in its wake. To compound the problems faced by George s battalion was the weather which prevailed at the time, with rain adding to the quagmire to be traversed. Those soldiers unfortunate enough to be carrying the Lewis guns and their ammunition bags were particularly affected by the ground underfoot and simply got stuck in the glutinous mud, due to the weight of the load carried that they had to carry, which resulted in them being particularly 29

30 easy targets for the enemy machine gunners. As the men changed the ammunition clips when reloading their rifles, inevitably mud went in with each clip which resulted in the breaches having to be cleaned after each magazine was used and all whilst under fire from the opposing German soldiers. A detailed report covering the battalion s casualties from 10 September to 14 September showed 231 all ranks, inclusive of killed, wounded and missing, most of the casualties occurred on the day that Dover native George Barber lost his life. BARCLAY, EDWARD WILFRED HOWARD Second Lieutenant. 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Died 27 January Born Dover, Kent c1879. Buried Fins New British Cemetery, Sorel-Le-Grand, Somme, France. Grave Ref: IV. A. 7. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. On the corner of Iffley Road and Church Cowley Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, stands a tall obelisk which marks the memorial of the local regiment, the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. The inscription on the face of the memorial reads:- To the glorious memory of the 5878 of all ranks of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry who fell in the Great War. At the time of the 1901 census the then 2 year old Edward was residing with his parents at 3 Park Avenue, Dover, Kent, with 39 year old Edward W. Barclay a native of Highbury, London, as Head of the house, and 36 year old Edith Barclay a native of Old Charlton, London SE. BARDEN, WILLIAM JOHN. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Born St. Mary s, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the action fought at Monchy-le- Preux, Pas de Calais, France on 3 May 1917 during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, the 6th Battalion suffered at least 376 casualties amongst its officers and other ranks they being a combination of killed, wounded and missing. The battalion having spent the preceding night waiting in shell holes for zero hour which had been set for 0345 hours, with A Company on the right flank, B Company on the left, with C Company supporting, and the officers and men of D Company behind those of B Company the battalion formed up ready to take part in the days attack. Exactly at the agreed time the British artillery commenced firing as a prelude too, and in support of the battalion, who as with the gunners also left their start area on time as ordered and set off into total darkness, as the battalion pressed on every effort was made to keep communication with them, Second Lieutenant McAuley, the battalion signaling officer along with two of the battalion signalers and two orderlies, went forward to establish an advanced HQ in what was known as Devil's Trench, but he later returned at 0430 hours and reported that no communication had been possible. A fairly early indication however that all was apparently going well, was when two German prisoners were sent back down the line from the battalion, but at that time nothing definite could be ascertained, even later on 30

31 when daylight came, gunfire and snipers made it hard to get any news of how matters were proceeding; but at dusk it was discovered that the battalion had already suffered a substantial number of casualties, and that despite the sacrifices being made by the battalion of all ranks the line in their front was practically as before. With the growing concern of the continuous loss of officers at the time which was so serious that Second Lieutenant s Seago and Sowter were sent for from the detail camp and, arriving about 2200 hours, and very quickly were sent forward to reorganize the remnants of the devastated battalion. Part of the objective allotted the battalion on the morning of 3 May 1917 had been a spot called Keeling Copse, and it was found after the battalion had taken stock of its significant losses, that Second Lieutenant s P. A Cockeram and Norman O.F Gunther with about 40 men and a Lewis gun had actually got there, only to then realize that they were completely isolated with the enemy infantry having reformed its line behind them, and both sides being their original trenches, the result being that three lines of Germans intervened between this handful of men and their comrades, nothing daunted however, they held their own all day during which time they accounted for many of the enemy soldiery surrounding them. Under the cover of darkness when night fell, and by then having expended every cartridge and bomb they possessed, they gallantly fought their way back again, breaking through one line after another, until at last the two subalterns and thirteen of the men with them were able to report themselves to battalion Head Quarters. The casualties in this terrible action were Second Lieutenant s John H Dinsmore and Harold V Hardey-Mason killed, and Captain John B Kitchin died of wounds; Capt McDermott and Second Lieutenant s Williams and H.G Nesbitt wounded; Second Lieutenant s Charles Warnington, Athol Kirkpatrick, H.W Evans and R.L.F Forster, Lieutenant s K.L James, Grant, King and Wills posted as missing of whom the first five were found to have been killed; 25 other ranks were also killed, plus 128 wounded and in addition to which 207 were initially reported as being missing, but ultimately many were later found to have lost their lives during and resulting from the attack of 2 and 3 May About 0200 hours on 4 May the remnant was relieved and got back, on the following day what remained of the battalion was reorganized into two companies each of which consisted of only two platoons, No 1 Company had Second Lieutenant Stevens in command, with Second Lieutenant s Sowter, Seago and Sankey under him; No 2 Company was commanded by Captain Carter, assisted by the intrepid Second Lieutenant s Gunther and Cockeram. Following a later debriefing meeting to see if lessons could be learned from the attack of 3/4 May by the battalion a few things became obvious, the main points raised being that it was a pity that the ground was quite unknown to the battalion which had not held the same position previously, and that the orders to attack came so late that there was no time for systematic reconnaissance, also that the early part of the engagement had been undertaken in the dark. Those surviving members of the battalion who were not in the hands of the medical teams left Monchy-le-Preux and were then rested in nearby Arras for a mere 48 hours and then underwent a further ten days in the trenches before being relieved on 17 May when the battalion moved to Duisans. Both Second Lieutenant s Cockeram and Gunther received the Military Cross for their gallant conduct on 3/4 May 1917, but it is sad to have to add that Norman Gunther, who was an attached officer of the Royal East Kent Yeomanry was killed shortly afterwards, with the cruel irony of his death occurring within half a mile of Keeling Copse when gallantly defending a trench the Germans were 31

32 attacking, although not strictly speaking a Buff, we have included a commemoration to the brave 19 year old subaltern on this roll of honour alongside the 396 members of the regiment, who have no known grave that are commemorated on the Arras Memorial, some of whom died with him. Second Lieutenant Cockeram MC later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an Observer, on one occasion whilst a member of 48 Squadron based at Bertangles, he and his pilot Captain H.C Sootheran flying a Bristol BF2b shot down an enemy aircraft, and despite numerous encounters with enemy aircraft and being subjected on numerous occasions to anti-aircraft fire both RFC officers thankfully survived the war. BARKER, WILLIAM JOHN. Second Lieutenant. Royal Air Force. Died 27 April Aged 23. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Burwood Barker of 1, Malthouse Cottage, St. Radigunds Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Ismailia War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Grave Ref: C. 1. William died only twenty three days after the formation of the Royal Air Force on 4 April 1918 prior to which he had been a member of the Royal Flying Corps, in which he had originally served a Private following his transfer from the Royal Army Medical Corps. R.A.F. casualty card entry for William states, died, resulting from accidental injuries. BARNARD, SIDNEY HERBERT. Private, No. 1 Company, 1/1st Battalion, Honourable Artillery Company. Died 13 November Aged 32. Enlisted Armoury House. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. M. R. Barnard of 157, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 8 A. In view of date of death it is fairly certain that Sidney was amongst those of his battalion who fell during a successful attack at Beacourt, Somme, but the casualty rate was so high it resulted in reducing it to only single company strength. Despite the huge loss of life and injuries to the battalion, the costly won ground was held until being relieved by the 10th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment just before dawn on 15 November The Honourable Artillery Company, which was (and still is) a Territorial regiment, was unique in that it was composed of both artillery and infantry, and it is also the oldest regiment in the British Army., London s Ancient Artillery Company. In August 1914 it consisted of an infantry battalion and two field artillery batteries, A and B. On the outbreak of the Great War, as with other Territorial Force units, they all formed second line units and eventually third line, though none of the latter went overseas. Because many members of the Honourable Artillery Company were taking commissions in the Royal Garrison Artillery, during the summer of 1916, it was decided to form an Honourable Artillery Company, Siege Battery. Army Council Instruction (ACI) 2268 dated 6 December 1916 authorised the formation, in London, of the No.309 (Honourable Artillery Company) Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery from personnel of the Honourable Artillery Company with effect from 27 November The 1st Battalion of which Sidney was a member went to France in September 1914 and remained there throughout the war. The 2nd Battalion followed in October 1916, joined the 7th Division 32

33 and in November 1917 went with it to Italy where it remained to the end of the war. The newly created 309th Siege Battery went to France and landed at Le Havre on 27 April 1917 and fought there until the end of the war. The two first line artillery batteries sailed for Egypt in April 1915 and served with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the desert and in Palestine, while the two second line batteries, 2/A and 2/B, both went to France in June 1917 as part of the 126th Army Field Artillery Brigade. BARRON, SYDNEY WILLIAM JAMES. Lieutenant. 53rd Sikhs (Frontier Force), Indian Army Reserve of Officers. Died 25 July Aged 32. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Singapore. Only son of William and Frances Barron (neé Philpott) of 64, Dour Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Grave Ref: B. 4. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Formerly served as an officer in the Baluchistan Light Infantry. The 53rd Sikhs (Frontier Force), served during the Great War in India, Aden, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Whilst in Egypt, Sydney was numbered amongst those in his regiment (and others) who contacted a virulent strain of Malaria, some of whom sadly died of the disease including him. In 1922 Sydney s old regiment became the 3rd Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment and was later made a Royal Battalion in the Silver Jubilee honours of Although the regiment had a distinguished history stretching back to when being were raised at Ferozepore, India, in 1846, probably its contribution made during the Great War played no small part in granting the Royal title. BARSTOW, MICHAEL WILLIAM. Second Lieutenant/Acting Captain. 203rd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 3 June Aged 20. Born Canterbury, Kent 12 March Son of the Reverend T. W. and Mrs Maud Barstow of Norton Lees Vicarage, Sheffield, Yorkshire. Buried Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: D. 49 BARTLETT, CHARLES FREDERICK. Seaman, 1858D. Royal Naval Reserve. H.M.S. Aboukir. Died 22 September Aged 40. Born Deal, Kent c1874. Son of James and Mary Bartlett of Deal, Kent. Husband of Fanny Ann Bartlett, of 70 Ladysmith Avenue, East Ham, London. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 3. At the time of the 1881 census Charles and his family were residing at 31 Clarendon Place, Hougham, Dover, Kent. James BARTLETT. Aged 49. Born Siddlesham, Chichester, Sussex. Stoker L.C & D Marine Company. Mary J. BARTLETT. Aged 39. Born Bosham, Chichester, Sussex. 33

34 Edith C. BARTLETT. Aged 15. Born Bacton, Norfolk. No Occupation. William J. BARTLETT. Aged 14. Born Bacton, Norfolk. Stewards Boy. Edward W. BARTLETT. Aged 10. Born Margate, Kent. Scholar. Lilly G. BARTLETT. Aged 9. Born Isle of Sheppy, Kent. Scholar. Charles F. BARTLETT. Aged 7. Born Deal, Kent. Scholar. Mary J. BARTLETT. Aged 4. Born Dover, Kent. Scholar. Arthur S. BARTLETT. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Scholar. Annie H. BARTLETT. Aged 1. Born Dover, Kent. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists 34

35 or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February BARTON, HARRY FREDERICK. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 6 September Aged 20. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Edward and Emma Barton of 31, Peter Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 D. Various data checked, points to Harry as being amongst the members of his regiment that at the time of his death were attached to the 2nd Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), that died serving with that battalion at Delville Wood, Somme, France. BARTRAM, HARRY BROCKLESBY. Captain. E Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. Died 16 September Aged 36. Only son of the Reverend Canon and Mrs Henry Bartram. Husband of Alice Eugenia Bartram (née Smith) of Blidworth Dale, Linby, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. Buried St. Mary s New Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: E. H. 12. At the time of the 1901 census the Bartram family resided at 14 Waterloo Crescent, Dover, Kent. Harry s father was the Vicar of St. Mary the Virgin parish church Dover, Kent, where Harry is commemorated on the parish church war memorial. Reverend Bartram was also the Chaplain of Dover Corporation from 1901 to In 1907 Harry married Miss Alice Eugenia Smith, daughter of the late Frederic Chatfield Smith and Harriet Mathilda Smith (née Pym). Harriet Mathilda Smith died on 9 August 1914, it being a month before her son-in-law. One of Harry and Alice s children died in the Second World War, he being 27 year old Captain Harry Bob Brocklesby Bartram, of the 5 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery who died on Christmas Day Buried Sai Wan War Cemetery, Hong Kong. Grave Ref: III. M. 8. Apart from it being Christmas Day, the date of death of Harry (Junior) is very significant for another reason, it being the same day that the island of Hong Kong fell to the Japanese forces following a brief, but intense period of fighting. Most of those buried in the same cemetery as Harry were killed at this time, or died later as internees or prisoners of war during the Japanese occupation. At the time of family details being added to the Second World War CWGC commemorations, Mrs. Alice Eugenia Bartram resided at Woodgreen, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, and died 6 May 1962, aged 84. The tiny village of Linby, north of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire where she had resided, post Great War is famous as being the place where the pancake was invented, baked to honour the brave local women that killed Danish Vikings who had enslaved them after their husbands had run away. 35

36 BARWICK, JOHN BIRD. Lance Corporal, T/ st/3rd (Kent) Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 28 October Born Folkestone, Kent. Enlisted Gillingham, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey. Panel 23 to 25 or 325 to 328, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. On 10 October 1915 the British War Cabinet had taken the decision to stop sending more troops to Gallipoli, where to put it mildly operations had not strictly gone to plan. That important decision notwithstanding, the following day 231 men of the 1st/3rd (Kent) Field Company, Royal Engineers sailed from Devonport Docks heading for the eastern Mediterranean and Gallipoli. The voyage out to the eastern Mediterranean was fortunately uneventful. At Mudros Bay, Turkey, most of the Field Company transferred to smaller ships to actually take them to Helles. H.M.S. Hythe, a former cross-channel paddle-driven ferry, with a displacement of 509 tons. She had been built in 1905 for the South Eastern and Chatham Railway to work the Dover-Calais route. Requisitioned at the outbreak of war she had been transformed into a minesweeper and armed with a couple of twelve pounder guns. In 1915, she was sent to work on troop movements in the Dardanelles. H.M.S. Hythe left Mudros Bay at about 1600 hours on 28 October 1915 at which time she was grossly overloaded, including men who were packed on the decks, many huddling under an awning that had been rigged up to give at least some form of relief from rain and spray. At about 2000 hours, as the vessel neared its destination, men made preparations for embarking putting on their kit, whilst drivers went to their respective vehicles, and the H.M.S. Hythe doused all her lights. Of significance it was a rough and squally day which had resulted in a great number of the men aboard the ship being seasick. With their discomfort of those onboard the ship almost at an end, having almost reached its destination and the soldiers preparing for disembarking, when suddenly a large vessel loomed out of the darkness and in spite of all efforts to avoid a collision it ran into H.M.S. Hythe, cutting deep into her port bow and bringing down the foremast. In ten minutes the vessel sank, leaving numbers struggling in the water or hanging on to spars and other floating matter. The boats of the H.M.S. Sarnia, the ship which had hit John s vessel did all they could and picked up many survivors, but sadly all to few, for approximately 130 men drowned. H.M.S. Sarnia was also a requisitioned ferry which had been built in 1910 for the London and South Western Railway. In war service she became an armed boarding steamer, with a displacement of 1498 tons and a top speed of 20.5 knots, H.M.S. Sarnia was a much larger and more powerful vessel than H.M.S. Hythe, which had a maximum speed of only 12 knots. Subsequent enquiries following the tragic loss of H.M.S. Hythe revealed that both vessels made at least one change of course, but it seems that neither slowed down. The H.M.S. Sarnia struck the port side of H.M.S. Hythe with such force that its bows cut halfway through the ship. That brought the H.M.S. Hythe to a dead stop and caused its mast to collapse on the awning. Numerous deaths were caused instantly by the bows of H.M.S. Sarnia and the collapsing mast, but those remaining fared little better. The massive damage caused H.M.S. Hythe to sink rapidly. It was all over in approximately ten minutes. Many soldiers were drowned trapped under the awning, or in the cabs of their vehicles. Most of the others had little or no time to gain the ships railings and throw off their kit before they were in the sea. Panic 36

37 reigned as soldiers scrambled for the few life-jackets that could be grabbed before the ship sank. Most of those who jumped overboard were drowned in the chaos that followed, and sadly only a lucky few were able to scramble from one vessel to the other without even getting their feet wet. BATES, GEORGE. Private, G/ A Company, 1st Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 3 October Aged 32. Born Elmstead, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of James and Elizabeth Bates. Husband of Mrs. A. Bates (née Page) of 69, Longfield Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Bedford House Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: Enclosure No 4, XIII. A. 19. Formerly Gunner, 2352, (Territorial Force) Royal Field Artillery. George s father had been a former Licensee of the Timberbats, Public House, Elmstead, Kent (now Froggies) which is where George was probably actually born. Due primarily to the conditions underfoot, on 2 October 1917, the 1st Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) took a full six hours during the occupation of trenches which were located about three miles from Bedford House, Ypres, Belgium, where the battalion was halted to be fully equipped with small arms ammunition, hand grenades, three days rations and various other articles which were deemed necessary for the attack and consolidation of an enemy position which was to be carried out on 4 October. The trenches held by the battalion on the day that George died, ran from the Menin Road just south west of Veldhoek to a point approximately 1,000 yards north, at which location the left flank of the battalion had its back towards a small stream called the Scherriabeke. Surprisingly the trenches were traceable despite the constant shelling, the weather and ground conditions which prevailed, which by October 1917 had resulted in the area becoming a quagmire. During the trench occupancy two other ranks of the battalion fell into the slurry filled shell holes and were never seen again, they being the sole casualties of the day. To try and make the conditions a bit more bearable, trench boards (Duck Boards) were laid, but were destroyed by enemy shelling almost as soon as they were put into position. Struggling through the morass at the battalion front line trenches, on 3 October enemy infantry twice attacked the battalion, but on each occasion were beaten back, despite the support of very intense fire from their artillery in support of their attacks. As the shelling intensified throughout the day, the battalion suffered many casualties due to same; fortunately most casualties were in the form of woundings to varying degrees as opposed to deaths. By the end of the day the casualty roll showed about 100 including amongst them 29 other ranks deaths, including George. As a member of A Company, it would appear that George had in fact been particularly unfortunate to have been killed, as numerically the Reserve Company ( D ), and battalion Headquarters having been heavily shelled throughout the 3 October had resulted in several fatalities in addition to woundings. During the day the battalion Regimental Aid Post was blown out on a couple of occasions and had to be moved. Following the relocation, good use was made of former German pillboxes which were then used as the new Regimental Aid Post and as the new battalion Headquarters, a huge drawback to their use being that the entrances to them faced the enemy, as such diligence had to be taken regarding the use of 37

38 lights at night. During the night of the 3/4th October both the Reserve Company and Headquarters moved forward to battle positions for the attack of 4 October that was launched at zero hour at 0600 hours. As George had lost his life the day prior to the attack by his battalion, it is obviously not necessary to add more here, suffice to say that the attack was a success but at a cost to the 1st Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). On 3 October the battalion mustered 18 officers and 651 other ranks, but by the end of the period 3-5 October had suffered 10 officer casualties and 368 other ranks. Of the total casualty figure, 3 officers and 136 other ranks were killed or died of wounds, and as on countless other occasions several later succumbed to their wounds. BAYARD, REGINALD AUBREY RICHARD. Lieutenant. 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 17 May Buried Essex Farm Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: II. R. 12. Commemorated on the war memorial as A.A.R BAYARD, however only four casualties are commemorated by the CWGC with this surname. Reginald being the sole victim of the Great War, as the other three all died during the Second World War. It would therefore probably be fair to assume that Reginald is in fact the man commemorated on the war memorial, albeit with his initials not an exact match but very similar. BAYLEY, JAMES THOMAS, Private, st Canadian Mounted Rifles (Saskatchewan Regiment). Died 12 September Aged 34. Born Dover, Kent 24 July Enlisted Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada 5 April Buried Vis-En-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. D. 15. James is also commemorated on page 365 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance, and on the Roll of Honour at the former Congregational Church, which is now the United Reform Church, High Street, Dover, Kent. Unfortunately James s Attestation Papers are not very clear (most thankfully are), they show his Next of Kin as being an aunt, Mrs Richard Cutaoly? of 14 Liverpool Street, Dover, Kent, and that James was a Carpenter by trade. At the time of the 1901 census the above address is where James was residing with his grandmother 65 year old Jane Bayley, a native of Lympne, Hythe, Kent who was a widow and the Head of the house. James regiment was in existence for only a few years, it was formed at Brandon, Manitoba, Canada on 15 March On New Years Day 1916 the unit was converted to infantry, and was eventually disbanded surplus to peacetime requirements on 15 November In addition to its impressive war record for which fourteen Battle Honours were awarded to the regiment, it is possibly best remembered as having the worlds first Mounted Pipe Band, which was formed 1915 and consisted of twelve pipers and eight drummers. The Battle of Havrincourt 1918 which was fought on 12 September 1918, as part of the overall Battles of the Hindenburg Line, had amongst its participants, the 3rd Canadian Division, commanded by Major-General L. J. Lipsett. As the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles was amongst the units constituting the 3rd Canadian Division, and in view of his date of death, it would seem likely that James lost his life in 38

39 the The Battle of Havrincourt The day after the battle and James s death, Major- of the 3rd Canadian General F. O. W. Loomis was placed in command Division. BEAN, ALEXANDER JOHN. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 12 October 1917 Aged 20. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Albert Edward Leonard Bean and Henrietta Christina Bean of 290, London Road, Dover, Kent. Nephew of Mr H. Bean of 16 Paul s Place, Dover, Kent. Buried Cement House Cemetery, Langemark-Poelkapelle, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: VII. D. 21. BEAN, WILLIAM EDWARD CHARLES. Private, GS/ nd/2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 24 April Aged 19. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. William Bean of 126, Union Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Crucifix Corner Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, Somme, France. Grave Ref: VII. B. 4. Formerly Private, TR/9/1874, 26th (Training Reserve) Battalion. Records show that the total complement of the Training Reserve was ultimately something in excess of 208,500 soldiers, those who attended the Training Reserve Battalions were not allocated to any particular regiment when the time came on completion of training for them to be posted, that combined with the introduction of conscription resulted to some extent to the local nature of recruitment for the infantry regiments eventually being abandoned. William s unit details above are exactly as accessed from the CWGC, which also show secondary unit as posted to 2nd/2nd Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers). MIC entry for William shows him as having served in the 2nd/2nd (City of London) Battalion, (Royal Fusiliers) London Regiment, and also the Royal Fusiliers. In view of the often encountered problems by researchers etcetera when delving into the complexities of the London Regiment/Royal Fusiliers during the Great War, perhaps an element of caution should be advised for any family member or similar when viewing this brief commemoration. The regimental history shows the 2nd/2nd Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) along with the 2nd/1st, 2nd/3rd and 2nd/4th constituted the 173rd Brigade, 58th Division. The 2nd/2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers are shown on their Roll of Honour as having 322 other ranks (non officers) deaths in the Great War, and being disbanded in France pre June 1916 when the 2nd/3rd then became the 2nd/2nd. 39

40 BEATTY, H. As commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial is probably the following casualty, as no matching Dover, Kent name has been found for BEATTY, H:- BEATTIE, HENRY. Corporal, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 9 April Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Henry Beattie. Husband of Mrs. Beattie of 106, Mayfield Avenue Flats, Dover, Kent. Buried Lillers Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: V. F. 13. Henry was veteran of the Somaliland Campaign. The above cemetery is also the final resting place of the sole Great War Victoria Cross recipient serving in the local infantry regiment The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), he being 33 year old Corporal William Cotter from Sandgate, Kent. For additional details about William please see Victoria Cross section on this website. BECKS, T. There is no CWGC, O/SDGW or MIC data applicable to this casualty who was probably THOMAS the brother of William James Becks who is commemorated below, as both are shown on the 1901 census. At the time of the census the Becks family resided at 8, Tower Street, Dover, Kent. Although probably the following soldier, but the brief details as entered should be treated with caution by anybody carrying out research into T. BECKS, or more detailed research on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial at some point of time in the future. BECKS, THOMAS. Private. 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). A Private, Thomas Becks was shown on regimental data as having been wounded in the throat by an enemy bomb (Hand grenade), on 12 April 1915 at Zonnebeke, Belgium, and is possibly the elusive T. BECKS. BECKS, WILLIAM JAMES. Private, L/ nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 16 March Aged 29. Born Charlton, Dover Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Son of Thomas and Emily Jane Becks of 3, Stone Cottages, Temple Ewell, Dover, Kent. Buried Bailleul Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: J. 33. Prior to enlisting as a regular soldier in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) at Canterbury pre war, William was employed as an Iron Moulder s Labourer in a local foundry, please note brief census information above. 40

41 BEDWELL, HENRY. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, (Public Schools), Middlesex Regiment. Died 31 May Aged 37. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Husband of Elizabeth Bedwell, of 38, Adrian Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 7, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial, Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, G/15711, Queen s Own Royal West Kent Regiment. BEDWELL, THOMAS WILLIAM. Private, D Company, 8th (Service) Battalion, (Pioneers) Welsh Regiment Died 15 August Aged 26. Born and enlisted Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Elizabeth Bedwell, of 32, Chapel Place, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Kirkee, India Memorial. Face D and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial, Dover, Kent. BEER, EDWARD ALBERT. Second Lieutenant. 298th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 22 September Aged 30. Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Beer of 14, Avenue Road, Dover; Kent. Husband of Mrs. Beer of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Buried Voormezeele Enclosures No.1 and No. 2, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. K. 1. Formerly Bombadier, 24295, Royal Garrison Artillery. Having served a lot of his time at the front line as Bombadier, engaged in notable good and valuable work in forward Artillery Observation Posts, Edward was promoted on the recommendation of his superior officers only a short time before his death, with the view to him carrying on with the same observation work, for which it would seem he had a particular flair. Tragically it was whilst he was located at a forward A.O.P. he lost his life, when going out from the dug-out in a gallant attempt to save a wounded infantry officer. Edward was killed by enemy artillery shellfire and died instantly, it has not been possible thus far to learn anything further about the brother officer he tried to save, but assume that he too fell in battle, killed by the same shell. BEER, WILLIAM THOMAS. Gunner, th Ammunition Supply Park, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 22 December Born Cubitt Town, Middlesex. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: IV. B. 15. Also commemorated on the Roll of Honour at the former Congregational Church, which is now the United Reform Church, High Street, Dover, Kent. William is also commemorated on the former Christ Church Parish Great War memorial plaque Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent, which is fortunately now in the safe keeping of the Dover, Kent Museum, the church having been demolished in

42 Formerly Gunner 1/3 (Kent) Royal Garrison Artillery, (Territorial). BEERLING, ARTHUR LEWELL. Private L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Died 18 October Commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 2. At the start of the Great War the1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was stationed Fermoy, Ireland, which it had left on 12 August 1914 and proceeded to Cambridge where it arrived exactly a week later, the journey allowed the battalion which was in a state of high morale time to indulge in singing on the way, the most popular song being It s a long way to Tipperary which had been arranged by Bandmaster Elvin of the battalion. After having been joined by 554 reservists, many of whom were veterans of the Second Boer War or the Northwest Frontier of India, in some cases both, their experience and it as was with of some of the regulars, combined with the youthful enthusiasm of some of the younger members of the battalion set them in good stead when the battalion set foot on French soil at St. Nazaire on 9 September 1914 having crossed from Southampton aboard the SS Minneapolis. Following a number of moves, the battalion arrived at Courcelles and took over front line trenches to the north east of Vailly sur Aisne at 0230 hours on 21 September when relieving the 1st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers and the 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Private Herbert Cole aged 21 from Battersea, became the first of at least 1120 other ranks in the battalion to die in the Great War, the second being 30 year old Private Young T.E. Town from Milton Regis, Sittingbourne, Kent. A fairly recent innovation is the sounding of the Last Post which takes place at the Ploegsteert Memorial on the first Friday of every month at 1900 hours. We have noticed in the summer months that it is advisable to arrive early for the simple but nonetheless moving tribute as the lay-by in front of the Berks Cemetery Extension where the memorial is situated usually fills up quite quickly as 1900 hours approaches, as whilst the number of those who attend the ceremony is not comparable with those at the Menin Gate in Ieper an hour later, every time we have been at the Ploegsteert Memorial ceremony the numbers seem to grow. Following the sounding of the Last Post, it is advisable to wait until the rush to Ieper is over, as there is both plenty of time to get to the Menin Gate ceremony. BEESTON, REGINALD CLIFFORD. Trumpeter, A Battery, 13th Fire Command, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 9 November Aged 16. Born Buckland, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Warley, Essex. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. M. Rumens (formerly Beeston) (neé Cox) of 4, Millais Road Dover, Kent and the late Q.M.S. Clifford Dundas Beeston, Royal Garrison Artillery. Buried Buckland Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: D. 2300, which Reginald shares with his late father who died on 17 June Also commemorated on the Duke of York s Royal Military School, Guston, Dover, Kent war memorial. 42

43 BELCHER, JAMES. M.M, Serjeant, C Battery, 107th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Died 10 April Aged 35. Son of Fredrick and Harriet Belcher. Husband of Hilda Belcher (neé Pierce), of 1, Edgar Crescent, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. E. 11. As with thousands of other Great War casualties previously researched, there was an element of confusion regarding James place of birth, unusually but by no means uniquely CWGC commemoration states his place of birth, and in so doing records James as being a native of Dover, Kent, which contradicts with SDGW data (now there s a surprise). SDGW details appertaining to James shows born Stratford, Essex. (Plaistow), Essex. Resorting to checking the 1901 census for Dover, Kent and district revealed a James Belcher, Blacksmiths Labourer, born Dover c1882, who was at the time residing with his parents Fredrick and Harriet Belcher at 15 Queens Gardens, Dover, Kent. Whilst in the past, hard and sometimes financially expensive lessons have been learned, when having made assumptions that the obvious is correct when researching military commemorations and the like, it is probably fair to assume that James was in fact a native of Dover, Kent and was also the same young man shown on the 1901 census as shown above above. BELLFIELD, WALTER HENRY FRANCIS. Private, L/7424. F Company, 1st Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) Died 17 August Aged 25. Born Hoxton, Middlesex. Enlisted Shorncliffe, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Walter Henry and Minnie Bellfield of 60, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Southend-on-Sea, (Sutton Road) Cemetery, Essex. Grave Ref: A BELSEY, ALFRED ISAAC. Private, S/ nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 27 July Aged 19. Born St. Mary s, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Edward and Sarah Margaret Belsey of 13, Albion Place, Dover, Kent. Buried Lahana Military Cemetery, Greece. Grave Ref: II. E.2. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census, the Belsey family was residing at 18, Albion Place, Dover, Kent. Edward a 33 year old Labourer and Dover native was the Head of the house. The cemetery where Alfred is at rest was begun in July 1916 for burials from the 27th Casualty Clearing Station, to which sick and wounded men were brought from the Struma front, as such it would appear that he died of wounds whilst a patient at the 27th C.C.S. The cemetery was also used from June to August 1917 by the 18th Stationary Hospital, and after the Armistice, forty one of the graves in Plots II and III were brought in from the two front line cemeteries at Paprat aka Poprat, and Bektashlar, approximately north-west of Lahana, and from other small burial grounds. 43

44 BELSON, GEORGE LEWIS. Boy Artificer, M/3799. Royal Navy, H.M.S. Fisgard. Died 3 December Born Gravesend, Kent 13 June Son of George H. and Eliza Belson. Buried Gravesend Cemetery, Kent. Grave Ref: Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. From 1905 to 1931 H.M.S. Fisgard was a Royal Navy Artificer Apprentice training establishment based at Portsmouth, Hampshire, which in 1932 moved to Chatham, Kent. Information obtained locally in Gravesend, Kent indicated that at some time George H. Belson (father of casualty) had been in the employ of H.M. Customs (Preventive Service) as a Boatman, with at least some of his service having been spent at Dover, Kent. Although no supporting documentation has actually been sighted by us, but as our North Kent source has yet to furnish us with any erroneous Gravesend information, George senior probably had been a Dover based H.M. Customs Officer in some capacity, and it was possibly as a Boatman. BERRY, WILLIAM JAMES. Able Seaman, J/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Pembroke. Died Aged 22. Born Sydenham, Kent 7 October Son of Mrs. A. K. Walker (formerly Berry) of 31, Limekiln Street Dover, Kent and the late S. Berry. Buried St. Mary s New Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: E Also commemorated on the former Holy Trinity Hall Dover, Kent, memorial. Originally enlisted as a Boy Sailor in the Royal Navy. Before going to the land based H.M.S. Pembroke at Chatham, Kent, William had served aboard the 940 ton Beagle class destroyer H.M.S. Grampus, which had originally been named H.M.S. Nautilus when she was commissioned on 30 March 1910, she was renamed H.M.S.Grampus on 16 December BETTS, JAMES EDWARD WILLIAM. Petty Officer Stoker, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Teviot. Died 13 October Aged 43. Born Dover, Kent 7 June Son of the late James E. and Eliza Betts. Husband of Gladys Adelaide Betts of 29, Lawson Road, Southsea, Hampshire. Buried Haslar Royal Naval Cemetery, Hampshire. Grave Ref: E Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. James s ship was a River class destroyer that was commissioned on 7 November 19103, which survived the Great War and was broken up in It would seem that James was following in his father s footsteps when viewing the 1881 census, at which time the family was residing at 22 Albion Place, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent:- James W. BETTS. Aged 31. Born Dover, Kent. Mariner 44

45 Eliza BETTS. Aged 29. Born Dartmouth, Devon. James E.W. BETTS. Aged 7. Born Dover, Kent. John B. BETTS. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. William C. BETTS. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Eliza E. BETTS. Aged 1. Born Dover, Kent. By the time of the 1901 census, remnants of the family were residing at 12 Chapel Street, Dover, Kent. BIDGOOD, THOMAS AYLMER TATTNALL. Lieutenant. 91st Heavy Battery, (96th Battery Group), Royal Garrison Artillery. Died Sunday 28 October Buried Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Grave Ref: B Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Thomas had been a pupil at Haileybury School, Hertfordshire where he is also commemorated on the memorial panels around the cloisters. Also commemorated at the school is 35 year old Captain HAROLD PONSONBY STEEL, 129th Duke of Connaught s Own Baluchis, died Sunday 5 August Eldest son of James E. P. and Ann I. Steel of 6, Castle Hill Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Dar Es Salaam War Cemetery, Tanzania. Grave Ref: 1. H. 9. BINGHAM, STEPHEN CHARLES. Private, th (Garrison) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Died 19 December Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Henry George and Hannah Bingham. (Possibly both deceased). Buried Blargies Communal Cemetery Extension, Oise, France. Grave Ref: 1. A. 10. Formerly Private, 37499, The Queen s (Royal West Surry Regiment). Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Stephen and three of his siblings were all baptised at St. James parish church, Dover, Kent on 28 April 1880, at which time their father was a Mariner. Although the Baptismal entry records unfortunately do not record the Bingham family address at that time. The following April at the time of the 1881 census, (which also records Henry as being a Mariner) the family was residing at 22 Castl e Place, St. James, Dover, Kent:- Henry G. BINGHAM. Hannah BINGHAM. Annie WEEKS. Aged 38. Aged 40. Aged 20. Born Kent. Mariner. Born London, Middlesex. Born Ringwould, Kent. Parlourmaid. (Unemployed). Maud M. BINGHAM. Aged 14. Born Ringwould, Kent. Laura L. BINGHAM. Aged 11. Born Dover, Kent. Alfred H. BINGHAM. Aged 9. Born Dover, Kent. Alice M. BINGHAM. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. Stephen C. BINGHAM. Aged 1. Born Dover, Kent. Stephen, then 20 years old was residing at 2, Exhibition Cottages, Trevanion Street, Dover, Kent at the time of the 1901 census. Henry Bingham aged 58 is shown as being the Head of the house, his wife being 60 year old Hannah, in addition to Stephen the couple also still had two other children residing at home. The 4th (Garrison) Battalion, 45

46 Royal Welsh Fusiliers of which Stephen was a member at the time of his death, was formed at Bebington, Cheshire on 15 April In June the same year the battalion went to France, attached as Army Troops to the Third Army. Renamed 4th Garrison Guard Battalion in 1918 on 16 May 1918, attached to 176th Brigade, 59th Division. On 16 July 1918 being renamed the 26th (Service) Battalion, which at the time of the Armistice was at the town of Delpré to the north-east of Tournai, Hainaut, Belgium. Blargies south of Abancourt on the D316 where Stephen is buried, is unfortunately probably best remembered when recalling the events of the Great War as being the location of a mutiny which took place at the No.1 Military Prison, North Camp. As the direct result of the mutiny Gunner William Lewis, of 124 Battery, Royal Field Artillery and Private John Braithwaite, of the 2nd Otago Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force were executed together on 29 October BISH, EDWARD THOMAS. Company Quartermaster Serjeant, L/6774. E Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died 19 September Aged 30. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted London. Son of Thomas and Alice Bish (née Goddard) of Dover, Kent. Husband of Lydia N. A. Bish of 137, Hartington Road, Brighton, Sussex. Buried St. Nazaire (Toutes-Aides) Cemetery, Loire-Atlantique, France. Grave Ref: A. 12. Obviously a regular soldier, Edward would have been with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment when it had arrived at Le Harve, France onboard the SS Olympia and SS Agapenor on 13 August Edward had escaped death just over a week earlier during what in modern day parlance would be described as friendly fire, as on 10 September whilst passing through the village of Preiz when within 750 yards of the Germans, British artillery shelled B Company as it led the battalion. 32 year old Captain Anthony E. Jemmett-Brown and 18 other ranks were killed during the shelling, plus 2 officers and 83 other ranks wounded. Private Thomas Swaine from Rye, Sussex was killed on 13 September as the battalion passed through Bourg, prior to the battalion going into billets at Moulins. Edward s battalion left Moulins very early on the morning of the 14 September and advanced to Vandresse in support of an attack on high ground by the 2nd Brigade (to which they belonged), above Troyton (Cerny). At 0300 hours in pouring rain and a dense mist the attack was launched by the brigade. With commendable speed the 2nd Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps actually made it to the top of the ridge, but they soon then found themselves facing very stiff enemy opposition, notably from those ensconced inside a sugarbeet factory. George and the rest of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment was brought forward from the rear to launch an attack on the factory. At about 0700 hours the 1st Guards Brigade arrived at Vendresse with instructions to push on through the 2nd Brigade, but by that time it was patently clear that the German defenders of the ridge had stopped their retreat and were defiantly making a defiant stand despite mounting casualties. It then fell on the soldiers of the 1st Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment to try and render support to the 2nd Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps, and for George s battalion to concentrate all its attention on the offending sugarbeet factory. Eventually after a hard fought engagement the three battalions involved in the attack on the ridge succeeded in capturing their respective assigned objectives and dug in to consolidate their newly won positions along the ridge, 46

47 where they were subsequently engaged in fighting off enemy counter attacks throughout the day. Eventually the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards was also able to fight its way up the slope from Vendresse and then enter Cerny Village, but where they then found themselves surrounded by German infantry. Primarily due to the prevailing weather conditions, mainly the fog, both sides in the village initially took the other for allies. Fortunately it was the Coldstream Guards that were the first to realise the error and took full advantage of the element of surprise and opened fire on the enemy troops, putting most of them to rout and inflicting several casualties amongst their number. For fear of hitting their own sides personnel in the fog, who were still at close quarters with the Germans, the British artillery resisted firing, it being in stark contrast to the enemy gunners, who it would seem continued firing irrespective of the consequences, indeed the war diary entry of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment makes mention of capturing 250 prisoners that were moving forward under a White flag when they were fired on by their own side. At approximately 1300 hours the Germans launched a large and concerted counter attack which pushed both the 2nd Brigade and the 1st Guards Brigade back to where they had setoff from in the morning, during the process taking the sugarbeet factory, the earlier capture of which had probably cost George his life. Also numbered amongst the 6 officers and 52 other ranks who forfeited their lives that day was the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 50 year old Lieutenant Colonel Ernest H. Montresor, who was veteran of the Nile Campaign 1884, Hazara, 1888, and the Second Boer War. The battalion stoically dug in and held their new positions under both enemy shellfire and frontal attacks by German infantry, until finally being relieved on 19 September by the officers and other ranks of the 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, following which a move was made to an outpost line in caves situated at Paissy. On the day of the relief, Edward succumbed to his wounds and died, but in view of his place of burial Edward probably died whilst receiving treatment at Number 4 British General Hospital, St. Nazaire, and had almost certainly been numbered amongst those wounded on 14 September BISHOP, FRANK GEORGE. Able Seaman, J/6765. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Conquest. Drowned 28 March Aged 21. Born Ramsgate, Kent 4 May Son of William James and Florence Bishop of 6, Durham Place, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Mary Churchyard, Shotley, Suffolk. Grave Ref: R.N. Plot 103. Completed in 1915, Frank s ship was a 4,219 ton Caroline class light cruiser which was in the Harwich Force 5th Light Cruiser Squadron. On Tuesday 28 March 1916 she was damaged by enemy battle cruisers during a German Navy raid which was carried out off the North Sea coast at Lowestoft, and Yarmouth, Suffolk. Earlier in the same month of the attack which cost Frank and other members of the ships crew their lives, seventeen sailors and one Royal Marine from H.M.S. Conquest, lost their lives when the cutter from the ship was caught in a freak snow squall in Harwich harbour, Essex, they are buried in Walton-on-the-Naze (or Walton-Le-Soken) (All Saints) Churchyard Extension, Essex. H.M.S. Conquest was later damaged by a mine in July 1918, but survived the Great War, during which time she sank the German destroyer S 20 on 5 June Eventually H.M.S. Conquest was sold for scrap

48 BISHOP, W.T. No clear trace. Possibly the casualty commemorated is William T. Bishop, who is shown on the 1901 census as residing at Paradise Street, Dover, Kent, and was a Stepson of Archibald McMillen and his wife Eliza. Only three men are commemorated by the CWGC, two of whom have family details shown, non of which has a Dover, Kent connection. Unfortunately SDGW only records one of the three soldiers, and his details fit the CWGC information. A check was made of the Medal Index Cards to ascertain the soldier who is only shown with his initials by the CWGC, to see if his name was William, but again no match as his name was Walter. BLACK, NEVILLE VICTOR. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, (1st South Downs), Royal Sussex Regiment, Died 13 October Aged 21. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Bertha J. Black of 19, Tower Hamlets Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Petsamo Evangelic-Lutheran Cemetery, Russian Federation, Neville is also commemorated by a Special Memorial in Murmansk New British Cemetery, Russian Federation, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent Formerly Private Middlesex Regiment. At the time of the 1901 census Neville and his parents Victor John and Bertha J Black were residing with Neville s grandfather, a 49 year old Widower who was a Furniture Porter and Head of the house, living at 8 Church Street, Dover, Kent. Where Neville is commemorated in the Russian Federation by a Special Memorial in Murmansk New British Cemetery, the cemetery was made in At which time forty burials were moved in from the Old British Cemetery that had been used by the No 86 General Hospital during 1918 and The special memorials commemorate officers and men such as Neville who are known to have been buried in cemeteries elsewhere in the Murman area, but who were not moved into the new cemetery in 1930 or subsequently. Petsamo where Neville is buried was in Finland prior to the Second World War, and became Soviet territory as the direct result of what Finland calls the Continuation War. BLACKETT, W.B.S. It would seem that this casualty has his initials set out in the wrong sequence on the war memorial and is probably the following officer, he being the best match:- BLACKETT, WILLIAM STEWART BURDETT, Captain. 1/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry (Prince Albert s Own). Died 24 November Aged 40. Born London 24 October Son of the late Captain Archibald Campbell Stewart Blackett R.N., and Clara Blanch Harriett Blackett (neé Burdett). Husband of Mrs. Blackett Swiny(neé Bagenal) of Arbigland, Dumfries, Scotland and of Manton Grange, Oakham, Rutland. Buried Poperinge Communal Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. B. 1. When William s brother Archibald S.S. Blackett was baptised in St. James s parish church, Dover, Kent on 22 January 1878, as was their sister Catherine M.S. Blackett in the same church on 8 March 1879, at which time their father held the rank of Commander in the Royal Navy. William had served in the South African Campaign (Second Boer 48

49 War) with the 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards in the 8 th Division under General Rundle. Following the Second Boer War, William served for only a couple of more years and retired in At the outbreak of the Great War, William joined the Leicestershire Yeomanry and was Gazetted on 15 August Like other county Yeomanry Regiments prior to the Great War the 1/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry (Prince Albert s Own) had localized Squadrons located around the county. Headquarters was based at the city of Leicester, Leicestershire, A Squadron was based at Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, B Squadron was based at Leicester, Leicestershire, C Squadron was based at Loughborough, Leicestershire and D Squadron was based at Lutterworth, Leicestershire. The regiment was in the North Midland Mounted Brigade which was also comprised of the 1/1st Lincolnshire Yeomanry, 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry and the 1/1st Welsh Horse Yeomanry, and were all part of the 1st Mounted Division. William s regiment left the division and was sent to France, arriving on 3 November 1914 where it joined the 7th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division on 12 November William was wounded near Ypres, Belgium on 20 November 1914 and died from his wounds in the French Hospital, which was located at Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. William was numbered amongst the 351 officers of the British 3rd Division casualties in the Ypres area which occurred between 14 October and 30 November 1914, in addition to the officers, 8,355 other ranks also became casualties. BLACKFORD, WILLIAM JAMES. Engineer Commander. Royal Naval Reserve. H.M.S. Engadine. Died 1 January Aged 51. Born Dover, Kent c1869. Son of William Farmar Blackford and Elizabeth Blackford of Dover, Kent. Husband of Amy Kendall Blackford of 97, F olkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover Kent. Grave Ref: H. 20. At the time of the 1881 census the Blackford family was residing at 16 Hawkesbury Street, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent:- William F. BLACKFORD. Aged 38. Born Swindon, Wiltshire. Engineer. Elizabeth BLACKFORD. Aged 40. Born Patrcroft, Wiltshire. Robert J. BLACKFORD. Aged 19. Born Faversham, Kent. Watchmaker. Isabella A. BLACKFORD. Aged 17. Born Dover, Kent. Dressmaker. William J. BLACKFORD. Aged 12. Born Dover, Kent. John H. BLACKFORD. Aged 10. Born Dover, Kent. Jeffrey T. BLACKFORD. Aged 6. Born Dover, Kent. Mary E. BLACKFORD. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. William s 1,676 ton ship was a seaplane tender that served in the Great War, but which had been constructed as a Folkestone-Boulogne ferry by William Denny and Sons of Dunbarton, Scotland. Launched on 23 September 1911 and named after the Engadine valley in Switzerland, she was the requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1914, along with her sister ship H.M.S. Riviera and modified by the construction of cranes and a hangar aft of the funnels so that she could carry four Short 184 seaplanes. There was no flight deck, the aircraft being lowered onto the sea for takeoff and recovered again from the sea after landing. Her aircraft participated in the Cuxhaven Raid on Christmas Day At the Battle of Jutland in 1916, one of her seaplanes, piloted by Lieutenant Frederick S. 49

50 Rutland with Assistant Paymaster G.S. Trewin acting as observer carried out an aerial reconnaissance of the German fleet, this being the first time that a heavier than air aircraft had carried out a reconnaissance of an enemy fleet in action. Later in the battle H.M.S. Engadine rescued the crew of the crippled H.M.S. Warrior before taking her in tow. Later in the war she served in the Mediterranean. After the cessation of hostilities H.M.S. Engadine was sold back to her original owners, the South Eastern and Chatham Railway Company in December In 1933 the ship was renamed Corregidor. During the Second World War she struck a mine in an American minefield and sunk with heavy loss of life in Manila Bay in December 1941, but in excess of 300 onboard her were rescued by American Motor Torpedo Boat s. BLANCHE, WILLIAM EDWARD THOMAS. Gunner, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 25 April Aged 23. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of William Edward and Maria Blanche of 32, Greenlands Terrace, Dover, Kent. Buried Berles-Au-Bois Churchyard Extension, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: D. 3. Also commemorated on Great War memorial plaque located at St. Martins School, Dover, Kent. BLAND, JOSEPH HENRY. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 30 September Aged 20. Born Cork, Ireland. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. E. Bland of 1, St. James s Passage, Dover, Kent. Buried St James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: D.V.12. SDGW records Joseph as having died of wounds, which may or may not be correct, but in view of his place of burial is probably right, of course date of wounding is not shown. BLATCHFORD, JOHN WILLIAM. Private, th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died at St Quentin, France on 22 September Aged 25. Enlisted Herne Bay, Kent. Son of James and Ann Eliza Blatchford of 7, Maison Dieu Place, High Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Ronssoy Communal Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: B. 11 Also commemorated on a Great War memorial plaque located in the Unitarian Church, Adrian Street, Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 2170, Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles. BLAXLAND, THOMAS. Pilot. Mercantile Marine, Cinque Ports Pilot, (Permanent). S.S. Thornaby. Died 28 February Born Dover, Kent c1879. Husband of Mary Louise Blaxland of 19 Barton Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, and on the Cinque Ports Pilots Memorial, at St Mary the Virgin parish church, Dover, Kent. It is understood that for 50

51 many years those men employed as Cinque Ports Pilots were considered to be seaman of exceptional ability, a mantle which they carried back prior to the Dover Pilots forming an association in Whilst not wanting to infer nepotism, but it also would appear that on of the reasons for the high standards was due to family members involved, in a lot of cases sons following in their fathers footsteps. Judging by the 1881 census details appertaining to the Blaxland family, the family tradition would appear to be applicable. At the time of the census the family was residing at 45 High Street, Charlton, Dover, Kent, which is where Thom as (Junior) was also probably born:- Thomas BLAXLAND. Ag ed 40. Born Whitstable, Kent. Trinity Cinque Ports Pilot Ann E. BLAXLAND. Aged 38. Born Chelmsford, Essex. William BLAXLAND. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Elgar BLAXLAND. Aged 4. Born Dover, Kent. Thomas BLAXLAND. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. Agnes M. BLAXLAND. Aged 1 month. Born Dover, Kent. Jane FOAD. Aged 15. Born Whitstable, Kent. Niece. General Domestic Servant. Built in 1889 and owned by Ropner & Son of Stockton, the 1,730 ton vessel S.S. Thornaby was mined and sunk approximately 4 nautical miles north east of the Shipwash Light Vessel off Harwich, Essex at about midday on Monday 28 February 1916, during a voyage from Marbella to Hartlepool laden with a cargo of iron-ore. Pilot Thomas Blaxland being amongst the 19 lost in the sinking of the vessel. Trinity House records at The Guildhall Library, London, show that Thomas had boarded a Trinity House vessel at Dover, Kent which took him to join the S.S Thornaby in the English Channel off the South Foreland, which was to comply with the pilotage requirements to take the vessel as far as the port of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, where there was to be an exchange of Pilots. The UC I type UC coastal minelayers class German submarine, UC-3 commanded by Erwin Wabner had laid the mine which sank the S.S. Thornaby, she being one of the nineteen vessels sunk by the UC-3 mines before it was itself mined on 27 May 1916, north of Zeebrugge, Belgium with the loss of 18 hands onboard. At the time of the submarines loss Günther Kreysern was in command, having taken over from Erwin Wabner on 17 May Nicknamed Ropner s Navy, during the years of the Great War, Ropner & Son of Stockton lost 27 of their ships due to enemy action, it being half of the company fleet. During the Second World War another 43 of the ships which were owned and managed by Ropner & Son were also lost. BLIGH, WILLIAM.VICTOR. Stoker 1st Class, K/3614. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Wallington. Died 24 February Aged 28. Born Dover, Kent 8 December Buried St. Mary s New Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: J. H. 9. Also commemorated on the former Holy Trinity Hall, Dover, Kent, memorial. William s ship was a 2,575 ton Pearl class cruiser that was launched on 5 February 1880 and named H.M.S. Persian, she was later renamed H.M.S. Wallaroo before becoming H.M.S. Wallington. In 1920 prior to her being scrapped surplus to peacetime requirements she reverted to her original name. 51

52 BLOGG, JAMES. Private, th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 18 November Aged 19. Enlisted St. Pancras, Middlesex. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of James and Rhoda Martha Blogg of Dover, Kent. Buried Stump Road Cemetery, Grandcourt, Somme, France. Grave Ref: A. 66. Formerly Private, 5663, 5th Battalion, (T. F.) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). On the day that James lost his life the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) as part of the 55th Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division took part in an attack on an enemy position called Desire Trench at Courcelette, Somme, on the last very day of the battle which had raged since 1 July 1916 with horrendous casualties amongst its protagonists. It is generally accepted that the main reason for the battles cessation was due to the weather as opposed to a decisive victory by either side, which is somewhat tragically apt as regards to James s demise. The attack on the Desire Trench complex was carried out in awful weather by the 18th (Eastern) Division was in unison with the 19th (Western Division) and the 4th Canadian Division. It was initially raining on the night of 17/18th November, but prior to zero hour for the attack at 0610 hours it snowed which made conditions even worse for the assaulting troops, then a mist formed which added to the smoke of battle, most of which was the result of the bombardment of the enemy positions by 9.2 inch howitzers of supporting batteries of Canadian garrison Artillery. James s battalion along with the rest of the 18th (Eastern) Division was in the centre of the attack formation, with the Canadians on their right flank and the 19th (Western Division) on the left. As the assaulting troops advanced on their designated objectives the density of the mist increased which led to confusion, notably amongst the soldiers of the 19th (Western Division) who for the most part eventually lost touch completely and veered off to the left and ended up heading towards the river Ancre. The gap created by the divisions diversion was quickly capitalized upon by the Germans who breached it with machine guns, once in position the German machine gunners poured a massive amount of accurately aimed rounds into James s battalion which resulted in the loss of two complete companies, as the regimental historian put it two companies of the 7th Queen s vanished utterly, being overwhelmed by machine-guimpossible to say how James actually lost his life, but it would seem that it was probably fire. Although it is as the result of the enemy machine guns. BLUNDELL, CHARLES PERCIVAL. 2nd Corporal, th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 8 November Aged 28. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Charles and Susannah Blundell of Dover, Kent. Buried Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: Division 19. L. 4. Also commemorated on the Duke of York s Royal Military School, Guston, Dover, Kent war memorial. 52

53 BLYTHE, HORACE EDWARD. Private, TF/ st/7th Battalion (Territorial Force), Middlesex Regiment. Died 7 October Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 12D. It would seem likely that Horace was amongst the 193 casualties inflicted on his battalion resulting from an attack on an enemy held position named Spectrum Trench, just to the north of the village of Lesboeufs on the Somme, which was carried out by his battalion on the day that he died. BLYTHE, REGINALD. Private, L/ th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 14 September Aged 21. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Hounslow, Middlesex. Son of Archibald James and A. Blythe of 8, Tynemouth Street, Fulham, London. Commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France. The 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) had arrived at Le Harve, France on 14 August 1914 to be met by a tremendous welcome from both the local populace and particularly from French soldiers, in appreciation the battalion responded by whistling the Marseillaise which cemented things even further, the French National Anthem was quickly followed by the whistling of a current popular song Hold your hand out, you naughty boy. On hearing it the French soldiers and civilians respectfully bowed their heads, assuming it to be the British National Anthem. Following such a welcome no doubt Reginald and his comrades set off from Le Harve with a boost to their morale (if one was needed), but obviously with no idea that the very first Victoria Crosses awarded during the Great War were shortly to be won by an officer and a Private in the battalion. On 23 August 1914 during the Battle of Mons the battalion strength was 26 officers and 983 other ranks, one of the former was the battalions 24 year old Machine Gun Officer, Lieutenant Maurice Dease, from Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland, and the latter 25 year old Private Sydney Godley a native of East Grinstead, Sussex and resident of Sidcup, Kent. At Nimy, Belgium at about 1100 hours the enemy attacked the battalion which resulted in most of the machine Gun Section being either killed or wounded, on the canal bridge Maurice and Sydney held off the enemy for several hours, during which time both were wounded, mortally in the case of the young Irish officer, but Sydney continued firing after his officer fell, eventually he was captured, but not before he destroyed his machine gun and threw it into the canal in that way denying its capture by the enemy. Both were awarded the Victoria Cross for their heroic stand, and on 16 November 1914 an extract appeared in the London Gazette announcing the award of the V.C. to Maurice Dease, as follows: - Though two or three times badly wounded he continued to control the fire of his machine guns at Mons on 23rd Aug., until all his men were shot. He died of his wounds. On 25 November 1914 an extract appeared in the London Gazette announcing the award of the V.C. to Private Sydney Godley: - For coolness and gallantry in firing his machine-gun under a hot fire for two hours, after he had been wounded at Mons on 23rd Aug. Sydney survived the war and died at Epping, Essex on 29 June Following the events at Nimy several rapid moves were made by Reginald s battalion until it crossed the river Aisne on 13 September 1914 at 53

54 about 2300 hours, after which it was ordered to take up positions on high ground covering the village of Vailly, and arrived at their positions near Rouge Maison Farm shortly after midnight. At dawn the enemy attacked the battalion and the line to the right gave way which forced a retirement to a nearby sunken road it being situated approximately 200 yards to the south of Rouge Maison. On the day that Reginald died the action fought by the soldiers of his battalion eventually resulted in hand to hand fighting with their attackers throughout the day. The new position was entrenched, and although heavily shelled and was followed by an infantry attack at night on 15 September it was held. Reginald who was initially posted as missing, was amongst 4 officers and 34 other ranks in his battalion who died on 14 September 1914, in addition to which approximately 200 were wounded. BLYTHE, WILLIAM. M.M. Serjeant, th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 7 July Aged 27. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted London. Husband of Susan Blythe of 2, Ethelbert Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 8. C. 9. A. During the attack on the Somme village of Ovillers on the day he died, William s battalion suffered casualties numbering 640, many of those being either killed or wounded were as the direct result of a heavy and accurate barrage by enemy artillery whilst the battalion was still in the assembly area prior to moving forward. In unison with the 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) and 7th (Service) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment the attack was pressed home, and soon the first of the three enemy trench lines was taken. Eventually after much hard fighting by both sides including the notably stoic resistance on the part of the German soldiers ensconced in and defending Ovillers, a footing was gained in the village, which due primarily to mounting losses could not be held onto and resulting in the survivors falling back to the former German second line trenches which were hastily consolidated. The day after William s death his battalion was relieved of their new gains, and moved back to the nearby town of Albert where it had been in trenches in front of on the very first day of the Battle of the Somme BOAKES, THOMAS. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 October Aged 39. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Monchy British Cemetery, Monchy-Le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. N. 22. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1881 census the Boakes family were residing at 4 Pearces Court, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Ken t where it is like ly that Thomas was actually born:- Charles BOAKES. Aged 39. Born Sevenoaks, Kent. General Labourer. Ann BOAKES. Aged 39. Born Langdon, Kent. William C. BOAKES. Aged 8. Born Dover, Kent. Benjamin BOAKES. Aged 6. Born Dover, Kent. 54

55 Georgiana H. BOAKES. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Thomas J. BOAKES. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. Thomas was numbered amongst the battalion casualties which amounted to one officer and 32 other ranks on the day he died. The battalions war diary for the day s events shows it in front line trenches south of Monchy-le-Preux, the weather at the time again, fine but misty. During the morning, Battalion Headquarters was lightly shelled by the enemy, aeroplane observation reports Badger and Beetle trenches full of the enemy, apparently massing for attack. During the afternoon British artillery shelled both of the above trench complexes and finished firing at approximately 1800 hours, prior to which was a full five minutes of heavy bombardment. Approximately five minutes after the cessation of the artillery fire, the German guns put down a barrage in retaliation. To the left of the 6th battalion trenches, soldiers of the Royal Sussex Regiment had waited to take part in a raid arranged for 1250 hours, but due to reports that the enemy wire entanglements were still intact, it was cancelled. At very short notice (literally a few minutes), the Royal Sussex men set off on the raid at 2000 hours, which resulted in the capture of only one German soldier. It would appear that the enemy shelling of the front line trenches which followed was retaliatory and primarily aimed (no pun) at the Royal Sussex Regiment, who in fact had very few casualties with the 6th Battalion The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) bearing the brunt of the German indignation. The following day is recorded as being quiet with the soldiers of the Battalion working all day to repair the damaged trenches, the result of the bombardment the previous evening. On the same day, their Brigade Commander, Brigadier General A.B.E. Cater D.S.O, ex Scots Guards was promoted to be a Division Commander, his place being taken by Brigadier General A.B. Inchedon-Webber C.M.G., D.S.O., ex Royal Irish Fusiliers. It seems right to make mention of the fact that the transcriber of these commemorations has viewed Thomas s final resting place probably in excess of two dozen times; as he lies in the same row of graves, and died with his friend Henry Cuttress from Aldington, Ashford, Kent, whose death initially galvanized the transcribers interest in, and concern for the fallen, some 60 years or so ago. Thomas and Henry both trained and died together, and also had similar regimental numbers. BORROW, ARTHUR. Lance Corporal, G/414. 7th (Service) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died 24 October Born St. John s, Yorkshire. Enlisted Hastings, Sussex. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 69. There are only 19 casualties with the surname Borrow commemorated by the CWGC, made up of 9 from the Great War and 10 from the Second World War. Although SDGW does not show place of residence, it might of course have been Dover, Kent. For a number of months the thought keep reoccurring regarding the surname Borrow and the Royal Sussex Regiment, it ultimately becoming something of a minor obsession before finally remembering the connection between the two. Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, in the United States of America contains 11 Commonwealth burials of the Great War and 19 from the Second World War. Numbered amongst the latter casualties is 22 year old Captain, George H. Borrow, M.C., Royal Sussex Regiment, who was born in south west London, the son of Edward and Alys M.C. Borrow. The family later moved 55

56 from London to Diss, Norfolk. Whilst serving with the British Chindit Force, George Borrow became the A.D.C. to the famous Chindit leader, Brigadier, later Major General Orde Wingate D.S.O. and 2 Bars. Tragically George died in the same aircraft crash as Orde Wingate in the Burmese jungle on 24 March 1944, and both are buried in the same grave together, along with the remains of the other crash victims of the aircraft. They are at rest in Section 12. Collective Grave 288. Now of course, have been left wondering if Arthur and George were related? BOURNE, BERTIE JAMES. Gunner, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 31 October Born Littlebourne, Canterbury Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided River, Dover, Kent. Buried Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. I. 63. Bertie is also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul. BOWLT, BARTHOLOMEW. Fireman. Mercantile Marine Reserve, H.M.S. Stephen Furness. Died 3 September Aged 27. Born Dover, Kent. Son of William and Olive Bowlt of 12, Victoria Street, Dover, Kent. Buried East London Cemetery, Plaistow and commemorated on Screen Wall Most of the 381 casualties interred in the cemetery which is owned by the East London Cemetery Company, Ltd, are from the Great War years and number 244, 97 of which are buried in the Sailors and Soldiers Plot, which is marked by a War Cross and a stone Kerb Wall bearing their names. The remaining casualties of both world wars are scattered throughout the cemetery grounds and those without headstones are commemorated collectively on Screen Wall Memorial situated close to the main drive, one of which is that of Dovorian, Bartholomew Bolt. Bartholomew died of accidental injuries, but his ship was later lost with a total of 99 casualties when the 1,712 ton Armed Boarding Steamer was torpedoed and sunk on 13 December 1917 off the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, by a torpedo fired from the German submarine UB-64 commanded by Ernst Krieger. BOWLT, FREDERICK WILLIAM. Able Seaman, J/ Royal Navy H.M.S. Vindictive. Died 23 April Aged 19. Born Dover, Kent 30 June Son of William and Olive Bowlt of 17, Union Row, Dover, Kent. Buried in the Zeebrugge Plot St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: P. W. 12A. As the part played by Frederick s ship in the famous St George s Day Raid is so well known with a plethora of books and internet sites etcetera, it would be pointless to add to same here. Despite the variance in the addresses of parents details at Bartholomew and Frederick Bowlt s commemorations they were brothers. Frederick s number is indicative of him having enlisted in the Royal Navy as a boy. 56

57 BOWMAN, ARTHUR MORRIS. Private, rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. Died 20 March Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 A. BOYTON, VICTOR HENRY THOMPSON. Second Lieutenant. 289th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 31 May Aged 20. Born London 13 April Only son of Charles Taylor Boyton and Fanny May Boyton (neé Bishop) of Bank House, Horsefair, Birmingham, Warwickshire. Buried Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: VII. C. 21 Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Victor was initially educated at the Stanley House School, before going to King Edward s School, Birmingham, Warwickshire where he had first held a Foundation Scholarship, and later a Senior Scholarship, and had been the Captain of the Cricket First XI. Victor was then awarded a Mathematical Scholarship at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, a City of Birmingham Scholarship, in addition to one from King Edward s School, Birmingham. A member of the Officers Training Corps, Victor gained his commission on 27 November Returning from duty at an observation post, Victor was killed near Ypres, Belgium. From information obtained in Birmingham, it would appear that Victor was in the throes of making a career in Banking just prior to enlisting in the army. Had he done so, Victor would have been carrying on something of a family trait or tradition, as both his father and grandfather, (Henry S. Boyton) had both had careers in Banking. Checking the 1881 census, following the information from Birmingham, showed that our informant was apparently absolutely spot-on. At the time of that census Victor s father and grandfather who were both Dovorian s resided at 5 St Martins Place, Dover St. Mary Virgin, Dover Kent, and both were bank employees. Victor s mother was a native of Ashford, Kent. BRACE, ALFRED WILLIAM. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Nottingham), Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment). Died. 27 February Aged 35. Enlisted London. Resided Dover, Kent. Husband of Alice Brace of Huntsville, Church Road, Hadleigh, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Buried Duhallow A.D.S. Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: IV. A. 5. Alfred is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial, Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 33620, Royal Flying Corps. 57

58 BRADLEY, CYRIL MONTAGUE. Lieutenant. Head Quarters 296th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 2 April Aged 20. Born Dover, Kent 22 November Second son of Colonel Sir Augustus Montague Bradley and Lady Bradley (neé Payn) of Grovedale, Natal, South Africa. Buried Tincourt New British Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: VI. J. 19. Educated at Dover College, Kent, Cyril was good rifle shot and had represented the College twice as a member of the School Eight Company for the Ashburton Shield, and had also competed in, and won various competitions at Bisley, Surrey Cyril was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery in October 1914, he was killed in action at the village of Bernes to the east of Péronne, Somme, France, having served with the British Expeditionary Force since February Cyril s father was Augustus Montague Bradley, of Bradley s (Solicitors) located at 22, Castle Street Dover, Kent. Sir Augustus had also been a former (Town Ward) Councillor of the Dover Town Corporation, and a former Governor of Dover Boys Grammar School. BRADLEY, GEOFFREY MONTAGU. Lieutenant. 6th (Reserve) Battalion, Rifle Brigade, attached to the 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment. Died 22 December Aged 21. Born Dover, Kent February Son of Edwin Bradley J.P. and Emmeline Mary Bradley of Leyburne House, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 44. Geoffrey was educated at Dover College, Kent, and was later a B.A. Scholar of Jesus College, Cambridge (Classical Scholar), taking a Second Class in Classical Tripos, and whilst there he was the Captain of Cambridge University Shooting Eight. On 15 August 1914 Geoffrey was Gazetted as a Second Lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade, and was later promoted to Lieutenant, he served in the British Expeditionary Force from November 1914 attached to the 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment, and whilst serving with the latter regiment was killed at the village of Festubert, located between Béthune and La Bassée as was his brother officer 32 year old Second Lieutenant, John R.B. Weeding, of Kingthorpe, Addlestone, Surrey, in addition to the two officers who were killed, the battalion suffered 123 casualties during a two day operation to regain lost trenches in the Gorre- Festubert sector. Geoffrey was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette dated 22 June 1915) by Field Marshall Sir John French for Gallant and distinguished service in the field. Medal Index Card entry for Geoffrey shows service in both of the above regiments. Geoffrey s father was a Director of the Dover based Corn Merchants Bradley Brothers, who for several years were primarily located at the Custom House Quay, and Strond Street, Dover, Kent. It is thought that the company was later merged to become the much larger company of Bradley, Taylor & Youngman, probably resultant of competition from the giant international milling and animal feed consortiums. 58

59 BRAND, Benjamin J. Serjeant, S/32. 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 26 September Aged 42. Born St. John s, Chatham, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Gravesend, Kent. Son of Benjamin John and Ellen Brand of 30, Oxenden Street, Dover, Kent. Husband of the late Maggie Brand. Buried Calvaire (Essex) Military Cemetery, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. D. 1. Benjamin had also served in the South African Campaign (Second Boer War). Also commemorated on the former Holy Trinity Hall Dover, Kent, memorial. It would appear that at the time of the 1881 census the Brand family was residing at Coppard Gap, Hove, Sussex:- Benjamin BRAND. Aged 32. Born Rochester, Kent. Merchant Seaman Eleanor BRAND. Aged 28. Born Woolwich, Kent. Benjamin J. BRAND. Aged 7. Born Chatham, Kent. Madaline E. BRAND. Aged 1. Born Brighton, Sussex. BRANN, RICHARD JOSEPH. Private, T/ th (Weald of Kent) Battalion, (Territorial Force), The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 7 January Born Charlton, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Amara War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: XXXI B. 12. On Friday 4 January 1916, the 5th (Weald of Kent) Battalion, (Territorial Force), The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was at Ali-el-Gharbi. The battalion moved up the river Tigris towards Sheikh Saad, with all surplus stores being carried by river barges The battalion only marched about eight miles due to the prevailing inclement weather conditions, combined with the terrain encountered by it. During the day it was extremely hot, but at nighttime the temperature dropped to below freezing. On 6 January the march was resumed and enemy outposts were reached, and firing commenced shortly after noon, fortunately however casualties to the battalion were light. On 7 January 1916 the Battle of Sheikh Saad was fought, during which, the battalion advanced towards the enemy but came under extremely heavy artillery bombardment. As the day wore on the battalion started to suffer increasing casualties, which included the death of the battalions Adjutant 24 year old Lieutenant Hugh S. Marchant, of Matfield, Paddock Wood, Kent. In addition to the loss of the Adjutant, the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel J. M. Munn- was wounded as was Major Eric Clarke. The weather remained wet and cold and Mace soldiers rations consisted mainly bully beef and hard tack biscuits. Richard was one of the thirty seven other ranks in his battalion who died in Mesopotamia on 7 January

60 BREEZE, ALFRED RICHARD, Private, th (Service) Battalion, (West Ham) Essex Regiment. Died 30 November Born Buckland, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Tonbridge, Kent. Commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, Nord, France. Panel 7. Alfred was numbered amongst the 41 other rank casualties who lost their lives serving in his battalion during the Battle of Cambrai. The battle began at 0620 hours on 20 November, commencing with a carefully prepared and predicted, but unregistered artillery barrage by 1,003 guns on key German defences, that shelling was then followed by smoke and a creeping barrage at 300 yards ahead to cover the first infantry advances. Despite the British efforts which had been put in place to preserve secrecy, the enemy forces had however been in possession of sufficient intelligence to be on a constant moderate alert, which amongst other things had resulted in an attack on the little village of Havrincourt being anticipated as was the use of tanks. Initially there was considerable success in most areas, and it seemed patently obvious that a great allied victory was within reach; the Hindenburg Line had been successfully penetrated with advances of up to 8 km achieved. On the right, the 12th (Eastern) Division advanced as far as Lateau Wood before digging in as ordered. The 20th (Light) Division forced a way through La Vacquerie and then advanced to capture a key bridge across the St Quentin canal at Masnieres. The actual fate of the bridge is unclear, as it was certainly destroyed but that was either by German demolition or by the weight of tanks attempting to pass over it. Whatever the cause it halted the hopes for advance there. In the centre the British captured Ribécourt and Marcoing, but when the cavalry passed through, late, they were dealt a sharp blow and fell back from Noyelles. Over the week several other local actions were fought with which resulted in successes and failures on both side of the overall battle. More and more British troops were pushed into the front line positions, which resulted in the British reserves being rapidly depleted and al the time the enemy troops were constantly receiving more reinforcements. The final British effort was on 27 November carried out by the 62nd Division aided by thirty tanks, with its early success being reversed by a successful German counterattack. The British then held a salient approximately seven miles by five and a half miles with had its front running along the crest of a ridge. On 28 November the British offensive was deemed to have officially ceased, at which time the British troops were ordered to consolidate their positions by laying barbed wire entanglements and digging in. The Germans were particularly quick off the mark to concentrate their artillery on the new British positions with staggering numbers of rounds being fired prior to their infantry counter attacking. The initial rapid speed of the German infantry advance when carrying out the counter attacks was completely unexpected by the British. The German attack began at 0700 hours on 30 November, and almost immediately the majority of its III Corps divisions were heavily engaged. At numerous locations during the German attacks, local engagements mirrored the successes and failures which had occurred on both sides during the British offensive. On 3 December Sir Douglas Haig ordered a retreat from the salient held by his troops, and by 7 December all the British gains were abandoned, except for a portion of the Hindenburg Line around Havrincourt, Ribécourt and Flesquières. The Germans had exchanged this territorial loss for a sweep of land to the south of a position named Welsh 60

61 Ridge. Total casualties on both sides resulting from the battle were approximately 45,000 each, with 11,000 Germans and 9,000 British soldiers being taken prisoner. In terms of territory the Germans had recovered the early losses and a little more. Despite the outcome, the battle was seen as evidence than even the strongest trench defences could be overcome. The British had seen the advantage of tanks while the German command had seen the potential of new infantry tactics. BRETT, CHARLES MICHAEL. Rifleman, rd Company, 18th (Service) Battalion, (Arts and Crafts) King s Royal Rifle Corps. Died 3 October Aged 22. Born Rochester, Kent. Enlisted Ryde, Isle of Wight. Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Brett of Dover, Kent. Husband of Evelyn Violet Brett of Myrtle Cottage, Trinity Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Buried Haringhe (Bandagem) Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. B. 49. Also commemorated on Great War memorial plaque located in St. Martins School, Dover, Kent. BREWER, ALBERT. Private, S/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs, (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 July Born Buckland, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Shorncliffe, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Buried Ovillers Military Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: VIII. A. 10. Unfortunately Albert is erroneously commemorated by the CWGC as H. BREWER but with all other details shown exactly matching the above. SDGW and MIC show ALBERT, in addition to which The Buffs, (East Kent Regiment), Great War Nominal Roll of the dead shows him as A. BREWER with matching regimental number and rank. Unlike the bulk of the British infantry battalions that were on the Somme battlefields during the first two days of July 1916, the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) had a casualty report for both days which showed nil entries. What might at first glance appear extremely good fortune or call it what you will, is in fact easily explained, the reason being is that the battalion was one of those which were held back in reserve positions. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme 1916, the battalion was initially just outside the village of Laviéville to the west of the town of Albert, from where it later the same day marched through Millencourt. It was into trenches facing Ovillers that the battalion was ordered on 2 July, along with the rest of the 37th Brigade, 12th (Eastern) Division to which it belonged. The move was made in preparation for the 12th (Eastern) Division to relieve the 8th Division that had suffered heavy casualties during the first two days at Ovillers. It was noticed during the research for this brief tribute to George, that the Official History of The Great War records 5,121 officers and other ranks as casualties to the 8th Division prior to its relief by the 12th (Eastern) Division. It was also noted that regrettably the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) had a casualty report for the 3 July1916 at Ovillers. It would seem that most of the initial casualties of all categories to the battalion that day. occurred when the soldiers had actually reached the German barbed wire entanglements. A Company had been the first of the battalions soldiers to leave the trenches at 0330 hours, they followed 61

62 in the wake of the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), and the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). The later platoons of A Company and the members of C Company fared less well than those who had set off first, as the latter waves were hit and suffered heavy casualties during the advance. Some other ranks who succeeding in getting into the enemy trenches were hastily gathered by Lieutenant Thomas C. Farmer who had previously served as a Private in the 13th Battalion, London Regiment, who quickly organised those who had crossed over to the German trenches, into bombing parties, primarily engaged in bombing enemy dug-outs. Due to being vastly outnumbered and as the result of not getting any fresh supplies of hand-grenades, and running low on ammunition, Thomas Farmer was forced to order his other ranks with him to retire. Eyewitnesses made comments along the lines that when organising the bombing parties, carrying out the attacks, and the later retirement, the young officer had done so almost as if he had been taking part on an exercise. For his gallantry and outstanding leadership, Lieutenant Thomas C. Farmer was subsequently awarded the Military Cross. By the end of the third day of the Battle of the Somme 1916, the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) had lost three officers and seventy other ranks, in addition to eight other officers being wounded, as were at least 193 other ranks. BRICE, GEORGE FREDERICK. Corporal, st/19th (County of London) Battalion, (St. Pancras) London Regiment. Died 2 October Born Waltham, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 9 D. Formerly Private, 2823, 2/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs, (East Kent Regiment). George would have been amongst the significant number of soldiers of the both the 2/4th and 2/5th Battalions, (Territorial Force) The Buffs, (East Kent Regiment) who were transferred to the 1st/19th (County of London) Battalion, (St. Pancras) London Regiment during the winter of 1915, and the spring of 1916.George and William Brice (Commemorated below) were brothers who sadly actually lost their lives on the same day, probably quite literally together. Located to the north west of the Somme village of Flers is the hamlet of Eaucourt l Abbaye near Le Sars, it is down a little road off the D928 main road which runs between Albert and Bapaume. At the time of the 1916 Battle of the Somme, the German army had skillfully converted the farm buildings and natural features of the little place into what various commentators have aptly, and with good reason described as a fortress. Several post Great War commentators have also picked up on various official and unofficial reports, diaries and despatches etcetera, regarding the 47th Division mistake of not following up close enough behind their supporting artillery barrage on 1 October 1916, during a successful attack by four British divisions supported by tanks on a front in the area of Flers-Eaucourt l Abbaye, George s battalion was in the 47th Division. Although the attack in the area on 1 September 1916 resulted in gains along a front of approximately 3,000 yards, the following day during counter attacks the Germans gained a footing back in Eaucourt l Abbaye, and nearby Le Sars was retaken by them. Needless to say the fighting was intense during the capture of Le Sars and the partial capture of Eaucourt l Abbaye. It would seem likely that both George and William 62

63 Brice were killed in action defending the latter location, as did Frank Gandy who lost his life the same day and is also commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. BRICE, WILLIAM CHARLES. Private, st/19th (County of London) Battalion, (St. Pancras) London Regiment. Died 2 October Born Thanington, Canterbury, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 9 D. Formerly Private, 2766, 2/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force). The Buffs, (East Kent Regiment). (Please see last commemoration comments). BRIDGER, FREDERICK EDWIN. Sapper, th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 12 April Aged 35. Born Bayham, Kent. Enlisted Gillingham, Kent. Son of William Bridger of Frant, Sussex. Husband of Sarah Elizabeth Baker (formerly Bridger) of 14, Stanley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Buried Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: XX. A. 11. BRIGHTMORE, H. There are two possible casualties (both army) commemorated by the CWGC, regrettably neither of which shows additional family details. A check of SDGW also proved fruitless re a Dover, Kent connection, and only 14 casualties are recorded with the surname by both the CWGC and SDGW, which on this occasion match. Unfortunately no data checked shows an obvious link to the casualty who is named on the Dover, Kent war memorial. Various other checking was undertaken i.e. variants of the surname, but again with nil comprehensive results. The casualty concerned is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin church war memorial, Dover, Kent. The best match appears to be the following casualty, but should obviously be viewed with caution by anyone post November 2003 who is viewing this, and that is undertaking more comprehensive research on the soldier concerned or on the Dover, Kent war memorial. BRIGHTMORE, HORACE. Serjeant, rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. Died 20 June Born and resided West Ham, Essex. Enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Buried Hooge Crater Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: XVI. H. 1. When checking various data for this brief tribute to Horace, it was noted that only a few days prior to his death, the 3rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment had been engaged in an action on 16 June 1915 near Bellewaarde Lake, Hooge, Belgium, which had resulted in the loss of three officers, they being the Company Commanders of A and B Company, plus another officer. In addition to their deaths the battalion had sixty three other ranks killed or died of wounds. As it would seem with every other engagement which had fatalities, that fought by the battalion on 16 June 1915, resulted in a significant number of woundings to varying degrees, which is not really surprising with enemy shells coming into the battalions position at the rate of about ninety per minute, and total 63

64 casualties amounted to three hundred and twenty three. Following the action the 3rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment was withdrawn to Busseboom the following day, before being bivouacked just to the south of Ypres on 18 June. From the bivouacs the battalion went into trenches facing Sanctuary Wood on 19 June, and probably whilst there Horace was killed. Six other ranks of the battalions deaths occurred on that date, which according to SDGW was divided equally into three killed in action, and three died of wounds, which were possibly soldiers who had been wounded on 16 June during the attack towards Bellewaarde Lake at Hooge. BRINKWORTH, JOHN WILLIAM. Private, CH/ Royal Marine Depot (Deal), Royal Marine Light Infantry Died 15 January Aged 18. Born Gravesend, Kent. Son of John C. and Ellen E. Brinkworth of 58, Longfield Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Deal Cemetery, Kent. Grave Ref: Also commemorated on Great War memorial plaque located in St. Martins School, Dover, Kent. John died of Pneumonia whilst a patient in the Infirmary at the Royal Marine Depot, Deal, Kent. BROADBRIDGE, LIONEL ARTHUR. Serjeant, th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 7 August Aged 26. Born Leytonstone, Essex. Enlisted Guildford, Surrey. Resided Woking, Surrey. Son of Jane Broadbridge of 21, Richmond Avenue, Merton Park, London, and the late Captain Broadbridge (H.M.S. Monarch ). Buried Beacon Cemetery, Sailly-Laurette, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. D. 5. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Prior to enlisting in the army Lionel had been employed as a Clerk by the London County and Westminster Bank. During the Battle of Amiens 1918, on 6 August 1918 the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was holding the brigade frontage (55th Brigade,18th (Eastern) Division), which was to the north of the Bray to Corbie road on the Somme, France, and was at the time in a former enemy trench complex, and occupied by Australian troops. At around dawn to the south of the same road, a relief of companies was taking place, at which time a fellow brigade battalion, the 7th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment was experiencing difficulties during same. Realising what was occurring, it would seem that the enemy wasted little time in capitalizing on the relief hold ups, and promptly launched a resolute attack, which commentators of the days events likened to the first day of the German Spring Offensive on 21 March Primarily due to the element of surprise, when combined with the incomplete relief operations, and significantly, the sheer length of the front being defended which was only sparsely manned, inevitably the German soldiery broke through the British line. When the German barrage commenced at 0420 hours, the initial impression generated by same was that it was simply a prelude to an enemy raid, but it then had become clear as the artillery continued shelling for two hours, that what was to follow was going to be on a 64

65 much larger scale. During the bombardment, the British telephone lines were cut to pieces, and despite heroic efforts to repair them, it was impossible to keep up with the speed at which they were being damaged or obliterated by the enemy shells. To compound the resultant communication problems was that the contours of the ground in the area did not allow the use of visual signaling. By 0836 hours it was noted by the headquarters, that part of the former British first line was in enemy hands. Although the local battle ebbed and flowed throughout the day, it increasing became a series of gains for the Germans, who by days end had made significant progress in the area. Major- General Richard P. Lee, C.B. the Divisional Commander of the 18th (Eastern) Division), quickly put into action plans to mount an attack at dawn the following day, the objective for capture being the enemy held Cummins-Cloncurry Trenches, which were situated well to a line named the Burke Line, the reason for the capture of the trenches was for them to be used as an assembly area prior for a planned Allied offensive on the 8 August. Lionel was amongst the nineteen other ranks of the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), who lost their lives on the day before the attack of 8 August 1918, during which Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Bushell D.S.O. the Commanding Officer of the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), won the Victoria Cross, whose mother Mrs. Caroline Bushell resided at Hillside, St. Margaret s- at-cliffe, Dover, Kent. BROCKMAN, ALBERT. Private, G/ th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died 28 April Aged 29. Born Tiverton, Devon. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. A. Brockman of The Buttway, Cliffe-at-Hoo, Rochester, Kent. Husband of Mary Tucker Brockman (nee Wells) of 35, Longfield Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 7. Formerly Private, 2359, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). BROMLEY, CECIL PERCY JOHN. Serjeant (Pilot), Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Killed in aerial combat 2 November Aged 20. Son of Percy R. and A. A. Bromley of 85, High Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial, Pas de Calais, France, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. No.7 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, was formed at Farnborough, Hampshire, on 1 May 1914, under Major J.M. Salmond who later became Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Salmond, but it was broken up only three months later in order to bring other squadrons up to war strength before going overseas. On 24 September 1914, the squadron formation was resumed, and in the following April No.7 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps went to France equipped with RE5s and Vickers FB9s which latter were soon replaced by Voisin s. Operational duties included reconnaissance, photography, artillery co-operation and bombing. In August 1915, Captain John Aiden Liddell was awarded the third air Victoria Cross, for on 31 July 1915 bringing his badly-damaged RE5 back from a reconnaissance sortie flown over the Ostend-Bruges-Ghent area of Belgium, to the Belgian airfield at Fumes after an air combat in which he himself received wounds from 65

66 which he later died at La Panne on 31 August 1915.The squadron took part in the battles of Loos, the Somme and Arras, and towards the latter part of the Great War, whilst flying RE8s it was placed at the disposal of the Belgian Army for its attack in the northern sector of the Front. After the Armistice it went to Germany with the Army of Occupation, and returned to England in September 1919, and was disbanded back at Farnborough, Hampshire at the end of the same year. On a day when the weather was unfavorable for observations, reconnaissance and photography, Cecil and his Observer Second Lieutenant G. H. Wood were the crew of a Voisin aircraft, when they became embroiled in aerial combat with Vizefeldwebel (Sergeant Major) Christian Kress of Jagdstaffel 6 whilst flying above Chaulnes, Somme, France. After several exchanges of gunfire combined with a number of maneuvers carried out by both pilots, eventually Vizefeldwebel Kress got the upper hand and destroyed the Voisin, which came down to the west of the allied lines. Second Lieutenant G. H. Wood although wounded, fortunately survived the aircrafts crash landing and actually survived the Great War. Jagdstaffel 6 was formed from Fokkerstaffel Sivry on 25 August Of significance Jagdstaffel 6 s very first victory was scored by Christian Kress on 20 October 1916, but when he brought down Cecil s Voisin aircraft it was his forth and last victory, because only eight days later he was killed in aerial combat above Nesle, Somme, France, it is thought that his opponent at the time was the most decorated and successful French ace Capitaine Georges Marie Ludovic Jules Guynemer. On the day that Cecil lost his life, another German pilot who was destined to become an ace was wounded, but who will always be remembered in history not for his undoubted skill and bravery as a pilot during the Great War, but for starkly different reasons, he being Leutnant (Lieutenant) Hermann Wilhelm Göring of Jagdstaffel 5, and later the prominent Nazi party member. BROMLEY, GORDON JOHN. Private, st Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Killed in action at Flers, Somme, France 5 November Aged 31. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 24 July Resided 476 Crown Street, Surrey Hills, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Husband of Mrs A.B. Bromley, of Surrey Hills, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Half-Brother of Mrs E.E. Mausley of Bank Street, Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Somme, France, and on the Australian National War Memorial. Panel 28, also on the former Dover, Kent, Holy Trinity Hall memorial. After Gordon s basic training he was taken onto the strength of the 1st Battalion, Australian Infantry, Australian Imperial Force, and sailed with the battalion onboard the 9732 ton R.M.S Mootan from Sydney on 11 December The ship which had taken Gordon to war was torpedoed and sunk on 26 July 1917 by the German submarine UC-27 commanded by Gerhard Schulz, with the loss of only two lives amongst the 554 people onboard when she was 53 miles off Cape Serrat whilst on a voyage from Sydney, New South Wales and Freemantle to London with a general cargo, mails, and meat. Gordon s battalion was the first infantry unit recruited for the Australian Imperial Force in New South Wales during the Great War. His battalion was raised within a fortnight of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked just two months later. After a brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, the battalion proceeded to Egypt, arriving on 2 December. The battalion later took part in the ANZAC landing on 66

67 25 April 1915 as part of the second and third waves, and served there until the evacuation in December. Its most notable engagement at Gallipoli was the battle of Lone Pine in August. Two members of the battalion, Captain A. J. Shout and Lieutenant L.M. Keysor were awarded Victoria Crosses for their valour at Lone Pine; Captain Shout s was sadly posthumous award. Following the withdrawal from Gallipoli in December 1915, the battalion returned to Egypt. In March 1916, it sailed for France and the Western Front. From then until 1918 the battalion took part in operations against the German Army, principally in the Somme Valley in France and around Ypres in Belgium. At Bullecourt in May 1917, Corporal G. J. Howell became the third member of the battalion to be awarded the Victoria Cross. The battalion participated in the battle of Amiens on 8 August This advance by British and empire troops was the greatest success in a single day on the Western Front, one that German General Erich Ludendorff described with good cause as the black day of the German Army in this war. Gordon s battalion continued operations until late September Between November 1918 and May 1919 the men of the 1st Battalion returned to Australia for demobilization and discharge. BROOKS, SYDNEY JAMES. Private, G/ st Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 3 May Aged 24. Born Margate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. E. Brooks of Dover, Kent. Husband of M. H. Brooks 15, Wood Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Between the cessation of an action fought by Sydney s battalion which commenced on 20 April 1917, and the start of another on 26 May 1917, there were thankfully only fifteen deaths in the battalion. Sydney being the sole casualty on the day he lost his life. As records show him as the casualty killed in action, his death was possibly as the result of being shot by an enemy sniper. BROWN, ALFRED. K/ Stoker, 1st Class. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Formidable. Died 1 January Aged 21. Born Dover, Kent 27 March Son of Henry and Marion Brown, of 11, Winchelsea Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 11, and on Great War memorial plaque located in St. Martins School, Dover, Kent. Alfred s 15,250 tons pre-dreadnought Battleship, was sunk by two torpedoes from the German submarine U-24 commanded by Rudolf Schneider, when she was about 20 miles off Start Point, Devon at approximately 0200 hours on New Years Day The first torpedo hit the number one boiler port side; and a second explosion caused the ship to list heavily to starboard. Huge waves thirty feet high lashed the stricken ship, with strong winds, rain and hail, sinking it in less than two hours. Captain Arthur. N Loxley R.N., his second-in-command, Commander Charles F. Ballard R.N., and the signaler stayed at their posts throughout the sinking and continued sending flares and rockets off at regular intervals. It has been recorded that there was no panic amongst the crew, and that officers 67

68 and ratings calmly waited for the lifeboats to be lowered. Snippets gleaned from reports show that someone played ragtime on the piano, others sang and that the ships Chaplain risked his life going below to find cigarettes. Suddenly the ship gave a tremendous lurch, the Captain shouted Lads, this is the last, all hands for themselves, and may God bless you and guide you to safety. He then walked to the forebridge, lit a cigarette and, with his terrier Bruce on duty at his side, calmly waited for the end, in true Royal Naval tradition. Only 199 men were saved out of the ships complement of about 750, H.M.S. Formidable was on exercises at the time of her loss and has the sad distinction of being the first British battleship to be sunk in the Great War. BROWN, GEORGE AMBROSE. Petty Officer Stoker, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Hawke. Died 15 October Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent 1 March Husband of Laura May Pearce (formerly Brown) of 17, Selbourne Terrace, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Launched in 1891 at Chatham, Kent, the 7,350 ton H.M.S. Hawke was completed two years later at a cost of 400,702. At the time of her loss she was serving as an armoured cruiser the 10th Cruiser Squadron assigned to the Northern Patrol. As one of the oldest ships still in service with the Royal Navy, H.M.S. Hawke was being used as a training ship and had many young naval cadets onboard, and commanded by 40 year old Captain Hugh P.E.T. William s from Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. H.M.S. Hawke had been recommissioned in February 1913 with a nucleus crew and had come up to her full complement on the outbreak of the Great War. During September 1914 she had visited Lerwick in the Shetland Isles. On the day of her loss she was in the northern waters of the North Sea with a similar ship, H.M.S. Theseus, when they were both spotted and subsequently attacked by the U9 type German submarine U-9 which was commanded by Leutnant Otto Weddigen. On 22 September 1914 the same officer and submarine sank three Royal Navy cruisers in less than an hour, they being H.M.S. Aboukir, H.M.S. Hogue and H.M.S. Cressy, with the loss of almost 1400 officers and ratings. H.M.S. Hawke and H.M.S. Theseus were operating on 15 October 1914 without a destroyer escort, and when they were approximately 60 miles nautical miles off Aberdeen, Scotland, Leutnant Weddigen fired two torpedoes, he narrowly missed H.M.S. Theseus with his first torpedo fired, but unfortunately hit H.M.S. Hawke amidships near a magazine. The detonation of the first torpedo was followed by a second terrific explosion, in which a large number of the crew were killed. The ship sank within five minutes and her crew was only able to launch one of the ship s lifeboats. Five hundred and twenty five perished, including George Ambrose. Only 49 men and boys who had manned the sole lifeboat that had managed to get away were saved, when they were all picked up approximately three hours later by a Norwegian steamer. H.M.S. Theseus and indeed all the other Royal Navy vessels were at the time under strict Admiralty orders not to attempt to pick up survivors. That order was as the direct result of the sinking of the three ships on 22 September by Otto Weddigen, because on that occasion both H.M.S. Hogue and H.M.S. Cressy had both been torpedoed when going to pick up survivors from H.M.S. Aboukir. Otto Weddigen died onboard the submarine U-29, which he 68

69 commanded when it sank with all 32 hands onboard, on 18 March 1915 after being rammed by H.M.S. Dreadnought whilst in the Pentland Firth, Scotland. BROWN, RICHARD. Private, th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 29 May Aged 21. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Woolwich, Kent. Son of Esther Rye of 139, Albert Road, North Woolwich, London. Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: XII. B. 34. Also commemorated on Great War memorial plaque located in St. Martins School, Dover, Kent. BROWN, R. No clear matching trace, but as this casualty is in addition to Richard Brown above already traced. It is possibly of significance that this casualty is commemorated on the addenda panel on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial and might be indicative of death occurring post collection of the original names, which would also be well past the cut-off date for a Great War commemorative death by the then Imperial War Graves Commission on 31 August A 17 year old Richard W. Brown was noted on the 1901 census as residing at 7 Trevanion Street, Dover, Kent, it being the home of his parents Richard W. and Ellen M. Brown, with 44 year old Coachman Richard senior as the Head of the house, in addition to the parents and Richard were four other children in residence, the whole family being Dover born and bred. Another possible casualty is the following soldier, but at this point in time (July 2003) he is only a somewhat tenuous match, having been one of those who had enlisted at Dover, Kent:- BROWN, ROBERT. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion (Public Schools) (Duke of Cambridge s Own) Middlesex Regiment. Died 9 October Aged 19. Born Knowle Hill, Berkshire. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Addlestone, Surrey. Son of Edward and Eleanor Brown of 3, Hexton Villas, South Ascot, Berkshire. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 113. BROWN, V.A.E. The best match for this casualty appears to be the following:- BROWN, VICTOR. Corporal, nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Died 1 July Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Sheffield, Yorkshire. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 3 C, and on Great War memorial plaque located in St. Martins School, Dover, Kent. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. On 30 June 1916 the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers left the comparative safety of their camp at Bertrancourt and moved into the 69

70 assembly positions just to the north of the Somme village of Mailly-Mallet, it being in preparation for the massed attack on the following day. Between 0800 hours and 0830 hours the battalion advanced and eventually successfully crossed the enemy line south of their formidable position called The Quadrilateral. Inevitably the Germans soon mounted a concerted counter attack, and despite stiff resistance put up by Victors battalion in an attempt to hold on to what had been gained a withdrawal was made under the cover of darkness during the night. Victor is numbered amongst the 368 casualties which were inflicted on the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers on the first day of the Battle of the Somme 1916, of that total number sixty five were deaths amongst the other ranks. BROWN, WILLIAM CHARLES. Lieutenant. 387th Siege Battery, 103rd Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 7 November Aged 29. Son of William and Alice Brown of 38, Erskine Park Road, Rusthall, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Husband of Emma Elizabeth Bonnage (formerly Brown) of 19, Union Road, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Paul s Churchyard, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Grave Ref: Formerly Serjeant, 33959, Royal Garrison Artillery. BROWN, WILLIAM JAMES. Rifleman, S/ Rifle Brigade. (Winchester Depot). Died 17 September Aged 41. Husband of Maria Brown of 30, Granville Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Buckland Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: The above Rifleman has an MIC entry, which as with the CWGC only records his initials. Regrettably, like the vast numbers o f both home and overseas deaths during the post war years he has no SDGW entry. Possibly William is the 4 year old boy shown on the 1881 census as under, at which time the Brown household resided at 34 Dour Street, Charlton, Dover, Kent. The entry has been added to hopefully assist research etcetera:- George Johnson BROWN. Aged 36. Born New Swindon, Wiltshire. Railway Clerk Elizabeth A. BROWN. Aged 26. Born Lydden, Dover, Kent. John George BROWN. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. William J. BROWN. Aged 4. Born Dover, Kent. Ralph J. BROWN. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. Lavinia HAWKINS. Aged16. Born Coldred, Dover, Kent. Nursemaid. Sister in Law. Rowland Hill CURTIS. Aged 11. Born Shepherdswell, Dover, Kent. Half Brother in Law. 70

71 BROWNING, EASTER.OLIPHANT. Private, C/ nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died Sunday 9 May Aged 28. Born Paddington, London. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs A. M. Browning of 120, London Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 20 or 21. In late April and early May a number of moves were made by the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment in an area near the mining town of Béthune, Pas de Calais, France. On 8 May the battalion arrived at the little village of Richebourg-Saint-Vaast to the west of Neuve-Chapelle, and between Bethune and Armentieres. The following day Easter s battalion took part in an attack on a German position on the Richebourg-l Avoue which is a road south of Richebourg-Saint-Vaast, it being the first day of the Battle of Aubers Ridge. Both sides lost heavily during the fighting in what commentators have described as stubborn by all the actions protagonists. From 0530 hours when the first officers and men of the battalion went from the trenches to try and move forward they became casualties, many as they tried to get over the parapets or shortly thereafter were simply slaughtered by enemy machine gunners, despite which they courageously tried to press on, but when reading accounts of the action it appears that as the horrendous day wore on it probably became a case of trying to survive and help their comrades. The battalion war diary entry for the day shows 14 officers and 548 other ranks as casualties, with 101 confirmed as killed and 118 missing which is bad enough, but the O/SDGW data for the day paints an even worse picture as it obviously includes those recorded as missing in the war diary. 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment casualties numbered 14 officers and 548 other ranks which is an exact match with the war diary (not always so), of that number 5 officers and 268 other ranks lost their lives before the order to withdraw was given at around 0630 hours the following morning. Eventually those that were able to do so went to billets at Les Choquaux. 443 officers and other ranks of the Royal Sussex Regiment are numbered amongst the commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France, in addition to Easter s battalion the 1/5th (Cinque Ports) Battalion also fought in the same action on Sunday 9 May 1915 and had 290 casualties which included 6 officers and 77 other ranks killed. Unlike many who sadly fell that are commemorated on memorials to the fallen on the former Western Front some distance from where they died, the officers and men of the Royal Sussex Regiment that lost their lives that day are commemorated virtually where they had fallen because the memorial is located in the Le Touret Military Cemetery which is on the Richebourg-l'Avoue. BROWNING, THOMAS JAKEN. Serjeant, st Battalion, The Green Howards. Alexandra, Princess of Wales s Own (Yorkshire Regiment). Died 20 March Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Rawalpindi, India. Buried Kut War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: E. 7. Due primarily to Thomas s unusual second Christian name, it allowed for other army date appertaining to him to be quite easily accessed, which had included showing that he had formerly served in the 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Thomas had bought himself 71

72 out of the army whilst his battalion was serving in India, it being where he had also reenlisted. In excess of 65,000 men served in Thomas s regiment during the Great War years. The Green Howards was a large regiment that was comprised of 24 battalions. Over 7,500 of the regiments officers and other ranks lost their lives during the Great War, in addition to which almost 24,000 suffered woundings to varying degrees. The Regiment was subsequently awarded 56 Battle Honours, and twelve officers and other ranks of the regiment were awarded The Victoria Cross. BRUCE, HARRY KENDAL WALPOLE. M.C. Major. (Mentioned in Despatches). 1st Battalion, 2nd King Edward s, Own Goorkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles). Died 1 February Aged 37. Born Dover, Kent 3 July Son of Lieutenant General Sir Henry Le Geyt Bruce, K.C.B. R.A., and Lady Alice Bruce (nee Chambers). Buried Amara War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: XXI. K. 11. The 1st Battalion, 2nd King Edward s, Own Goorkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles), was in action during the Great War in Mesopotamia, where it arrived (at Basra) in February 1916, later moving into Persia in May The spelling Goorkha is peculiar to this regiment but quite unoff icial; this was the spelling for all the Gurkha regiments until1891 when it was changed to Gurkha. The 2nd, King Edward s, Own however, continued to refer to itself as Goorkha, the regiment was known as God s Own. At the time of the 1881 census the Bruce family was residing at 1 East Cliff, Dover, Kent:- Henry L. BRUCE. Aged 56. Born Wingham, Kent. Lieutenant General (Retired). Alice BRUCE. Aged 39. Born East Indies Alice E.L. BRUCE. Aged 16. Born East Indies Marian M.C. BRUCE. Aged 6. Born East Indies. Harry K.W. BRUCE. Aged 10 months. Born Dover, Kent. Marian G. INGRAM. Aged 27. Born Southampton, Hampshire. Nurse. Annie WALKER. Aged 22. Born Somborne, Hampshire. Cook. Agnes E. CORK. Aged 22. Born Dover, Kent. Housemaid. Harry was educated at Dover, Kent College and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. On 25 January 1899 Gazetted a Second Lieutenant and placed on the Unattached List before being appointed to the 2nd King Edward s, Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) on 15 April 1900, and was promoted to Lieutenant on 28 June 1901, Captain on 25 January 1908 and to Major in January In addition to serving in the Chitral campaign with his regiment, Harry was attached to the Burma Military Police from 1905 to 1912, during which time he earned special commendation from the Commander-in- Chief, India during his tour of inspection in Burma, as having the best and most efficient battalion in the country. From 24 September 1913 to 29 March 1915 Harry was employed by the Egyptian Army and served with same in the Sudan and Lower Egypt. Following his service with the Egyptian Army, Harry was recalled to serve again with the 2nd King Edward s, Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) in France in March 1915 and took part in the Battle of Loos in September After going back to Egypt in 72

73 November 1915, Harry was later selected for service in Mesopotamia in March After taking part in the battles for Kut-el-Amara before it was captured by the Turks in April Harry s Commanding Officer wrote He unfortunately lost his life examining the Turkish trenches, and the service has lost one of its best. The more I saw of him, the more did I admire his soldierly qualities, which were of a very fine order. I always found him in the trenches exercising the greatest care and forethought in his disposition, and it left one with a feeling of absolute confidence wherever he was. I considered he was an officer who should be pushed up, as he merited going up quickly, for his force of character was a valuable asset. Harry had been Mentioned in Despatches by Field Marshall, Sir John French. For gallant and distinguished service in the field. The London Gazette entry dated 3 June 1916 announcing the award of the Military Cross to Harry, states:- Conduct at all times worthy of a gallant and splendid soldier, particularly on one occasion when the Germans blew in about 40 yards of the trench he was defending, and owing to his forethought and example he saved his machine gun and kept his men splendidly in hand. Following his death, Harry was initially buried in the 14th Division Bassoulia enclosed cemetery on the west bank of the Shatt-el-Hai, approximately two miles to the south of Kut-el-Amara. It perhaps should be mentioned that it would seem likely that Harry was probably always destined to be a regular soldier, in addition to his father being a distinguished and well respected Gunner, Harry s maternal grandfather, Doctor Chambers had been an Army Surgeon. BRUNTON, E.W. Although there is no obvious clear Dover matches for this casualty it is likely that he was Edward W Brunton, a son of William and Annie Brunton who resided at St. Radigund s Road, Dover, Kent at the time of the 1901 census. Variants of the surname e.g. Bruton have been tried in an effort to properly match/locate this casualty but to no avail. The only man that fitted part of the matching criteria being:- BRUNTON, EDWARD WILLIAM. Private, nd (Service) Battalion, (East Ham) Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 7 June Aged 25. Born Tottenham, London. Enlisted and resided Shepherd s Bush, London. Son of Mrs. Amelia Brunton of 3, Loftus Road, Shepherd s Bush, London. Buried Bus House Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: B. 22. BURLEY, H. No clear trace. Possibly another casualty who died post 31 August 1921, but before the final collection of the names for inclusion on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. Arguably the best match found, albeit only a tenuous one is the following:- BURLEY, HENRY. Chief Stoker, H.M.S. Albemarle, Royal Navy. Died 22 January Aged 44. Born Battersea, London 5 December Son of John and Louisa Burley of Wandsworth, London. Husband of Rose Burley (neé Robertson) of Four Oaks Cottages, Luddenham, Faversham, Kent. Formerly of 14 Ranelagh Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire. Buried Gillingham (Woodlands) Cemetery, Kent. Grave Ref: Naval Henry was an employee of the London & Chatham Railway, prior to enlisting in the Royal Navy on 1 January 1904, and was later awarded the Navy Long Service and Good 73

74 Conduct Medal. Having contracted Enteric Fever whilst on active service, Henry died at Gillingham Hospital. George s ship was a pre-dreadnought Duncan class battleship which had been named after George Monck the 1st Duke of Albemarle. She was laid down on 8 January 1900 at Chatham Dockyard and launched on 5 March 1901, and commissioned on 12 November H.M.S. Albemarle s initial service was in the Mediterranean, after which she transferred to the Channel Fleet in January In January 1907 she was transferred again, this time to the Atlantic Fleet as Second Flagship. She was later paid off into reserve at Portsmouth, and from 1910 to 1913 was used for gunnery training, again at Portsmouth. At the start of the Great War hostilities she was recommissioned and joined the Grand Fleet. Apart from a short spell with the Channel Fleet she remained there until January 1916 when she was allocated to Archangel (near Murmansk) as an ice breaker. During the autumn of 1916 she came back to the United Kingdom, and following a refit was used as an accommodation ship based at Devonport Dockyard. She was sold surplus to post war naval requirements and was broken up in November BURNETT, GEORGE HAROLD. Sapper, th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 24 September Aged 26. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Rugby, Warwickshire. Son of Luke and Mary Burnett of 2, Albert Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Villers Hill British Cemetery, Villers-Guislain, Nord, France. Grave Ref: III. A. 2. BURROWS, HENRY BASIL. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 7 June Aged 32. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Sevenoaks, Kent. Son of Henry and Anna Burrows of Dover, Kent. Husband of F. L. Burrows of Wistaria, 56, Bradbourne Road, Sevenoaks, Kent. Buried Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: VI. J. 3B. Also commemorated on the Salem Baptist Church Roll of Honour, Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 5637, East Surrey Regiment. BUSHELL, ALBERT GEORGE. Petty Officer Stoker, K/443. Royal Navy, H.M.S. Vanguard. Died 9 July Aged 27 Born Dover, Kent 31 October Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 23. A survivor from the Battle of Jutland in which she was part of the Forth Battle Squadron, H.M.S. Vanguard, a 19,560 ton St.Vincent class battleship commanded by Lieutenant Commander Alan C.H. Duke R.N, blew up and sank to the north of the Golta peninsula in Flotta, Scapa Flow at approximately 2320 hours on Monday 9 July 1917 with the loss of 843 lives. She went down as the result of a magazine explosion in one of the two magazines which served the P and Q turrets amidships. Following her loss an Admiralty Court of Enquiry was convened, with three possible causes tendered, they 74

75 being: - (1) A spontaneous detonation of cordite, which had become unstable. (2) The cordite having caught fire from heating in an adjacent compartment. (3) Sabotage. To their credit Brian Budge from Kirkwall, and fellow enthusiast, Jonathan Saunders from Gillingham, Kent have carried out extensive research over a number of years into the loss of Robert s ship, and it as the result of their findings that the actual death toll and following information has been ascertained. The vast majority of those lost with H.M.S. Vanguard numbering 622, are commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Although no formal cause for the cordite explosion was ever found by the Court of Inquiry, the most likely explanation is that a fire in a coal bunker or other neighbouring area simply smoldered away undetected long enough to heat the cordite stored at an adjoining bulkhead to dangerous levels, which eventually triggered an explosive reaction. Although dwarfed by the losses such as the S.S. Lancastria off the coast of France in the Second World War, the loss of H.M.S. Vanguard remains Britain s worst disaster in Home Waters. The wreck-site of the ship is now thankfully designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act. BUTCHER, JOHN WILLIAM. Lance Corporal, nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. Died Sunday 24 September Aged 25. Born Charlton, Dover, Kent. Enlisted London. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. H. F. and Mrs. M. A. Butcher of 46, Eaton Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: V. H. 70. Formerly Rifleman, 2587, Rifle Brigade and Private, 284, Army Cyclist Corps. The following is verbatim the relevant war diary of John s battalion for the day he died:- In Left Sub-section trenches. Right flank Battalion 1st ROYAL IRISH RIFLES. Left flank battalion 1st DORSET REGT. 1 O.R. to hospital, 1 O.R. from hospital. 7 O.R. wounded and 2 O.R. killed. CAPT D.E. WARD wounded on raid.2nd LIEUT V.R. HUMPHRYS killed on raid.2nd LIEUT R.C. SLADE-BAKER wounded on raid. P On the night / Officers and 49 O.R. made a raid on the Enemy front line. Report on Raid. The raiders left Batt Headquarters about 9.15pm and proceeded up QUARRY ALLEY and BOYAU 116 and got into their formation in "No man's land" without any delay, being all clear of STICKY TRENCH by 9.50pm. At 10.10pm CAPT D.E. WARD realised that the Bangalore torpedo would not be ready for firing at 10.15pm, and at 10.15pm, when the artillery barrage opened, immediately blew his horn, which was the prearranged signal to charge. From this period it will be necessary to deal with each party separately. The left covering party got their Lewis Gun in position at MUD CRATER and proceeded to sap. This sap was unwired and unoccupied, so the party went back to the Lewis Gun and withdrew as soon as all were clear of the German trench, as ordered. A few bombs were thrown by the Germans into MUD CRATERS, otherwise they met no opposition. The left party when the order to charge was given were not quite closed up. Further the men were expecting the Bangalore to go up or at least a delay of 15 seconds to make sure it had failed. Consequently the order to charge took them by surprise and they did not all enter the German trench together. The mat men threw their mats and got into the German trench, headed by PTE BYDE. They went down 4 bays to the left when PTE BYDE met 3 Germans who seized him and endeavored to strangle him. Something frightened the 75

76 Germans and they ran up a communication trench the last being shot by PTE BYDE, he could not get at the body to get identification, as it was guarded by the other two Germans and numerous bombs were being thrown. By this time several others of our men had entered the German line, a bomb fight ensued, the Germans throwing bombs from somewhere behind the parados. At the end of 4 or 5 minutes our men were driven out. The bangalore party had the bangalore laid by 10.15pm, but the primer was not inserted. Apparently they had not been spotted placing it. As soon as the charge was sounded, the NCO in charge CORPL TAYLOR, realised it was no good trying to fire the torpedo, and with one man brought both lengths back to our front line. The remainder went on to the German parapet. The covering party under CAPT D.E. WARD charged at once and laid the German parapet as ordered, and covered the retirement. Capt D.E. WARD shot a German. The Right party were in the same state as the left party when the order to charge was given. The mat men went forward at once and threw their mats and a certain number under 2nd LIEUT V.R. HUMPHREY'S got into the German trench, where they were immediately held up by wire and bombs. 2nd LIEUT V.R. HUMPHREY'S was hit in the head and mortally wounded. The party remained in the German trench about 5 minutes. It is reported the Germans were very numerous here. They were driven out at the end of 5 minutes. PTE ROSE carried 2nd LIEUT V.R. Humphrey s back to a shell hole 30 yards from the German wire. CAPT E.C. GRIFFIN and PTE TULL subsequently brought him in, after SERGT GIBSON had failed to do so unaided. Notes: - (1) As soon as the barrage opened, the Germans started throwing bombs into "no man's land." (2) There was very little hostile artillery or Trench Mortar fire. (3) Some shell holes in front of the German line had been covered with barbed wire, and had glass lying at the bottom of them. (4) 2nd LT R.C. SLADE-BAKER claims to have hit a German, making a total of 3 Germans known to have been hit, all with revolver bullets. (5) There was very little hostile rifle or M.G. fire, and what there was came from the right. (6) The Germans were all wearing caps. (7) The German trench is about 3 feet deep, very dilapidated and large sections of it were full of wire, main gooseberries. (8) The German sentries are in groups of 3 or 4 men each, these groups are surrounded with wire and have a passage back to the support line. (9) No dug-outs were seen. BUTLER, ROBERT EDWARD HUBBARD. Stoker 1st Class, K/ Royal Navy, H.M.S. Vanguard. Died 9 July Aged 22. Born Sittingbourne, Kent 20 February Son of Mrs Burrows of 12 Widred Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 23. A survivor from the Battle of Jutland in which she was part of the Forth Battle Squadron, H.M.S. Vanguard, a 19,560 ton St.Vincent class battleship commanded by Lieutenant Commander Alan C.H. Duke R.N, blew up and sank to the north of the Golta peninsula in Flotta, Scapa Flow at approximately 2320 hours on Monday 9 July 1917 with the loss of 843 lives. She went down as the result of a magazine explosion in one of the two magazines which served the P and Q turrets amidships. Following her loss an Admiralty Court of Enquiry was convened, with three possible causes tendered, they being: - (1) A spontaneous detonation of cordite, which had become unstable. (2) The cordite having caught fire from heating in an adjacent compartment. (3) Sabotage. To 76

77 their credit Brian Budge from Kirkwall, and fellow enthusiast, Jonathan Saunders from Gillingham, Kent have carried out extensive research over a number of years into the loss of Robert s ship, and it as the result of their findings that the actual death toll and following information has been ascertained. Like Robert Butler the vast majority of those lost with H.M.S. Vanguard numbering 622 are commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Although no formal cause for the cordite explosion was ever found by the Court of Inquiry, the most likely explanation is that a fire in a coal bunker or other neighbouring area simply smoldered away undetected long enough to heat the cordite stored at an adjoining bulkhead to dangerous levels, which eventually triggered an explosive reaction. Although dwarfed by the losses such as the S.S. Lancastria off the coast of France in the Second World War, the loss of H.M.S. Vanguard remains Britain s worst disaster in Home Waters. The wreck-site of Robert s ship is now thankfully designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act. BUTTIFINT, H.W. Dover as with most other war memorials (notably in towns) researched has problematic commemorations, a classic time consuming example being this casualty. After trawling through several relevant publications, CWGC, (both wars) MIC, O/SDGW and Seaman s records no Buttifint at all has been revealed appertaining to Dover or anywhere else. Checking the 1901 census for the Dover area revealed a Henry W. Buttifint born River, Dover, Kent c1892 a son of William, a 34 year old Bricklayers Labourer and Elizabeth Buttifint who was born and residing at Temple Ewell. Although Henry is a perfect match in all respects to the war memorial commemorated casualty, whilst most certainly not unique it is unusual for a former Great War British serviceman or woman to have no relevant data irrespective whether a war death or survivor. A much more thorough and painstaking search of the above census eventually revealed probably the right casualty as under, but please note comments at end of commemoration:- BUTTERFIELD, HENRY WILLIAM. Private, S/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 25 September Born Kearsney, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Son of George and Maggie Butterfield. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5D. As no H.W. BUTTERFIELD is commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial despite all of his apparent credentials, the most obvious conclusion being that the above Buttifint and Butterfield was in fact the same soldier who had possibly served under an alias. Fortunately however the enumerator of the census for Temple Ewell in 1901 had added comments relating to the family of which the later war casualty was probably a member, at which time they resided at Brooke Road, Temple Ewell, Dover, Kent. The family s true name was indeed BUTTIFINT, but the additional information shows that the family surname had been corrupted and all family members were known as BUTTERFIELD. At the time of the 1901 census no son named Henry is shown as being at home, although a 2 year old boy William is recorded which in view of the multitude of occasions Christian names were altered, reversed or nicknames used William and Henry 77

78 might in fact be the same person and probably he is the casualty commemorated on the Dover civic war memorial as H..W. BUTTIFINT, it being the true family name. CADMAN, ALBERT GEORGE. Serjeant, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 24 June Aged 32. Born Buckland, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Charlotte Cadman of 8, Palmerston Cottages, Dover, Kent and the late Robert Thomas Cadman. Husband of Alice Bertha Cadman of 164, Clarendon Place, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15 to 19 and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Served in the South African Campaign (Second Boer War). CAIRNS, HERBERT ROBERT. D.C.M. Corporal, st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. Died 9 May Born Shankill, Belfast. Enlisted Belfast. Resided Morton Down. Husband of Mrs Cairns of 66 Manor Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 9. A career soldier, Herbert had served at Kirkee, India prior to the Great War, at which time the bulk of his regiment was in Aden. On August the two companies from Kirkee rejoined the rest of the regiment in barracks at Steamer Point, as part of the Harbour Defence Force where the battalions duties included guarding captured German vessels. In September the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles was relieved by the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, following which Herbert s battalion embarked on the 5441 ton ship H.T. Dilwara on 27 September 1914, leaving for Liverpool the following day. During the journey two members of the battalion who became ill subsequently died having been landed at Gibraltar. It was noted however when researching Herbert for this brief commemoration, that another member of his battalion died at Malta on 11 October 1914, he being 25 year old Rifleman David Reid from Denleigh, County Down, he is buried in Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta. The H.T. Dilwara docked at Liverpool, Lancashire on 22 October 1914, from where the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles went by train to Hursley Camp, Winchester, Hampshire, and became part of the 25th Brigade, 8th Division. Like a lot of battalions which constituted the British Expeditionary Force, Herbert s stay in England was of a short duration, as on 5 November 1914, comprised of 31 officers and 1,014 other ranks the battalion left Southampton on board the 4,239 ton Nitrate Producers Steam Ship Co. Ltd. (London) vessel SS Anglo Canadian which arrived at Le Harve the next day. After resting the battalion left by train on 9 November 1914 heading for Strazil (now Strazeele), Pas de Calais, arriving on the morning of 11 November, from where the battalion moved into billets at Vieux Berquin. 78

79 CANNON, DANIEL EDWARD THOMAS. Able Seaman, J/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Formidable. Died 1 January Aged 21. Born Dover, Kent 24 October Son of Mr. and Mrs. Cannon of 93, Hillside Terrace, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 9. Daniel s 15,250 tons pre-dreadnought Battleship, was sunk by two torpedoes from the German submarine U-24 commanded by Rudolf Schneider, when she was about 20 miles off Start Point, Devon at 0200 hours. The first torpedo hit the number one boiler port side; a second explosion caused the ship to list heavily to starboard. Huge waves thirty feet high lashed the stricken ship, with strong winds, rain and hail, sinking it in less than two hours. Captain Arthur. N Loxley RN, his second-in-command, Commander Charles F. Ballard RN, and the signaler stayed at their posts throughout, sending flares and rockets off at regular intervals. There was no panic, the men waiting calmly for the lifeboats to be lowered. Someone played ragtime on the piano, others sang. The Chaplain risked his life going below to find cigarettes. Suddenly the ship gave a tremendous lurch, the Captain shouted Lads, this is the last, all hands for themselves, and may God bless you and guide you to safety. He then walked to the forebridge, lit a cigarette and, with his terrier Bruce on duty at his side, calmly waited for the end, in true Royal Naval tradition. Regrettably only 199 men were saved out of the ships complement of about 750, H.M.S. Formidable was on exercises at the time of her loss and was the first British battleship to be sunk in the Great War. CAREY, LEONARD ALBERT. Seaman. Mercantile Marine. S.S. John O. Scott (Newcastle). Died 18 September Aged 17. Son of Henry James and Rosina Adelaide Carey (nee Sharp) of 40, York Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, and St Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Leonard s ship was a 1,235 ton defensively armed collier, she was torpedoed and sunk without warning by a German submarine approximately 9 nautical miles west by north off Trevose Head, Cornwall with the loss of 18 lives including her Master. CARPENTER, ALFRED DAVID. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 18 June1917. Aged 36. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Husband of Ann Carpenter of 43, Clarendon Place, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 45, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Probably Alfred is the baby shown on the 1881 census as under, at which time the Carpenter family was residing at 7 Limekiln Street, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent. Richard CARPENTER. Aged 28. Born Lydd, Romney Marsh, Kent. Grocer. Marie CARPENTER. Aged 29. Born New Romney, Romney Marsh, Kent. 79

80 Alfred CARPENTER. Aged 5 months. Born Dover, Kent. On the day that Alfred lost his life, the 8th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) had been in trenches for a day, they were located in the left subsection of the Mount Sorrel Section, on a line from Hooge to St. Eloi, on the Ypres Salient. Alfred s battalion had relieved the 8th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Although Alfred s battalion was in the trenches for a mere two days, it almost certainly would have seemed to have felt like being of much longer duration for the officers and other ranks once in position. Relief was completed at about 0200 hours, during which time the enemy intensely strafed the right company of the battalion. Purely conjecture, but it would seem likely that Alfred was probably serving in D Company when he lost his life, as eight other ranks are recorded as having been killed in that company, checking SDGW also shows the same other ranks casualties to the battalion for 18 June1917, which may or may not be correct of course. Three woundings to other ranks also took place at about the same time that Alfred and the other seven men were killed. Throughout the rest of the day the battalion was subjected to intermittent enemy shelling which became progressively heavier as evening approached. Another feature of the time spent in the trenches when Alfred died, was the activity of low flying enemy aircraft, when sweeps above where the battalion was located were carried out regularly at dawn and just before dusk. It was thought that the purpose of the aircraft flights were to observe the numbers in the trenches at the start of the day, and the later flights to ascertain what variance in numbers of trench occupancy (if any) had occurred during the day. In addition to Alfred s death, that of Londoner Private William Bill Ladbury, a noted and prominent world class flyweight boxer also occurred. On 2 June 1913 Bill Ladbury had beaten Sid Smith from Bermondsey, the flyweight division s first ever World Champion, by way of a stoppage in the eleventh round, and in doing so Bill Ladbury had gained the World, European and British titles. Welshman Percy Jones took the titles from Bill on 26 January Percy enlisted in the army during the Great War, and whilst serving as a Sergeant, in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, was severely wounded in the leg in 1916, in addition to which he was badly affected by poison gas. Having undergone nearly thirty operations, Percy had to have his leg was amputated two years later. Sadly, Percy died of Trench fever on Christmas Day 1922, aged 29. CASEY, HAROLD THEODORE. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 14 June Aged 19. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Thomas and Ann E. Casey of 3, Palmerstone Terrace, Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 12, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. 80

81 CASPALL, PERCY ROBERT. Corporal, th Brigade Royal Field Artillery. Died 29 May Aged 25. Son of Henry Freeman and Mary Ann Caspall of 115, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Buried in Deolali Government Cemetery, Nashik, India. Commemorated on the Kirkee, India Memorial. Face 1. Back in the days of the British Raj, any of the soldiers who were still able to travel having cracked up under the stresses and strains of life in British India, were usually packed off to the Military Psychiatric Hospital in the small Maharashtrian cantonment town of Deolali near Nashik to recover. In time its name became synonymous with nervous breakdowns and the like, hence the English idiom to go doolally, meaning to become insane or eccentric. CATHCART, EDWARD WALTER. Lance Corporal, 3/ st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. Died 13 April Aged 22. Born Camberley, Surrey. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Brentwood, Essex. Eldest son of Captain Daniel David and Emily Agnes Cathcart of 11, Coleridge Avenue, Manor Park, London. Buried Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. E. 27 Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Also commemorated on the Duke of York s Royal Military School, Guston, Dover, Kent war memorial. Initially educated at the former Royal Military Asylum, Chelsea, London where his father was in post as a Military Clerk, the establishment changed its name to the Duke of York s Royal Military School in 1892, the same year as Edward s birth. He continued his studies when the school relocated to Guston, Dover, Kent where he also subsequently joined the teaching staff. SDGW shows Edward s surname as Catheart, but his MIC entry and all other data checked is the same as shown above via the CWGC. Edward s was amongst those of his battalion selected for a raid on the enemy lines which took place on the day he died during a notably quiet period, as such the raid was probably of the probing and intelligence gathering variety as opposed to an all out assault, his was the sole other rank fatality, in addition to Edward, 23 year clergyman s son old Second Lieutenant Theodore H.H. Wood from Penzance, Cornwall was also killed. For excellent comprehensive data appertaining to the above establishment check out the website CAVE, HAROLD JAMES. Gunner, th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 24 April Aged 23. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of James and Bertha Cave of 36, Stanhope Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Etaples, Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: XXXII. C. 6. Prior to enlisting in the Great War, Harold had been employed in the Outdoor Locomotive Department of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway Company, and is 81

82 also commemorated on the company war memorial at the former Marine Station, Dover, Kent. CAWTE, ALFRED JOSEPH. Corporal, rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 27 April Aged 40. Born Winchester, Hampshire. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Husband of Emily E. Cawte of 3, Ruffins Court, Princess Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 6. Sailing onboard the SS Atlantian, the 3rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Guy L.B. Du Maurier, D.S.O. left Southampton on 18 January 1915 heading for Le Harve. From the very start of their time in France the battalion was always heading in the general direction of Belgium, and to that end had left Le Harve on 20 September 1915 only the day after arriving there. A train journey took the battalion to Hazebrouck, thereafter several moves were made by the battalion which started with a march to Caëstre shortly after detraining at Hazebrouck. Several clashes with the enemy occurred as the battalion progressed through Belgium during February, mainly when occupying front line positions in the area where Bedford House Cemetery (Ypres) Ieper is now located. March got away to a bad start, as on the third of the month the battalion s genuinely popular Commanding Officer was killed instantly by a shell which landed in the doorway of the battalion Headquarters. The 49 year old Londoner, a veteran of the Burmese and South African (Second Boer War) campaigns, who apart from his prowess as a professional soldier, was also a writer and playwright of some standing. Using the Pen Name A Patriot one of Guy Du Maurier s plays An Englishman s Home had been met with wild acclaim when it was put on at Wyndham s Theatre, London in January 1909, at which time Guy was somewhat bewildered by his sudden fame, he was also the uncle of the famous author Daphne Du Maurier. Later in the month the battalion carried out a number of tours in the La Clytte, Locre area, and took over trenches at St. Eloi and Voormezeele before a brief respite and rest at Dickebusch. On 2 April 1915 the battalion moved to Ypres and on the following day took over the trenches to the north of the Ypres-Comines Canal, after being relieved followed by a number of moves, the battalion found itself occupying the perilous trenches at Broodseinde, where the battalion war diary compiler has entered in same that the enemy trenches were a mere four yards away. Following more moves in and out of the trenches at various locations in the Ypres-Poperinghe area, the battalion took over trenches in the Gravenstafel area, with two companies and Headquarters moving to Verlorenhoek on the day Alfred lost his life. 82

83 CAY, ARTHUR LINDESAY. Captain. Royal Navy, H.M.S. Invincible. Died 31 May Aged 48. Son of Captain Robert Barclay Cay, J.P. R.N., and Augusta Del Hoste Cay. Husband of Mabel Laidley. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Panel 10. For a whole raft of reasons Arthur, his career and family have proved comparatively easy to research for the purpose of this brief commemoration to him. Arthur was born at Penzance, Cornwall in 1869 at which time his father Robert was in post as Inspecting Commander H.M. Coastguard at Penzance, during which time he was a recipient of a Life Boat medal and Testimonial from the Board of Trade in recognition of his gallant services in the Penzance Life Boat on the occasion of the wreck of the barque North Britain of Southampton, during a fearful gale from the south-south-west, on the night of 6 December After a long and distinguished career at sea which including time spent serving onboard the sloop H.M.S. Volage in 1851, and probably ending at Holyhead, Anglesey in 1896 with the Dublin Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. In retirement the then Captain R.B. Cay became a Justice of the Peace for Dover and resided at 27 Maison Dieu Road in the town. On the1901 census Arthur is shown as a Lieutenant R.N. onboard the three year old 5,600 ton Hermes class light cruiser H.M.S. Hyacinth at Devonport Dockyard. Another promising young naval officer who was the great-greatgrandson of the famous Admiral Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood ( ) also served onboard H.M.S. Hyacinth, he being Horace Lambert Alexander Hood. On 31 May 1916 whilst commanding the British 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron during the Battle of Jutland, the then 45 year old Rear Admiral The Honourable Sir Horace Lambert A. Hood, K.C.B., D.S.O., M.V.O., R.N., lost his life along with 1,015 others aboard his Flagship the 20,135 ton battlecruiser H.M.S. Invincible, her Captain Arthur Lindsay Cay R.N., was also lost. Various commentators and authors have made similar observations and comments regarding the loss of Arthur s ship, describing the salvos fired by the German Kaiserliche Marine battlecruiser s S.M.S. Derfflinger and S.M.S. Lützow as being lucky shots. Before she exploded H.M.S. Invincible had inflicted serious damaged on the 30,700 ton S.M.S. Lützow to such an extent that she was scuttled, but not before firing a salvo at her attacker in unison with S.M.S. Derfflinger, Arthur s ship received a direct hit from S.M.S. Lützow to Q gun-turret which blew part of it including the roof over the side of the ship, another struck her below the water-line which exploded in her magazine which broke the ship in two. Only 6 are recorded as having survived the loss of H.M.S. Invincible on 31 May 1916, they being Commander H. E. Dannreuther, Lieutenant C. S. Sandford, Chief Petty Officer Thompson and three other ratings, most of whom had been in the control top. They were all picked up by the Acheron class torpedo boat destroyer H.M.S. Badger, she being a ship of the 1st Flotilla. 83

84 CHADDOCK, E. No matching trace found, whilst in the research process it became apparent that the surname was noticeably prevalent in the west of England, particularly so in the county of Dorsetshire. The following is the best match found for this casualty whose place of enlistment and choice of regiment as a regular soldier might be of significance, as he was possibly a pre-war soldier, and a Kent (Dover)? resident at the date of his enlistment:- CHADDOCK, WILLIAM ERNEST VICTOR. Private, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 23 July Born Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Poole, Dorsetshire. Buried Denain Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: C. 80. An Edward Henry John Chaddock with a Kent connection was also noted when checking MIC entries during the quest to locate the casualty who is commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. Although no data appertaing to his death has been found, it did seem prudent to add MIC details here in case he was missed by the IWGC and ODGW. Edward was formerly Private, 180, 1/1st Royal East Kent Yeomanry, and later Captain, 24th Battalion, Tank Corps. CHAMPION, ALBERT EDWARD. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, (Battersea) The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 24 February Aged 33. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Susannah Champion of 3, Windham Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 11. It was fairly unusual for a raid of the magnitude of that undertaken by Albert s battalion to be conducted in broad daylight. In addition to the 17 officers and 525 other ranks of the battalion, a section of Royal Engineers and a party from a Tunneling Company joined it at the assembly area early in the afternoon of 24 February 1917, with the objectives of the raid being to take prisoners, inflict loss on the enemy, and destroy his dug-outs, defences and materials, what were located in the German trenches in the Hollandscheschuur Salient. The raid was in fact only the second carried out by a whole battalion, the first one having been undertaken by a battalion of the 47th Division. In charge of the raid by Albert s battalion was Major R.V. Gwynne, with Captain L. Matthews as second in command. Initially the daylight raid was an spectacular success, only ten minutes after it had commenced the first of the designated objectives had been captured, a quarter of an hour later and the second objective was in the battalions hands, in less than half an hour as the first objectives fell many enemy prisoners were taken and passed back down the line. As the attacked pressed on and men wearied, the enemy defenders put up more spirited resistance and by about 1830 hours the German resolve stiffened even more which necessitated the intervention of the Royal Artillery whose gunners dealt with the problem, the shelling destroying several enemy dug-outs and casualties amongst those defending them, those not killed were taken prisoner. In addition to the substantial number of enemy soldiers captured, four machine guns were seized, three of which were destroyed and the other sent back. Barely an hour and a half after the raid had started, those that were coming back had returned. Albert sadly was 84

85 numbered amongst those who did not return, although a resounding success it was at a cost, 24 year old Captain Edwin H. Bird from Acre Lane, Brixton, London and 29 other ranks lost their lives during the daylight raid, Second Lieutenant Eric H. Fairclough from Catford, Kent died of wounds the same day, in addition to those who fell, two other officers and 91 other ranks were wounded and 11 men missing. H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, the Army Commander and the Commander-in-Chief and other less notables of the Army Staff all sent congratulatory letters or messages to the battalion in respect of the raid which had cost Dovorian Albert Champion his life. CHANDLER, FREDERICK GEORGE. Private, nd Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died 25 September Aged 25. Enlisted Ashford, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Chandler of Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Karachi War Memorial, Pakistan, and on Great War memorial plaque located in Buckland, Dover, Kent Wesleyan Chapel. CHANDLER, WILLIAM FREDERICK. Private, th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 26 April Aged 20. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. C. Chandler of 5, Endeavour Place, London Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Hangard Wood British Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. A. 18. When first accessing William s CWGC commemoration details the first thing that was noticed was that his place of burial did not match his battalion, which is shown as being the 7th (Service) Battalion of his regiment that at the time of his death were miles away. The thought then occurred that he had possibly changed battalions but had been commemorated as being in his former battalion. But why would that have happened with so many drafts of fresh officers and other ranks being drafted into the regiment at about that stage of the war? Checking William s details in and on SDGW showed him to be a member of the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), which would fit in with his place of burial, as such he has been commemorated here as the latter battalion. For the 12th (Eastern) Division as a whole, of which William s battalion was a part, 26 April 1918, the same day that William died, was of particular significance as Major General Sir Arthur B. Scott K.C.B., D.S.O. who had commanded the division for over two and a half years relinquished his command to take up a post in India. Three days prior to the change of Divisional Commander, and with rumours circulating of a fresh German Offensive of the magnitude of that, which had commenced on 21 March 1918 necessitated several redeployments of various units of all types and sizes, ranging from small specialist sections to whole divisions. In the case of the 12th (Eastern) Division, it was moved forward to relieve soldiers of the New Zealand Division that was occupying a sector of a defensive line stretching roughly between the Somme villages of Mailly Maillet and Auchonvillers, supporting the 12th (Eastern) Division at the new locations was the guns of 93rd, 232nd and 315th Army Field Artillery Brigades. Thankfully for friend and foe alike the rumoured mass offensive did not take place, but men on both side still lost their lives, and on 26 April 1918 three soldiers including 85

86 William died serving in his battalion. One of those who fell is commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, and the other is buried in Hangard Communal Cemetery Extension which is near to where William is at rest. CHAPMAN, THOMAS HENRY. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died of wounds 24 November Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: O. II. L. 9. Whilst normally extremely reticent to state at commemorations on websites or when requested help from a casualties relatives etcetera, the information killed in action, died of wounds or died, based on what is in or nowadays on O/SDGW, having been caught out when also checking death certificates and newspapers or when shown family letters, but in the case of Thomas an exception to the self imposed rule seems to be in order. Based on Thomas s date and place of death it would seem likely that he died at Rouen of wounds received during the 1916 Battle of the Somme. During the Great War, Commonwealth camps and hospitals were stationed on the southern outskirts of the city of Rouen. A base supply depot and the 3rd Echelon of General Headquarters were also established in the city. Almost all of the hospitals at Rouen remained there for practically the duration of the Great War. They included eight General, five Stationary, one British Red Cross and one Labour hospital, and No. 2 Convalescent Depot. A number of the dead from these hospitals were buried in other cemeteries, but the great majority were like Thomas, taken to the city cemetery of St. Sever. In September 1916, it was found necessary to begin an extension, where the last burial took place in April The cemetery extension contains 8,346 Commonwealth burials of the Great War (ten of them unidentified) and 328 from the Second World War (18 of them unidentified). There are also 8 Foreign National burials here. CHASE, HAROLD CHARLES. Second Lieutenant. 4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 8 June Aged 24. Son of William Henry and Fanny Amelia Chase of 22, Cherry Tree Avenue, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 3, and on Great War memorial plaque located in Buckland, Dover, Kent Wesleyan Chapel. Enlisted in Royal East Kent Yeomanry in October 1914, and was Gazetted as a Second Lieutenant into the Lincolnshire Regiment during October 1916, and went to France with the regiment in January CHATWIN, ALFRED WILLIAM. Driver, nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 6 December Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: XIII. E. 5. Formerly Driver, 2101, Royal Field Artillery. 86

87 CHETTLE, ERNEST FREDERICK. Lieutenant. 7th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Middlesex Regiment. Died 5 April Aged 32. Son of Frederick William and Ellen Chettle of 7, Balfour Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: VII. B. 37. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Lance Corporal, 1911, Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars, Buckinghamshire Yeomanry. CHIDWICK, JOSEPH THOMAS. Private, nd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment. Died 22 March Aged 31. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent Son of Francis Thomas and Mary Ann Chidwick of 172, Union Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panel 48, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. CHURCH, W. The only Dover casualty having been located with the surname Church is as follows, as such he might be like countless others that are commemorated on numerous Kent war memorials (and elsewhere), with a wrong initial or initials:- CHURCH, CHARLES. Rifleman, R/ th (Service) Battalion, (Church Lads Brigade), King s Royal Rifle Corps. Died 21 December Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Southwark, Surrey. Resided Chatham, Kent. Son of John and Harriett Church of Dover, Kent. Buried Hem Farm Military Cemetery, Hem-Monacu, Somme, France. Grave Ref: I. D. 2. It should however be noted that a three month old WILLIAM L CHURCH, the son of William and Anne Church is shown on the 1901 census, at which time the family was residing at 2 Worthington Street, Dover, Kent. CHURCHILL, C.H.M. Captain. 20th Duke of Cambridge s Own Infantry (Brownlow s Punjabis). Died 17 February Buried Amara War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: XVII. H. 11. On 16 October 1914 the 16th Indian Infantry Brigade of the Indian Expeditionary Force D, which included the 20th Duke of Cambridge s Own Infantry (Brownlow s Punjabis) sailed from Bombay heading for the Persian Gulf, anchoring off Bahrain later in the month. The prime objective of the Expeditionary Force was to protect Great Britain s interests at Abadan in the advent of the looming war with the Ottoman Empire. Following the Turks attack on Odessa on 28 October 1914, Britain and France declared war on the Ottoman Empire on 5 November The Anglo Indian force was landed near the fort of Fao the day after the declaration of war, and subsequently moved up the Shatt-al-Arab, landing later at Sanniyeh. The joint force was attacked on 11 November 1914 and Brownlow s Punjabis were actively involved in the repulse of the Turkish 87

88 army. The regiment then followed up with a successful attack on the Turkish force at Saihan on 15 November and four days later at Zain, which involved noted intense fighting during both actions. After the Ottoman army had retreated further north, the regiment then took part in the capture of Basra, which was occupied on 23 November The brigade of which the regiment was a part then joined the 6th (Poona) Division. In April 1915 the Turks launched their well documented attempt to retake Basra, and the regiment became embroiled in the bitter action fought at Shaiba where the Turks were forced to retreat. Following that success the regiment subsequently took part in the succession of moves further north, which culminated in taking part in the capture of Kutal-Amara in September before leaving its brigade the following month. The British Empire forces suffered the substantial setback of the loss of Kut-al-Amara in April 1916 and the numerous attempts to lift the siege. The British Empire forces regained the upper hand and the regiment later saw further extensive service throughout Mesopotamia, including the important capture of Baghdad in 1917, and the Battle of Khan Baghdadi in March Following the Great War, a war memorial was built in Ferozepore cantonment in memory of all ranks of 20th Duke Cambridge s Own Infantry (Brownlow s Punjabis) who laid down their lives during the years of the Great War, having fought in Mesopotamia, France, East Africa, Egypt and on the frontiers of India. During the Great War the regiment like the vast majority of the Indian Army formations was a mixed regiment comprised predominantly of Pathan, Dogra, and Sikh companies. NB. When reading military history books re the former Indian Army, the above regiment is usually referred to as the 20th Punjabis, on the off chance that anybody viewing these brief commemorations wishing to undertake deeper research into the life and death of the above officer, it seemed prudent to make mention of the 20th Punjabis references. CLACKETT, CHARLES. Private, T/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 7 April Aged 20. Born Colchester, Essex. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Charles and Anne Clackett. Buried Longuenesse, (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: V. A. 3. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. CLARETT, FREDERICK GEORGE. Private, M2/ Army Service Corps. Died 25 December Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of George Clarett of The Westbury Hotel, Dover, Kent. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: M. G

89 CLARK, JOHN JACK. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Lonsdale) Border Regiment. Die 25 November Aged 20. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Frederick and Rachel Clark of 4, Russell Place, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 85. Formerly Private, G/86931, Middlesex Regiment. CLARK, P. No clear trace. CLARK, PERCY JOHN. Serjeant, A Company, 10th (Service) Battalion, (Kent County), Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 27 April Aged 31. Born Penge, Kent. Enlisted and resided Broadstairs, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Henry Clark of 13, Alfred Road, Dover, Kent. Husband of Emily Dode (formerly Clark) of Elmstone Court Lodge, Elmstone, Canterbury, Kent. Buried Hagle Dump Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. D. 4. CLARKE, FREDERICK HENRY. Private, th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Died 1 March Aged 32. Born Buckland, Dover Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Husband of Nellie E. Cooper (formerly Clarke) of 162, Southwood Road, St. Lawrence, Ramsgate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 6 B. On 28 February 1917 a patrol of six other ranks, led by 21 year old Second Lieutenant Thomas J. Astington from Catford, London was sent out to the north of the Somme village of Miramont where the 8th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment was located, in the hope of ascertaining details of enemy troop locations and strengths. As the day wore on news was received that the young officer had been killed which resulted in the hoped for information not becoming available. A platoon commanded by a Second Lieutenant Hall was holding the importantly strategic Miramont railway good station, which was reinforced later the same day by another platoon led by a Second Lieutenant Smith, but with Lieutenant W.M. Barfoot having been placed in command, the idea behind the build up of this force was to launch an attack later the same night on an enemy position. Due to the lack of intelligence that was available, partially resultant of the deaths in the reconnaissance patrol of Second Lieutenant Astington earlier in the day, the attack was something of a hit and hope attack. At midnight the detachment mounted an attack on an enemy trench which was approximately 200 yards in length, for the loss of only just one man, the soldiers of the detachment captured the trench, during which time Corporal T.W. Williams leading a party of bombers forced the Germans back and was able to make a stop whilst the captured trench was being consolidated. It came as no 89

90 surprise to those who had taken part in the attack and capture of the enemy trench, to later find themselves subjected to attention from the enemy. A very heavy shelling of the newly won ground was entered into by enemy artillery, which resulted in the death of another three soldiers, one of whom was Frederick Clarke, who was killed when one of the enemy shells hit a shell hole that he was occupying which was in use as an advanced post. The old adage of lightning (and shells) not striking the same place twice clearly not being true. For his quick thinking and gallantry on 1 March 1917, Corporal Williams was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, in addition to which East Ham native Corporal Ernest W. Cordell and Cardiff native Private David W. Martin were awarded Military Medals for rescuing two wounded men under heavy machine gun fire on the same day. The then Serjeant Ernest W. Cordell M.M. died in Belgium on 21 January 1918, Private David W. Martin M.M. died in France on 3 May CLARKE, W. No clear trace. At the time of the 1901 census a 6 year old boy William Clarke, a native of Elsmere Port, Cheshire was residing with his parents William and Sarah Clarke at 15 Union Row, Dover, Kent. William may well be the casualty commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. A check on SDGW for any soldiers who were natives of Elesmere Port, Cheshire with the surname Clarke yielded nil returns, as did the Royal Navy records, although a Walter Henry Clarke born Hougham, Dover, Kent on 28 December 1885 was noted, but he appears to thankfully not have been a casualty of the Great War. CLARINGBOULD, THOMAS HENRY. Private, th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment). Died 24 December Aged 27. Born Dover, Kent 11 February Enlisted Brantford, Ontario, Canada 23 October 1915, where he also probably resided, at Thomas s enlistment he stated his civilian occupation as being a Farm Hand. Son of Thomas Richard and Emily Claringbould of 142, Heathfield Avenue, Dover, Kent. Husband of Emma Claringbould of 303, Wellington Street, Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Buried Brantford (Mount Hope) Cemetery, Ontario, Canada. Grave Ref: Section IW, War plot. 6. Thomas is also commemorated on page 531 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance. It was sad to note the exact date of Thomas and Emma (neé Wyatt) marriage during the researches. They married in Brantford, Ontario, Canada on 23 October 1919, it being a mere two months prior to Thomas s demise. Claringbould as a surname, would appear to be a very local East Kent variant of Claringbold. Fortunately only two casualties are recorded by the CWGC as casualties in either world war, only eight Royal Naval personnel have accessible data, and only eight have army MIC entries. 90

91 CLAW, SYDNEY THOMAS. Able Seaman, Royal Navy. (RFR/CH/B/9334). H.M.S. Aboukir. Died 22 September Aged 34. Born Hougham, Dover, Kent 25 June Son of Andrew Edward and Jane Claw of 18, Trevanion Street, Dover, Kent. Husband of Emily Ann Claw of 7, Trevanion Place, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 2. Sydney s family is possibly shown on the 1901 census as residing at 21 Trevanion Street, Dover, Kent with 46 year old Dover Fisherman, Andrew as the Head of the house. Although Andrew s wife is recorded on the census with the Christian name Jean as opposed to Jane as shown above. Although Sydney is not shown as being with the family at the time of the census in April, he would have been 20 years old at the time and had probably already left home, he might have already have been serving in the Royal Navy. Sydney s brother Serjeant, 39617, Walter E. Claw of the 27th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery served abroad on active service, and thankfully survived the Great War. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on 91

92 sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February CLAW, WILLIAM HENRY. Boy 1st Class, J/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Clan McNaughton. Died 3 February Aged 17. Born Dover, Kent 10 December Baptised St. James parish church, Dover, Kent 19 January Son of William Henry and Ellen E. Claw of 128, Union Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 10. William was one of about fifty boys straight out of the Royal Navy boys training shore base at H.M.S. Ganges, Shotley, Suffolk, who were part of the crew of 261 onboard H.M.S.Clan McNaughton when she was lost with all hands in storms after foundering off the north coast of Ireland on the day that he died. H.M.S. Clan McNaughton had been in radio contact at about 0600 hours on the morning of her loss at which time the Radio Officer had reported terrible prevailing weather conditions. Nothing more was ever heard again of William s ship although some floating wreckage was found a fortnight later in her last known approximate position, despite which non of it could actually be identified as having come from her. It was later presumed that she had been mined, but due to the approximate area of her sinking, later post war investigations thought that being the cause of the loss unlikely although possible. CLIFTON, JOHN EDWARD. Private, L/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 1 July Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Henry and Louisa. M Clifton. Buried Dive Copse British Cemetery, Sailly-Le-Sec, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. B. 22. Also commemorated on Great War memorial plaque located in St. Martins School, Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census the Clifton family was residing at 3 Avenue Road, Dover, Kent, with 46 year old Merchant Seaman Henry Clifton, a native of Bexhill, Sussex as the Head of the house. 92

93 CLITHEROE, ALFRED WALTER. Private, st/7th (Robin Hood) Battalion, (Territorial Force). Sherwood Foresters (Nottingham and Derbyshire Regiment). Died 24 April Aged 36. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Baptised St. James parish church, Dover, Kent 10 April Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Clitheroe of 8, Woolcomber Lane, Dover, Kent. Buried Canadian Cemetery No.2, Neuville-St. Vaast, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: 3. B. 28. CLOKE, A.G. Although only one A.G. CLOKE is commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, two were revealed during researches, as such both of the casualties located have been added below, as obviously both in fact clearly should have been named on the war memorial. Due to the duplication, both casualties have been added to the roll of those not commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial as it has not been possible to ascertain which man is the one properly honoured on the town war memorial. CLOKE, ALFRED GEORGE. Trimmer, 3954/TS. Royal Naval Reserve. H.M. Trawler, W. H. Podd. Died 7 December Aged 36. Husband of Ellen Maria Saunders (formerly Cloke) of 8, Primrose Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Buckland Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: There is a discrepancy amongst data checked regarding Alfred s vessel served on at the time of his death, some of which shows that she was sunk by an enemy submarine, and that in peacetime she was part of the well known Lowestoft fishing fleet of W. H. Podd Ltd, which had been established in Built in 1908 the trawler had been named after Wilfrid Humphrey Podd who was born in the same year that the trawler was built, and when it came into service with the company. Other data shows that the vessel was a 225 ton trawler which was built in 1913 by Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, of Aberdeen. In Admirilty service as a minesweeper from February 1915 until 1919 with the pennant 154, she apparently survived the Great War, and was not broken up until At the time of the 1881 census the Cloke family was residing at 25 Bridges Street, Charlton, Dover, Kent:- Albert Alfred CLOKE. Aged 24. Born Hougham, Dover, Kent. Bricklayers Labourer. Louisa CLOKE. Aged 21. Born Sibertswold, Dover, Kent. Alfred George CLOKE. Aged 1. Born Dover, Kent. Alfred died whilst serving with the Dover Patrol, and is also commemorated on its Trawlers and Minesweepers Memorial, and it the Dover Patrol, Book of Rememberance. 93

94 CLOKE, ARTHUR GEORGE. Private, G/ th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died 31 July Aged 31. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Alexander and Mary Ann Cloke of 5, De Burgh Street, Dover, Kent. Husband of Eveline Ethel Cloke of 7, Bartholomew Street Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 49. Formerly Gunner, 2304, Royal Field Artillery. At the time of the 1901 census the Cloke family resided at 12 Trevanion Street, Dover, Kent with 37 year old Dover native Alexander as the Head of the house, he was employed by the town council; 14 year old Arthur was employed as a House Boy. COLE, JOHN. M.C. Company Serjeant Major, (Acting R.S.M.). 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales s Own). Died 28 March Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted York, Yorkshire. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panel 26. COLEMAN, JAMES. Gunner, B Battery, 106th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 25 August Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Voormezeele Enclosures No. 1 and No. 2, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. G. 27. The casualty commemorated on the war memorial has the initials J.E.T. as such the above brief data should be treaded with an element of caution, it being the best match found so far. COLEMAN, JOHN MORRIS. Private, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 24 September Born St. Margaret s, Dover Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Vailly British Cemetery, Aisne, France. Grave Ref: II. F. 19. John arrived with his battalion at the port of St. Nazaire, aboard the American owned Atlantic Transport Line ship, SS Minneapolis on 9 September After leaving a rest camp and moving towards the front, initially by train, John s battalion then marched, and on 20 September arrived at Courcelles, and had relieved the 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) in front line trenches to the north-east of Vailly. During the first clash with the enemy by the1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), when the German s launched an attack which was repulsed, John was wounded, and later died of his wounds at the No. 4 Clearing Hospital, at Braisne. Vailly British Cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from other burial grounds, and from the surrounding former battlefields. 94

95 COLEY, WILLIAM JOHN. Lieutenant. 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. Died 15 July Aged 25. Born Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. Son of Major W. and Mrs. A. E. Coley of 91, Birkbeck Road, Enfield, Middlesex. Buried Bouzincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Grave Ref: I. E. 3. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. It is likely (not seen war diary) that William was the officer who led a single platoon of his battalion on the day he died near the Somme village of Bouzincourt where he is buried. As with all battalions engaged in the actions of the Battle of the Somme 1916, the 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment had made several moves in the form of manning trenches and being relived from same since the first day of the battle, when they fought in front of Thiepval. William s battalion had relieved the 9th ( Service) Battalion, Essex Regiment in the front line near Ovillers on 8 July 1916, and whilst there had carried out bombing attacks which had resulted in some ground being gained. On 11 July the battalion was itself relieved by the 16th (Service) Battalion, (3rd Salford) Lancashire Fusiliers, on leaving the front line trenches William s battalion went to nearby Bouzincourt, an moved back into the front line on 11 July, and from where the unsuccessful attack referred to above was launched. COLLARD, G. Two Dover casualties with the same Christian and surname (George Collard) were found during the researches of the commemorations on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, and as such both have been entered below on this Roll of Honour and also on Dover Lost Men commemorations on this website as it is obviously impossible to ascertain which of the soldiers is in fact the one remembered and who was forgotten. On the latter roll is also a brother of the following casualty, he being Edward Collard of the 2nd Battalion, The Queen s Own (Royal West Surrey Regiment). COLLARD, GEORGE. Private, rd Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Died 6 May Aged 25. Son of Ambrose and Elizabeth Collard of Wolverton,. Brother of Mildred Collard. Buried St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: P. IX. L. 10A. George is also commemorated on Panel 123 of the Australian National War Memorial. Educated at Alkham, Dover, Kent National School, George emigrated to Australia when he was 20 years old. George resided at Coonabarabran, Warrumbugle Shire, New South Wales, which is where worked as an Agricultural Labourer, and where he also enlisted in the army on 7 July Following his basic training George sailed from Sydney, New South Wales on 17 October 1916 onboard the requisitioned 11,136 tons P & O Steamship Navigation Co (London) vessel H.M.A. T Borda (A30), as a member of the 34th Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F., 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd reinforcements. 95

96 COLLARD, GEORGE. Gunner, th Battery, 337th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 29 January Aged 39. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried River, St. Peter, Churchyard, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: New ground, 291 (at west end). Although shown on SDGW as above, possibly George was in fact a native of nearby Alkham, on the 1881 census the Collard family household was residing at Chilton Farm, Alkham Dover, Kent, where in view of Georges age at the time he was also actually born. George COLLARD. Aged 41. Born Alkham, Kent Farmer of 358 Acres Employing 5 Labourers and 1 Boy. Eleanor COLLARD. Aged 31. Born River, Kent. William COLLARD. Aged 4. Born Alkham, Kent. George COLLARD. Aged 2. Born Alkham, Kent. Harry COLLARD. Aged 7 months. Born Alkham, Kent. William COLLARD. Aged 26. Born Alkham, Kent. Mary COLLARD. Ann FAGG. Aged 79. Aged 17. Born Charing, Kent Born Sibertswold, Kent. Edwin TUPPER. Aged 19. Born Waltham, Kent. Benjamin PARTRIDGE. Thomas FAGG. Aged 21. Aged 18. Born River, Kent. Born Coldred, Kent George HOGBEN. Aged 15. Born Swingfield, Kent. COMPER, ERNEST. Petty Officer 2nd Class, (RFR/CH/B/3534). Royal Navy, H.M. Trawler Princess Beatrice (287). Died 5 October1914. Aged 33. Born Horsham, Sussex 24 November Son of Harry Comper of The Dover Institute, 6, Biggin Street, Dover, Kent. Husband of Alice Jenny Comper of 49, Hambro Road, Streatham, London. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 1, and on St. Mary s church war memorial Dover, Kent. parish Ernest s date of death is like many deaths at sea, it being a presumed date. Two of H.M. Trawlers, they being H.M.Trawler Drumoak (342) and H.M. Trawler Princess Beatrice (287) were presumed to have been mined and lost in a British minefield off West Hinder, Belgium around 5 October Twenty one men between the two boats (probably ten men per boat) plus one commissioned officer, who was in command were all lost. COOK, G. No clear trace. The casualty who is commemorated on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial as G.COOK, has not been located during the researches, but two ;near misses have been located, the first of whom is possibly another Dover, Kent casualty who is numbered amongst the thousands of Commonwealth war dead from both world wars who are STILL not commemorated by the CWGC. To add to the injustice of this oversight, it might be that on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, an initial is missing:- COOK, ALFRED GEORGE. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Grimsby) Lincolnshire Regiment. 96

97 Died 17 April Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. There are 419 Cook, Cooke or Cooks British army commemorations by the CWGC for 1918, but none of whom are Dovorian Alfred George Cook. It would seem likely that Thomas Cook briefly commemorated below is probably the elusive man concerned, albeit again with his first initial not shown on the civic war memorial. Thankfully unlike Alfred above, Thomas is commemorated by the CWGC:- COOK, THOMAS GODFREY. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 11 July Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Stratford, Essex. Resided Leytonstone, Essex. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres), Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel l2. COOK, SYDNEY BOURDEAUX. Rifleman, st/12th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (The Rangers). Died 8 May Aged 19. Enlisted London. Resided Leytonstone, London. Son of Elizabeth Mary Cook of 51, Barclay Road, Leytonstone, London, and the late Thomas James Cook. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres), Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 54. COOK, W. No clear trace, but is also commemorated on Great War memorial plaque located in St. Martins School, Dover, Kent, and possibly on Hougham, Dover, Kent, civic war memorial. COOKE, CHARLES FREDERICK. Chief Petty Officer, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Vanguard. Died Monday 9 July Aged 43. Born London 19 March Son of Charles and Emma Cooke of London. Husband of Emma Mathers Cooke of 21, Paulsgrove Road, Northend, Portsmouth. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 21. Awarded the Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Based on the 1881 and 1901 census s information it would appear that Charles, Frank, Frederick and Harry Cooke who are commemorated below were in fact all brothers, the sons of Charles and Emma Cooke who are shown as residing at 5 St. James Street, Dover, Kent at the time of the 1901 census. On the 1881 census details as set out below, the family was residing at 1 Trevanion Lane, St James, Dover, Kent, at which time they are shown with the surname spelt COOK. Another son Albert Edward Cooke born at Dover on 4 August 1889, who is also shown as being in residence on the 1901 census also served during the Great War in t he Royal Navy, Official Number: Charles COOK. Aged 35. Born Hainton, Lincoln. Coachman. Emma COOK. Aged 27. Born Kings Brompton, Somerset. Charles F. COOK. Aged 7. Born St Georges, Middlesex. Joseph E. COOK. Aged 5. Born St Georges, Middlesex. 97

98 Harry COOK. Aged 2. Born Godstone, Surrey. Frank COOK. Aged 2 months. Born Dover, Kent. A survivor from the Battle of Jutland in which she was part of the Forth Battle Squadron, H.M.S. Vanguard, a 19,560 ton St.Vincent class battleship commanded by Lieutenant Commander Alan C.H. Duke R.N, blew up and sank to the north of the Golta peninsula in Flotta, Scapa Flow at approximately 2320 hours on Monday 9 July 1917 with the loss of 843 lives. She went down as the result of a magazine explosion in one of the two magazines which served the P and Q turrets amidships. Following her loss an Admiralty Court of Enquiry was convened, with three possible causes tendered, they being: - (1) A spontaneous detonation of cordite, which had become unstable. (2) The cordite having caught fire from heating in an adjacent compartment. (3) Sabotage. To their credit Brian Budge from Kirkwall, and fellow enthusiast, Jonathan Saunders from Gillingham, Kent have carried out extensive research over a number of years into the loss of Charles s ship, and it as the result of their findings that the actual death toll and following information has been ascertained. Like Charles Cooke the vast majority of those lost with H.M.S. Vanguard numbering 622 are commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Although no formal cause for the cordite explosion was ever found by the Court of Inquiry, the most likely explanation is that a fire in a coal bunker or other neighbouring area simply smoldered away undetected long enough to heat the cordite stored at an adjoining bulkhead to dangerous levels, which eventually triggered an explosive reaction. Although dwarfed by the losses such as the S.S. Lancastria off the coast of France in the Second World War, the loss of H.M.S. Vanguard remains Britain s worst disaster in Home Waters. The wreck-site of Charles s ship is now thankfully designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act. COOKE, FRANK. Sapper, th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 7 January Aged 37. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Husband of Eleanor Frances Cooke of 158, Union Road, Dover, Kent. Probably the son of Charles and Emma Cooke of Dover, Kent. Buried Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: IV. F. 37. Also commemorated on Great War memorial plaque located in Buckland, Dover, Kent Wesleyan Chapel. Based on the 1881 census data it would seem likely that Frank was born at 1 Trevanion Lane, St James, Dover, Kent in February COOKE, FREDERICK. Private, th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regiment). Died 16 April Aged 18. Born Dover, Kent 1 June Enlisted St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada 20 January Son of Charles and Emma Cooke of Dover, Kent. Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: VI. C

99 Frederick is also commemorated on page 70 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance. COOKE, HARRY. Stoker 1st Class, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Russell. Died 27 April Aged 38. Born Godstone, Surrey 13 September Son of Charles and Emma Cooke. Husband of Martha J. Cooke of The Rosary, Collingwood Road, Witham, Essex. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 17. A 14,272 ton Duncan class fast battleship, H.M.S. Russell was mined and sunk near Malta on the day that Harry died. Built by Palmer s of Jarrow, Harry s ship had been laid down in March 1899 and completed in February 1903 at a cost of over a million pounds. She and the other five of her class were all completed during the same year, and had been constructed as fast battleships and at the same time the ships were reduced in size in an effort to reduce costs whilst sacrificing armour for speed, and were ordered and built in response to the reported the Russian Navy fast battleships. Each had a total ships compliment of 762. At the outset of Great War hostilities H.M.S. Russell went to the 3rd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet to take part in northern patrols. During November 1914 she was attached to the Channel Fleet as the flag ship of 6th Battle Squadron when at Portland, and on 23 November 1914 had taken part in the bombardment of the German held port of Zeebrugge. In April 1915 Harry s ship rejoined the 3rd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet. In October and early November 1915 H.M.S. Russell underwent a refit, immediately following which on 6 November 1915 she was sent to the eastern Mediterranean. From 7 to 9 January 1916 she took part in the evacuation of Helles, and stayed at Mudros as support alongside H.M.S. Hibernia. H.M.S. Russell eventually had the distinction of being the very last Royal Navy battleship to leave the waters of the Dardanelles. Commanded by Captain W. Bowden-Smith R.N., H.M.S. Russell was the flagship of Rear Admiral R.S. (Sydney) Fremantle when she arrived off Malta on the night of 26 April Due to her late arrival entry at the Grand Harbour, Valetta she was temporarily refused entry to same and was forced to circle around off-shore. The following morning, when about five nautical miles off the Grand Harbour, she hit two mines, which had recently been laid by the German submarine U-73, which was a Type UE 1 Ocean minelayer class commanded by Kapitänleutnant Gustav Sieß (Siess). The U- 73 had left Cuxhaven on 1 April and during her passage had already laid 12 mines off the coast of Lisbon. Off the coast of Malta, Kapitänleutnant Sieß laid another 22 mines and having done so he sailed for the Austrian Adriatic port of Cattaro, arriving there on 30 April, by which time, in addition to Harry s ship, H.M.S. Nasturtium and the armed yacht Arguso had also fallen foul of the mines laid by the U-73 off Malta. H.M.S. Russell remained afloat for about twenty minutes before turning turtle, with her hull remaining visible for a short time before she eventually sank. The survivors numbered 24 officers and 676 ratings, many being rescued by small boats which had put to sea from the island. Despite the gallant rescue attempts which were undertaken, 124 of the crew of H.M.S. Russell, including Harry lost their lives in the tragedy. The rescued men were taken to Bighi Royal Naval Hospital for medical examination and if necessary treatment, but some later died there, many deaths were recorded as being due to poisoning by cordite. 99

100 Although he fortunately survived the tragedy, it would be very remiss to not make at least brief mention of Rear-Admiral Sir Sydney Fremantle, who lost Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson s telescope, (a family heirloom), during the sinking of H.M.S. Russell. He went on to be an A.D.C. to H.M. the King, and to be in command at Scapa Flow when the German Fleet was scuttled to avoid the ignominy of surrender. Sir Sydney finished his career as C-in-C Portsmouth, where amongst a number of innovative ideas he introduced the compulsory swimming tests for all personnel of the Royal Navy. With the passage of time no doubt countless Royal Navy officers and ratings in effect partially owe their lives to him as the result of his foresight in introducing the compulsory swimming tests. COOMBE, ERNEST BOUCHER. Private, th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Died 11 November Born Torre, Torquay, Devon. Enlisted Poplar, Middlesex. Buried Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: IV. F. 90. Ernest is commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial amongst the fallen of the Second World War, but for obvious reasons is entered in sequence amongst the servicemen of his generation. COOMBER, H. P. No exact trace, the best match appears to be the following soldier:- COOMBER, HAROLD. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion. The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 3 May Born Snodland, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Folkestone, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2, and if the right man has been accessed also on the former Dover, Kent, Holy Trinity Hall war memorial. At the action fought at Monchy-le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France on 3 May 1917 during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, the 6th Battalion suffered at least 376 casualties amongst its officers and other ranks they being a combination of killed, wounded and missing. The battalion having spent the preceding night waiting in shell holes for zero hour which had been set for 0345 hours, with A Company on the right flank, B Company on the left, with C Company supporting, and the officers and men of D Company behind those of B Company the battalion formed up ready to take part in the days attack. Exactly at the agreed time the British artillery commenced firing as a prelude too, and in support of the battalion, who as with the gunners also left their start area on time as ordered and set off into total darkness, as the battalion pressed on every effort was made to keep communication with them, Second Lieutenant McAuley, the battalion signaling officer along with two of the battalion signalers and two orderlies, went forward to establish an advanced HQ in what was known as Devil's Trench, but he later returned at 0430 hours and reported that no communication had been possible. A fairly early indication however that all was apparently going well, was when two German prisoners were sent back down the line from the battalion, but at that time nothing definite could be ascertained, even later on when daylight came, gunfire and snipers made it hard to get any news of how matters were proceeding; but at dusk it was discovered that the battalion had already suffered a substantial number of casualties, and that despite the sacrifices being made by the battalion of all ranks the line in their front was practically as before. 100

101 With the growing concern of the continuous loss of officers at the time which was so serious that Second Lieutenant s Seago and Sowter were sent for from the detail camp and, arriving about 2200 hours, and very quickly were sent forward to reorganize the remnants of the devastated battalion. Part of the objective allotted the battalion on the morning of 3 May 1917 had been a spot called Keeling Copse, and it was found after the battalion had taken stock of its significant losses, that Second Lieutenant s P. A Cockeram and Norman O.F Gunther with about 40 men and a Lewis gun had actually got there, only to then realize that they were completely isolated with the enemy infantry having reformed its line behind them, and both sides being their original trenches, the result being that three lines of Germans intervened between this handful of men and their comrades, nothing daunted however, they held their own all day during which time they accounted for many of the enemy soldiery surrounding them. Under the cover of darkness when night fell, and by then having expended every cartridge and bomb they possessed, they gallantly fought their way back again, breaking through one line after another, until at last the two subalterns and thirteen of the men with them were able to report themselves to battalion Head Quarters. The casualties in this terrible action were Second Lieutenant s John H Dinsmore and Harold V Hardey-Mason killed, and Captain John B Kitchin died of wounds; Capt McDermott and Second Lieutenant s Williams and H.G Nesbitt wounded; Second Lieutenant s Charles Warnington, Athol Kirkpatrick, H.W Evans and R.L.F Forster, Lieutenant s K.L James, Grant, King and Wills posted as missing of whom the first five were found to have been killed; 25 other ranks were also killed, plus 128 wounded and in addition to which 207 were initially reported as being missing, but ultimately many were later found to have lost their lives during and resulting from the attack of 2 and 3 May About 0200 hours on 4 May the remnant was relieved and got back, on the following day what remained of the battalion was reorganized into two companies each of which consisted of only two platoons, No 1 Company had Second Lieutenant Stevens in command, with Second Lieutenant s Sowter, Seago and Sankey under him; No 2 Company was commanded by Captain Carter, assisted by the intrepid Second Lieutenant s Gunther and Cockeram. Following a later debriefing meeting to see if lessons could be learned from the attack of 3/4 May by the battalion a few things became obvious, the main points raised being that it was a pity that the ground was quite unknown to the battalion which had not held the same position previously, and that the orders to attack came so late that there was no time for systematic reconnaissance, also that the early part of the engagement had been undertaken in the dark. Those surviving members of the battalion who were not in the hands of the medical teams left Monchy-le-Preux and were then rested in nearby Arras for a mere 48 hours and then underwent a further ten days in the trenches before being relieved on 17 May when the battalion moved to Duisans. Both Second Lieutenant s Cockeram and Gunther received the Military Cross for their gallant conduct on 3/4 May 1917, but it is sad to have to add that Norman Gunther, who was an attached officer of the Royal East Kent Yeomanry was killed shortly afterwards, with the cruel irony of his death occurring within half a mile of Keeling Copse when gallantly defending a trench the Germans were attacking, although not strictly speaking a Buff, we have included a commemoration to the brave 19 year old subaltern on this roll of honour alongside the 396 members of the regiment, who have no known grave that are commemorated on the Arras Memorial, some of whom died with him. Second Lieutenant Cockeram MC later transferred to the 101

102 Royal Flying Corps as an Observer, on one occasion whilst a member of 48 Squadron based at Bertangles, he and his pilot Captain H.C Sootheran flying a Bristol BF2b shot down an enemy aircraft, and despite numerous encounters with enemy aircraft and being subjected on numerous occasions to anti-aircraft fire both RFC officers thankfully survived the war. COOMBS, E. Best matches for this casualty are probably a soldier who had enlisted (and possibly resided) in Dover, Kent, that has his surname spelt in various ways depending on what data is checked, and a sailor who has variants of the order of his Christian names depending again on what data is checked. Please also note the Royal Marine casualty who is buried locally and shown below the next two commemorations:- COOMBES, ERNEST AUGUSTUS. Gunner, th Battery, 14th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 25 September 1914.Aged 28. Born London. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Husband of Catherine Coombes of 13, Buxton Road, Stratford, London. Buried Neuilly-sur-Seine New Communal Cemetery, Courbevoie, Hauts-de-Seine, France. Grave Ref: Also commemorated on Great War memorial plaque located in St. Martins School, Dover, Kent. COOMBS, ERNEST GERALD CONSTANTINE. Ordinary Seaman, J/ Royal Navy, H.M.S. Natal. Died 30 December Aged 19. Born Deal, Kent 23 July Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 10. The Registers of Seamen s Services at the National Archives, records the above sailor devoid of the Christian name Ernest. H.M.S. Natal was a Royal Navy 13,550 ton Warrior class armoured cruiser which was commissioned in She was at anchor in the Cromarty Firth when she quite literally exploded at about 1520 hours the afternoon of 30 December 1915, a series of violent explosions tore through the ship, and within five minutes she capsized, a blazing wreck. At the time of her loss the ships commander Captain, Eric P.C. Back R.N., and his wife were hosting a party onboard the ship, which included nurses, civilians and children, all of whom were among the 388 who lost their lives when the ship blew-up. Those bodies which were recovered from the sea were interred in Rosskeen Churchyard Extensions, (or Burial Ground) Invergordon. Included amongst the 150 Commonwealth burials from both world wars at Rosskeen, is at least one other Kent casualty of the H.M.S. Natal disaster, he being 24 year old Walter C. Brisley of Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent. Following the loss of H.M.S. Natal an Admiralty Board of Enquiry was convened; the official result from same was that the explosion onboard H.M.S. Natal was due to the deterioration of cordite in the magazine. For many years there was a story circulating in many quarters about the ship having been sabotaged. This apparently was based on the fact that the Dreadnought battleship H.M.S. Vanguard had also exploded mysteriously after being visited by a particular Ordnance Chargehand, who also went into the magazine of H.M.S. Natal just before she too exploded and sank. The man in question is reputed to have then disappeared without trace; an obvious explanation accounting for his disappearance was that he too was lost 102

103 when H.M.S. Natal exploded. For comprehensive details about the ship, probably the best book to consult is They Called It Accident by A. Cecil Hampshire which tells the story of H.M.S Natal from when she was launched until her loss. COOMBS, ERNEST WALTER. Private, PO/ th Royal Marine Battalion, Royal Marine Light Infantry. H.M.S. Vindictive. Died 23 April Aged 19. Son of Thomas and Emma Jane Coombs of Great Durnford, Salisbury, Wiltshire. Buried St. James Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: P. W. 38A. Commemorated on the Special Memorial on the Cross of. Sacrifice, at the Zeebrugge Plot, St. James Cemetery, Dover, Kent, which has the names inscribed of some of those lost on the St. George s Day Raid. COOPER, ALBERT EDWARD. Rifleman, A/ th (Service) Battalion, King s Royal Rifle Corps. Died 13 August Aged 21. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Frank and Matilda Ann Cooper of 8, Limekiln Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 51, and on the former Dover, Kent Holy Trinity Hall memorial. COPPARD, FREDERICK ALFRED. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 12 April Aged 39. Born Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Frederick Alfre d Coppard of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Buried Wimereux Communal Cemet ery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: X. C. 7A. Formerly Private, 23238, 4th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. The Coppard family was probably residing at 2 St. James Street Cottages, Speldhurst, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, at the time of the 1881 census:- F. M. COPPARD. Aged 27. Born Penshurst, Kent. Agricultural Labourer. E. F. COPPARD. Aged 24. Born Edenbridge, Kent. M.E. COPPARD. Aged 4. Born Speldhurst, Kent. F.A. COPPARD. Aged 2. Born Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. CORK, ALFRED GEORGE. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Grimsby), Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 17 April Aged 19. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Elizabeth Cork of 14, George Street, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 35. SDGW shows Alfred with the surname COOK, but both the CWGC, and his MIC entry records Alfred with the surname CORK. The latter also shows that he was formerly Private, , The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). 103

104 CORK, JOHN JAMES. Private, LSR/906. 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died 25 January Born Charlton, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 20. Having left the town of Béthune, Pas de Calais, France on 21 January 1915, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment moved forward passing through Beuvry, Cambrin and Cuinchy where it took part in a counter-attack on German held positions. During the attack an officer and 65 became casualties, of whom 17 other ranks lost their lives. The officer who had been mortally wounded, was a 24 year old clergyman s son, Second Lieutenant Robert W.R. Gramshaw from Littlington, Polegate, Sussex. Robert succumbed to his wounds two days later and is buried in Béthune Town Cemetery. Charlton, Kent, as shown above as place of birth as accessed from SDGW, is probably indicative of being the Charlton area of Dover, Kent, as opposed to that location which was formerly in the county of Kent, but which is now in South East London. CORK. VICTOR. Corporal, G/ nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died 28 November Aged 20. Born Tilmanstone, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Walter and Clara Cork of 3, Malmains Road, Maxton, Dover, Kent. Buried Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: LVIII. B. 23. CORTEEN, WALTER. Private, th (Service) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. Died 31 March Aged 25. Born Peel, Isle of Man. Enlisted Wakefield, Yorkshire. Resided King s Lynn, Norfolk. Son of Mr. W. S. and Mrs. E. J. Corteen of Ivy Villa, Loke Road, King s Lynn, Norfolk. Buried Bouzincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Grave Ref: III. A. 11. Formerly Private, SS/1258, 7th Training Battalion, Army Service Corps. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent, Walter is also commemorated on the King s Lynn, Norfolk civic war memorial which is situated in Blackfriars Gardens adjacent to the town Public Library. There are 569 names of the fallen of the Great War inscribed on it, but only 19 from the Second World War, and when viewing same we were struck how much like Dover, Kent it was, with the substantial numbers of the latter conflict not commemorated. Page 50 of the Norfolk Roll of Honour which was a book published by the Norfolk News Company in 1920, also commemorates Walter by name. The same company was also the publisher of the Eastern Daily Press newspaper which reported the local Norfolk war casualties throughout the Great War years. A total of 503 residents from the town of King s Lynn are commemorated in the book. Upon learning that we were going to transcribe the Dover, Kent war memorial, very kindly in June 2002, a military historian and researcher residing in Norfolk, who we have helped (or tried to help) in the past with Kent related military queries, sent us the above information about Walter in addition to which he 104

105 informed us that Walter s father was a well known Mason/Diver. Born in 1863 at Maughold, Isle of Man, Walter senior upon leaving school became a Stone Masons Apprentice, following in his father s footsteps (who was also named Walter) and a native of Maughold. With the passage of time more and more work was undertaken around the country on seawall construction and repairs, during which time several moves were made by the family resultant of the above work. Prior to moving to King s Lynn the Corteen family had resided at Folkestone and Dover. Checking the 1901 census has shown that our informant was right about Folkestone, as they resided in Ethelbert Road, Folkestone, unfortunately no data has been accessed regarding their Dover address, but as Walter is named on the town civic war memorial, no doubt family members resided in the Borough. COSHALL, J. As commemorated on the war memorial is probably meant to be:- COHSALL, JAMES. Private, S/ st Battalion, The Buffs ( East Kent Regiment). Died 11 August Aged 19. Born Rochester, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. T. and Mrs. P. Cohsall of 15, Bowling Green Hill, Dover, Kent. Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. D. 21A. COURT, BERT JAMES. Private, S/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 11 March Son of Stephen and Mary Court. Born and resided Folkestone, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Buried Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres, Nord, France. Grave Ref: IX. C. 66. Bert is also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Although recorded in/on SDGW as being both a native and resident of Folkestone, Kent, it has not been possible to find any form of rememberance of Bert, within the Folkestone (Shepway) area of Kent. COUZENS, REGINALD HAROLD. Private, st/5th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Died 4 October Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 23, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 2889, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). A brother of the next casualty commemorated. Please note the original regimental numbers of the two Couzens brothers commemorated on the war memorial, when they both served in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). 105

106 COUZENS, SIDNEY. Private, A/ th (Service) Battalion, King s Royal Rifle Corps. Died 17 August Aged 23. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Eliza Emma Couzens of 49, Adrian Street Dover, Kent. Buried Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. F. 12. Sidney is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 2891, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). COVENEY, ALEC JOSEPH. Private, st/19th (County of London) Battalion, (St Pancras) London Regiment. Died 29 September Aged 23. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Emily Manser Coveney of 2, Arthurs Place, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face. 9 D. Formerly Private, 2974, 2/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Alec would have been amongst the significant number of soldiers of the both the 2/4th and 2/5th Battalions, (Territorial Force) The Buffs, (East Kent Regiment) who were transferred to the 1st/19th (County of London) Battalion, (St. Pancras) London Regiment during the winter of 1915, and the spring of A brother of the following casualty. At the time of the 1901 census the Coveney family was residing at 52 Clarence Street, Dover, Kent with 37 year old Dover native and Undertaker Alfred Coveney as the Head of the house. In addition to the parents and the two boys lost in the Great War, three other sons and two daughters were also in residence, all nine occupants being Dovorian s. Having gone into support trenches on 27 September at Bazentin-le-Grand, the following day Alec s battalion was in the Flers Line south east of Eaucourt l Abbaye prior to being more engaged on the day Alec lost his life during bombing attacks by the battalion along the Flers Line and Flers Support. Of the casualties inflicted on the battalion as the result of the attacks, 39 other ranks lost their lives on the same day as Alec, and in addition to which others later died of their injuries. COVENEY, EDWARD POTTER. Private, nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Died 22 March Aged 22. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Emily Manser Coveney of 2, Arthurs Place, Dover, Kent. Buried Chapelle British Cemetery, Holnon, Aisne, France. Grave Ref: IV. A. 18. The following is (verbatim) the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment war diary entry for the day Edward died, it being the second day of the German Spring Offensive 1918:- Verlaines Early in the morning a few Germans worked into C Coys position, from a Sunken Road just in front of our wire. A and C Coys were heavily shelled all day and at about 2 p.m. the enemy attacked in large numbers. C Coys position was taken and some of our men taken prisoner. The remnants of A and B Coy hung on till surrounded by large numbers of enemy. They fought very well and only a few got back. 106

107 By 4 p.m. the enemy could be seen advancing on either side of STEVENS REDOUBT. At 5 p.m. Orders were received to withdraw. The withdrawal was carried out at once, but there were a number of casualties as the withdrawal had to be made across open country and the enemy machine gun and shrapnel fire was very heavy. The Battalion withdrew to VERLAINES via GERMAINE - FORESTE - VILLERS ST CHRISTOPHE and HAM. Billeted in VERLAINES for the night. Casualties:- Lieut. A. P. Methuen, Wounded. Lieut.D.D.Warren, Wounded. Captain F.A.Sloan, Wounded. Capt.H.B.Jones, R.A.M.C., Missing. 2nd Lieut.F.E.Thompson, Missing. COVENTRY, THOMAS EDWARD. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Duke of Cornwall s Light Infantry. Died 17 September Aged 19. Born St. James, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Marylebone, London. Resided Knightsbridge, London. Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Molly Coventry of 35, Castle Avenue, Dover, Kent. Buried Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L`Abbe, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. H. 42. Having not sighted Thomas s death certificate or casualty card details, it should be pointed out that what follows is purely speculation. At Thomas Chapman s brief commemoration, mention was made of the costly mistakes and subsequent reluctance to treat the details in/on the excellent O/SDGW as always being absolutely correct, notably so regarding cause of death shown. In the case of Thomas Coventry he is shown as died of wounds in/on SDGW. Of course the actual date of Thomas s wounding is not shown, but it might be of significance that on the day before his demise, the 6th (Service) Battalion, Duke of Cornwall s Light Infantry had carried out a costly attack near the village of Gueudecourt. At 0925 the battalion had moved forward in a single wave which would have looked awesome to friend and foe alike, but in so doing would have left all vulnerable to wholesale slaughter had enemy machine gunners or artillery scored direct hits amongst them. Unfortunately the former on the right flank of the battalion advance did just that which with mounting casualties brought the attack to a standstill. Despite the casualties that had been inflicted amongst the battalion during the initial attack during the morning, a fresh assault was mounted commencing at 1855 hours which failed, and the battalion was relieved and went to the Pommiers Redoubt on the day that Thomas died. Of the 309 casualties inflicted amongst the battalion on 16 September 1916, 72 other ranks of the battalion were killed, in addition to which a substantial number of soldiers were wounded to varying degrees of seriousness, and possibly amongst those mortally wounded that day had been Dover native Thomas Coventry, who died the following day. CRASCALL, COULSON HENRY. Able Seaman, Royal Navy. (RFR/CH/B/2577). H.M.S. Cressy. Died 22 September Aged 36. Born Dover, Kent 15 September Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 2. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine 107

108 in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February

109 CRASCALL, EDWARD FRANCIS. Private, nd Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 2 April Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps, Somme, France. Grave Ref: IV. F. 4. Formerly Private, 10768, East Surrey Regiment. It would appear that possibly Edward had died of wounds some months after the cessation months after the main of the Battle of the Somme The cemetery where Edward is buried was started as a front line burial ground during and after the unsuccessful attack on Serre on 1 July 1916, but following the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 it was scarcely used. It was briefly in German hands towards the end of March 1918 during their Spring Offensive, when it marked the limit of the German advance, but the line was held and pushed forward by the New Zealand Division allowing the cemetery to be used again for burials in April and May The cemetery is particularly associated with three dates and engagements; the attack on Serre on 1 July 1916; the capture of Beaumont-Hamel on 13 November 1916; and the German attack on the 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade trenches before Colincamps on 5 April Edward s battalion having left the Somme area several weeks before his death, one can only imagine the probable scenario of his closest friends, at some point prior to the move to the Arras area saying their goodbyes to him, and at that time knowing full well that it was the last time that they would see him. On the day that he died, his battalion was taking part in the second attempted capture of the heavily defended village of Croisilles, south of Arras in the Pas de Calais. Croisilles British Cemetery contains 1,171 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the Great War, of which 647 of the burials are unidentified, amongst identified are 28 members of the 2nd Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) who died on the same day as Edward back on the Somme. CREPIN, CHARLES JOSEPH. Private, M/ th Mechanical Transport Company, Army Service Corps. Died 27 August Aged 35. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Son of Frederick and Ann Crepin of Dover, Kent. Husband of Edith Crepin of 5, Prospect Place, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Basra War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: I. B. 2. Formed on 12 April 1916 the 695th Mechanical Transport Company, Army Service Corps served primarily in the Makina area of Mesopotamia as a Line of Communication unit, and was quite a comprehensive formation being a Motor Transport Base Depot, Base Motor Transport Stores and Advanced Motor Transport Stores. Unlike most similar units of the then Royal Army Service Corps which were quite quickly disbanded post Great War the company remained on strength until 31 March The following newspaper extract from the Bury St. Edmund s Free Press was kindly sent to us by Major (Retd) S. Hill in 2001, when he learned of our then embryonic Dover Project, for which needless to say we are most grateful. He also said that Charles s died of Sunstroke, but 109

110 we have not personally sighted his Death Certificate or Casualty Card, however it should be added that all information tendered by our Suffolk contact has always been right:- It is with no small measure of regret that we have to record the death of Private Charles Joseph Crepin, a well known and esteemed townsman of Bury. The deceased soldier s wife, who resides at 61 Queen s Road, received the distressing intelligence on Wednesday evening that her husband passed away on August 28thg, succumbing to an attack of heat stroke in Mesopotamia. Private Crepin joined the Army last April, when he enlisted in the Army Service Corps, Mechanical Transport. Within a very short time he was despatched to some unknown foreign destination. In due course Mrs Crepin received an intimation of his whereabouts, and, naturally, the news of his death came as a shock to her of the most painful character. Private Crepin was a native of Dover, Kent, but for the past ten years he had resided in Suffolk. Before joining the Army he was an energetic and most useful special constable, and was attached to the Tuesday night section. He was a valued employee of Mr G W Henshall, of The Cornhill, for whom he acted as traveler. In consequence of his business connections, he was known throughout a wide area of the Eastern Counties, and we have no doubt the sad news of his untimely end will be received with sincere sorrow and regret by the numerous business and social friends he possessed. Mrs Crepin is left with a daughter, five years old, to mourn her loss, and deep sympathy is felt for her in the extremely sad blow which has befallen her. Many thanks to Lt-Col (Retd) L.A. (Steve) Stephens, for furnishing the above Bury St. Edmund s Free Press information. CROCKFORD, CHARLES WILLIAM. Petty Officer 1st Class, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Hawke. Died 15 October Aged 33. Born Northgate, Kent 6 June Son of Richard Ballard Crockford and Fanny Crockford of Canterbury, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 1. Arguably more famously remembered for the events of 22 September 1914, when the German submarine U-9 commanded by Otto Weddigen sank no fewer than three Royal Navy cruisers in less than an hour, they being H.M.S. Aboukir, H.M.S. Hogue and H.M.S. Cressy, with the loss of almost 1400 men, including men commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. Otto Weddigen also sank H.M.S. Hawke on 15 October 1914, in the northern waters of the North Sea during the afternoon, with the loss of her commander, 40 year old Captain Hugh P.E.T. Williams R.N., 26 officers and approximately 500 ratings, 4 officers and about 60 ratings were saved. Although not a modern ship at the time of her loss, the hulls of the Hawke consisted of no fewer than 192 compartments, and there were 98 watertight doors, all of which was apparently to no avail when she was struck near a magazine. H.M.S. Theseus the sister ship of H.M.S. Hawke, and commanded by Captain Hugh Edwards, R.N., was also attacked by the enemy submarine during the same incident, but fortunately she was not hit by any of the torpedoes fired from the U

111 CROFT, ROBERT JOHN JEFFERY. Second Lieutenant. 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. Died 21 March Born Dover, Kent c1876. Son of Charles and Emily Croft. Buried Dickebusch New Military Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: C. 14. Formerly Quarter Master Sergeant, Robert was a veteran of the South African Campaign (Second Boer War). A brother of the next casualty commemorated. At the time of the 1881 census the Croft fam ily resided at 18 Ca roline Place, St Mary Virgin, Dover, Kent, at which time Robert s father, a Coachsmith was the Head of the house, as under:- Charles Edwin CROFT. Aged 40. Born Brightling, Sussex. Emily Elizabeth CROFT. Charles Edwin CROFT. Margaret Frances CROFT. Aged 35. Aged 11. Aged 9. Born Dover, Kent. Born Cranbrook, Kent. Born Cranbrook, Kent. Alice Florence CROFT. Robert John CROFT. Eva May CROFT. Aged 7. Aged 5. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Born Dover, Kent. Born Dover, Kent. Ellen Daisy CROFT. Aged1 month. Born Dover, Kent. George ROMNEY. Aged 56. Born Goodnestone, Kent. General Labourer. CROFT, WILLIAM JOHN. Serjeant, A Company, 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. Died 27 November Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent. Son of Charles and Emily Croft. Husband of Emma Eloie Adamthwaite (formerly Croft) of 38, St. Vincent Street, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire. Buried Brompton Cemetery, London. Grave Ref: N Also commemorated on the former Dover, Kent, Holy Trinity Hall war memorial. The cemetery where William is buried containing 375 Commonwealth war graves is situated next door to Chelsea Football Club at Stamford Bridge, with the two locations being divided by a railway line. William is also probably the casualty commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent as J.W.CROFT. At the time of the 1901 census the Croft family was residing at 7 Church Place, Dover, Kent, a native of Brightling, Sussex, 60 year old Coachman Charles Croft was the Head of the House. Like thousands of other soldiers who had Home Deaths, William has no SDGW entry, but he does have a matching MIC entry which is probably indicative of him having died of wounds or injuries post 13 August 1914, when his battalion had arrived at Le Harve onboard (the appropriately named) SS Gloucester Castle. 111

112 CROFTS, EDWIN LAWRENCE. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 27August Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 3. It is unfortunate that his parents details are not shown on Edwin s CWGC commemoration or at that of Frederick William Crofts below; as it would probably confirm that they were brothers and the sons of William and Caroline Crofts. At the time of the 1901 census the family was residing at 2 Albion Place, Dover, Kent with 45 year old Labourer and Dover native William recorded as being Head of the house. CROFTS, W.F. As commemorated on the war memorial is probably the following:- CROFTS, FREDERICK WILLIAM. Private. L/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 9 April Born St. Mary s Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2. It should be noted that although Frederick was serving in one of The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) service battalion s, he has a regular s regimental number, and was probably a pre war enlistment. CROOCKEWIT, ALEXANDER EDWARD. Second Lieutenant. 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Attached to the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment at time of his death. Died of wounds received the 26 October Aged 31. Son of John Henry and Fanny M. Croockewit of Menin, 32, Leyburn Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: XXII. H. 2. Formerly Driver, T4/058235, Army Service Corps. Alexander, who was educated at Bedford School, is also commemorated on the Shepherdswell, Dover, Kent civic war memorial, and on a Great War memorial plaque located in St Andrew s church, Shepherdswell. On 25 October 1917 the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was in a position named STIRLING CASTLE on the Ypres Salient which was heavily shelled at intervals throughout the day. The battalion was primarily engaged as carrying parties supplying the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, and also as carrying parties taking telephone cable to positions near FITZCLARENCE FARM. During the arduous supply undertakings which were mainly carried out under fire, Alexander was severely wounded and succumbed to his injuries the following day. 112

113 CRUTCHFIELD, JAMES HENRY. Colour Serjeant, East Surrey Regiment. Died 30 June Aged 47. Born Winnersh, Wokingham, Berkshire. Son of the late Joseph and Sarah Crutchfield. Husband of Annie Crutchfield (neé Ballard) of 35, Peter Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: 2. H. 18. Served in the South African War (Second Boer War), and 11 years as a Staff Serjeant on the Indian Unattached List. CURD, WILLIAM ALFRED. Stoker 1st Class, K/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Pembroke. Died 3 September Aged 25. Born Dover, Kent 14 November Son of Mrs. Emily Jane Curd of 1, Biggin Court, Biggin Street, Dover, Kent. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Buried Gillingham (Woodlands) Cemetery, Kent. Grave Ref: Naval CURLING, ERNEST EDWARD. Private, st/5th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Died 1 October1918. Aged 28. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Husband of Ellen Potter (formerly Curling) of 7, Monins Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Proville British Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: I. A. 33. CURTIS, ALBERT EDWARD. Leading Stoker, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Tartar. Died 17 June Aged 24. Born Portsmouth, Hampshire 2 August Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Curtis of 23, Hope Street Landport, Portsmouth, Hampshire. Husband of Nellie Gertrude Curtis of the Mitre Hotel, 77, Snargate Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Panel. 26. Albert s ship was commanded by Lieutenant Guy Kemble Twiss from Lindfield, Sussex and was a destroyer in the Dover Patrol. H.M.S. Tartar hit a mine on the above date which resulted in a high casualty rate amongst the crew either killed, injured or missing. As those killed were brought back to port, it would seem likely that Albert perished when the ship hit the mine and was actually lost at sea. Guy Kemble, the son of a Vice Admiral was also killed in the accident and has a private headstone in Walstead, Lindfield Cemetery, Sussex. H.M.S. Tartar was repaired following her extensive damage and survived the Great War she was eventually sold for scrap on 9 May

114 DADDS, LEONARD. M.M. Serjeant, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 31 October Born Folkestone, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of William and Eliza Dadds. Buried St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: S. III. G. 2. DANIELL, F. As only one exact matching casualty is recoded by the CWGC he is probably the person commemorated on the war memorial as set out below. Caution is advised however for a number of reasons, but primarily two, they being that the casualty on the war memorial might be numbered amongst those not thus far recorded by the CWGC. Unlike their Second World War counterparts no civilian casualties were commemorated during or resultant of the Great War by the then IWGC, including in some cases civilian relief organizations, of which mention is made here because there is an MIC entry for a member of the British Red Cross Society who might also have been the person recorded on the war memorial. DANIELL, FREDERICK. Bombardier, th Battery, 38th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 1 October 1917.Aged 28. Son of Mrs. Lewis Williams of 65, Stepney Road, Burry Port, Carmarthenshire. Born Slough, Buckinghamshire. Enlisted Finsbury, London East Central. Buried Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No 3, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: II. K. 14. DANIELL, H.E. No clear exact trace. The best match for this casualty appears to be the following army officer, who was possibly commemorated on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial devoid of his first initial:- DANIELL, EDWARD HENRY EDWIN. D.S.O. Lieutenant Colonel. 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment. Died 20 October Aged 46. Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 11. With the rank of Major, Edward was the joint Second-in-Command of his battalion with Major S.E. St. Leger, when the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment had arrived at Boulogne, France on 15 August 1914 aboard the SS Herschell. Commanding the battalion at that time was Lieutenant Colonel, St. J.A. Cox, although at Edward s CWGC commemoration he is shown as being the Commanding Officer, as such it would seem likely that Edward was in command at the time of his demise, and was promoted to a Temporary Lieutenant Colonel. The regimental historian, Brigadier-General, Stannus Geoghegan (18 February October 1929), in his books The Campaigns and history of the Royal Irish Regiment, makes comments along the lines that no information is known appertaining to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment when it was virtually destroyed near Le Pilly during the Battle of La Bassée. A report submitted by a German officer of the 56th Regiment, stated that his unit in fighting in conjunction with the 16th Regiment, had received information that an Irish infantry battalion was at Le Pilly which 114

115 was well in front of the British line. Artillery at Fournes had been ordered to open fire on Edward s battalion, and had then accurately poured shrapnel on the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment at a distance of about 2,000 yards. The German infantry then surrounded the battalion and took a recorded (German data) 302 prisoners, most of whom were wounded, some seriously, the (British data) in addition to those killed, records a total of 11 officers and 561 other ranks wounded, missing or taken prisoner. One of the 6 officers known to have been killed was 21 year old Second Lieutenant, Allan J.R. Anderson of Dublin, Ireland who had only arrived the previous day amongst a fresh draft of officers and other ranks. As was the case of his Commanding Officer, the body of Allan J.R. Anderson was never found and he to is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial. It should be added that on the 19 October 1914 the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment had captured Le Pilly at the cost of approximately of their 150 lives. Nearby Aubers village had been taken by the 9th Brigade on 17 October, 1914, with Herlies and part of the Aubers Ridge. These gains, however, were lost within a few days, and the Ridge, in spite of repeated attacks, was not captured by British forces for three years, when in October1918, a month prior to the cessation of hostilities the Aubers Ridge was secured by the soldiers 47th (London) Division. DANIELS, EDWIN THOMAS. Private, G/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 8 June Aged 30. Born Whitfield, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided River, Dover, Kent. Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Daniels of Whitfield, Dover, Kent. Husband of Lilian Annie Daniels (neé Dunford), of Crabble Farm Nursery, River, Dover, Kent. Buried Essex Farm Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: II. U. 14. Edwin is also commemorated on Alkham, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St. Anthony, in addition to which he is commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St. Peter & St. Paul. At the time of the 1901 census Edwin was an Agricultural Labourer residing at South Alkham, Dover, Kent with his 47 year old father, a Shepherd and native of nearby Swingfield as Head of house. Edwin s mother is shown as being a native of Alderney, Channel Islands. DARWALL, GORDON CECIL. Captain. 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry. Died 31 March Born Dover, Kent. Baptised at St. James Church, Dover, Kent on 29 April Son of Robert Cecil Darwall and Leleah Ella Almon Darwall of East Cliff, Dover, Kent. Husband of Violet Darwall. Buried Kensal Green, All Souls Cemetery, London. Grave Ref: Formerly Captain, Army Cyclist Corps. Gordon s photograph appeared in The Graphic on 10 February 1916, and was a brother of the next casualty commemorated. Another of the Darwall brothers, who was born in Walsall, Canada, also served during the Great War, he being Captain and Brigade Major, Frederick William Darwall, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. 115

116 At the time of the 1881 census the Darwall family household resided at Marine Cottage, East Cliff, Dover, Kent, with Gordon s father shown as Head of the house, as under:- Robert C. DARWELL. Aged 37. Born Dover, Kent. Solicitor. Laleah E.A. DARWELL. Aged 34. Born Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada. Honor C. DARWELL. Aged 5. Born Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada. Fredrick W. DARWELL. Aged 4. Born Walsall, Canada. John R. DARWELL. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Robert H. DARWELL. Josephine CASHIEN. Aged 1. Aged 22. Born Born Dover, Kent. Ireland. Nurse Domestic Servant. DARWALL, JOHN RANDALL. Second Lieutenant. 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry. Died 30 July Born Dover, Kent c Baptised at St. James Church, Dover, Kent 1 May Son of Robert Cecil Darwall and Leleah Ella Almon Darwall of East Cliff, Dover, Kent. John accidentally shot and wounded himself with his army issue revolver whilst on army leave, whilst staying as a guest at a hotel in Craven Street, the Strand, London W.C. Despite the close proximity of the Charing Cross Hospital situated in Agar Street, London W.C. where he was taken, and the attempts to safe him carried out by the medical staff there, John succumbed to his injuries and died at the hospital. Whilst clearly John s demise was not attributable to enemy action in any way shape or form, as there appears to be no link or suggestion that his sad demise was anything other than a tragic and unfortunate accident, as opposed to death from his own hand by choice (Suicide). A number of serving officers and other ranks have been noted over the years when researching military deaths who did commit suicide, the vast majority of whom are commemorated by the CWGC, if their deaths fell within the years of those attributable to the two world wars. Having tried the various usual ploys such as altering surname to Darwell etcetera (as can be seen on the details below extracted from the 1881 census), and also trying other variants of the surname and initials, despite which no CWGC commemoration has been found for John. In view of same we have added him to our list of non-commemorations for submission to the CWGC to finally redress the unfortunate oversight of 89 years ( ). DAVIDSON, CHRISTOPHER (Kit) EDMUND GRANT. Captain. 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), attached to the 6th (Service) Battalion. Died 13 October Aged 29. Born South West London 20 February Second surviving son of Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Middlemass Davidson M.V.O. (His Majesty s Bodyguard) and late 4th Foot (The King s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), and the Royal Munster Fusiliers, and Mrs Jessie Rose Oliphant Davidson (neé Williams) of 14, Victoria Park, Dover, Kent. Buried Vermelles British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. E. 11. Mentioned in the despatches of Sir John French. London Gazette entry dated 1 January Commemorated on Dover, Kent civic war memorial, and on a private memorial plaque located in the Warriors Chapel, Canterbury, Cathedral, Kent which was erected by his father. Lieutenant Colonel Christopher M. Davidson M.V.O., unveiled one of the war 116

117 memorials located in Dover, Kent, upon which his son is also commemorated, it being that of St. Mary s parish church which he unveiled on 24 November 1921, and which was blessed by the Bishop of Dover. Initially educated at Mr Chirol s Preparatory School, Castlemount, Dover, Kent. Following his schooling at Dover, Christopher went to the Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, where he is commemorated by the Memorial Chapel that was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and consecrated in 1927, the Chapel commemorates the Carthusians who died in action; numbering in excess of a thousand, comprised of 700 in the Great War and 350 during the Second World War. After his years which he spent at Charterhouse School, Christopher then went to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, following which he was Gazetted as a Second Lieutenant in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) on 16 August Promoted to Lieutenant on 27 March 1909, by which time Christopher had previously served with the 2nd Battalion in South Africa ( ), and afterwards in Hong Kong, he was stationed at The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), Regimental Depot at Canterbury, Kent from 1911 to 1914, and was selected on the outbreak of war to train and command a double company, and was as the consequence of same promoted to Captain on the very first day of the Great War. Christopher had gone to France with the 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) in June 1915 and he was the commander of C Company. Whilst in France, Christopher was recommended to join the Headquarters Staff of the 2nd Army Corps, but it was not whilst holding down a staff job that he fell in battle on Wednesday 13 October 1915, during the fight for the Quarries at Hulluch by the 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Christopher had only gone about 50 yards over the trench parapet when he and the soldiers he was leading were enfiladed by German machine gun fire, and along with all the others he fell riddled with bullets. Christopher was killed in action at The Quarries near Hulluch, Pas de Calais, France whilst leading his men under heavy fire during a fresh British attack which was mounted during the Battle of Loos, the objective designated to his brigade (37th) split between the German positions of Gun Trench and The Quarries was subjected to a heavy artillery bombardment prior to the infantry battalions pressing home their attacks, following ranging shots being fired by the British gunners, who also had been designated set targets primarily bombarding the ensconced enemy defenders and the massive wire entanglements guarding the enemy positions. Before the infantry left the safety of their trenches the British guns fired from exactly noon for a full hour, following which until 1350 hours gas and smoke was used to create a smoke screen of approximately 1,200 yards for another hour, which was increased in density by the use of more smoke ten minutes before zero hour for the infantry assault. At first it appeared that all was going according to plan, as the 7th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment had managed to reach Gun Trench without to much trouble, and thankfully with less casualties than had been originally envisaged, but on their left flank the 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) were subjected to an immense amount of fire power from an enemy trench which was both unseen and unknown prior to the attack getting underway. Due primarily to its concealment had resulted in the trench not being shelled at all by the artillery before the infantry had attacked, with the catastrophic result that the German wire at that point remaining virtually untouched. After covering about one hundred yards the battalion was brought to a halt, but not before over 400 officers and men in the battalion became casualties of different types within the short space of just a few tragic minutes. Of the thirteen officers 117

118 which had led their men into the fray on the battalions first major engagement of the war, ten lost their lives, as did one hundred and seventy five other ranks, amongst the massive number of wounded some men later died, two at least being later that same day. One of Christopher s brother officers later wrote The 6th Battn, has ceased to exist, and dear Kit has gone with them at the head of his men. The whole thing is too appalling, and one can as yet hardly realize events. A, C and D Companies were detailed to attack and take a certain position, and were caught on three sides by machine guns and rifle fire and were completely wiped out. The men went over the parapet magnificently without a falter, and some got to the German wire 300 yards away. Poor Kit was shot through the head after going about 50 yards. Our casualties are well over 500, and we have only six officers left. Major Furley, Major Soames, Capt. Brodie, Lieuts. Lambert, Marsh, Phillimore, Jelf and Bainbridge and poor Kit-all killed, and Birkett badly wounded. I cannot write properly how terribly upset we all are and how irreparable is the loss. In Kit I have lost my very dearest friend; there is nothing that I would not have done for him. He was the heart and soul of everything in the battalion, and we shall never get his like again as an officer and as a pal. Unfortunately I was unable to be with him and the company, as I badly sprained my ankle reconnoitering the position the day before, and I could not walk without great pain. I feel I would have given anything to have been with them, but certainly would have been amongst the fallen. On hearing the news I hobbled up to the firing line to do what I could and help to reorganize the battalion. I recovered Kit s body.he said his only disappointment had been over the Staff job, and it was the irony of fate that he should yesterday morning got a letter saying that it was to come off after all. There are only 20 of C Coy who followed Kit here to-day to answer the roll. The company I take over is only 50 strong. They followed him splendidly; they all loved him, and would have gone anywhere or done anything for him. Every wounded man I saw first asked me how the Captain got on. We are bringing all the officers down to-night (Thursday 14th) and are burying them in Vermelles British Cemetery. Regretably it has not been possible to positively identify the officer who wrote the above letter, but suspect that it might have been Captain Charles Henry Cardozo, who also served in the 8th Battalion of the regiment and fortunately survived the Great War. Due to his prowess as a noted horseman, Christopher would not have been out of place had he enlisted in a British or Empire cavalry regiment, he had hunted with the East Kent Foxhounds and the Mid Kent Staghounds, and had been a member of the regimental Polo Team whilst stationed at Hong Kong. Christopher s elder brother is also commemorated at Dover, Kent, being numbered amongst the twenty casualties of the Second Boer War who are commemorated on a memorial plaque in St. Mary the Virgin parish church. Born in August 1874, Lieutenant Francis Coventry Dudfield Davidson, Royal Lancaster Regiment was wounded on the Tugela River, KwaZulu, Natal Province, South Africa and succumbed to his wounds on 23 February 1900, aged 25. Both of the Davidson brothers had been Liverymen of the Saddlers Company, City of London. Another brother, Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Alan Davidson, DSO & Bar, served in the Royal Army Medical Corps and fortunately survived the Great War, he retired from the army May

119 DAVIS, A.A. No clear match. On the 1901 census a 7 year old Arthur Davis was recorded as residing at 31 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent with his parents Richard and Ellen Davis, which may or may not be significant. The census shows him to be a native of St. Pancras, London, checks of O/SDGW, and Royal Navy data was checked to see if a match could be made, but to no avail. A 16 year old Albert Davis was also noted residing at the time of the census with other family members, at 12 Alma Place, Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent, at which time his 49 year old widowed mother was the Head of the house. DAVIS, ALFRED B. Private, G/ rd (Reserve) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 6 March Son of Alfred Benjamin Davis. Husband of E. Davis. Buried Kingston-upon-Thames Cemetery, Surrey. Grave Ref: E. C The cemetery, at Norbiton was begun in 1854 and now covers 25 acres. It belongs to the Kingston Joint Burial Committee, serving Kingston-upon-Thames, New Malden and Coombe, and contains 161 scattered War Graves, and a War Cross is erected facing the main entrance. Unfortunately due to O/SDGW cut off date it has not been possible to extract data from same, in much the same way re date of the above soldiers demise, he is not recorded on his regimental Nominal Roll of Great War deaths. It should be noted that although his battalion as shown above remained in Dover for the duration of the war, he has an exact matching MIC entry indicative of overseas active service; as such in view of the date of his demise it is very likely that he died of wounds or other war related injuries. DAVIS, L. Best match obtained for this casualty is the following casualty:- DAVIS, LINGARD HOWELL MONTGOMERY. Corporal, 23/116. 1st Battalion, 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool s Own). Died 20 June Aged 26. Born Dover, Kent. Son of the late Gledney Smith Davis and Margaret Davis. Buried Trois-Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, Nord, France. Grave Ref: I. P. 42. The New Zealand Rifle Brigade which was affectionately known as The Dinks, was formed on 1 May 1915, in the 3rd Brigade of the New Zealand Division, as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Two battalions of the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool s Own) departed from Wellington, New Zealand on 8 October 1915 and arrived at Cairo, Egypt on 14 November They were joined on the 13 and 15 March 1916 by the third and fourth battalions. On 14 November 1915, Arab tribesmen, supporters of the powerful Senussi movement, opened fire at a British-Egyptian border post at As-Sallum. This relatively small (the Turks provided uniforms and equipment for 7000 men, supplemented by others with their own weapons), but experienced force then advanced east to attack Sidi Barrani. This Arab revolt was planned and promoted by the Turkish government, who hoped that it would tie down British and Italian troops in North Africa, and during the time spent in Egypt, Lingard s regiment fought against the Senussi force. After a period of re-organisation the full brigade departed from the port of 119

120 Alexandria, Egypt on 7 April 1916 en-route for France. Following the soldiers undergoing further battle training, they eventually entered the line on 13 May 1916 in positions located to the east of Armentieres, after which the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool s Own) participated in a significant number of the battles until the cessation of hostilities, before being disbanded on 4 February Of particular obvious significance regarding Lingard s death was the Battle of Messines that was launched on June by the Second Army, commanded by General Sir Hubert Daddy Plummer. Between 28 May and June , an exceptionally heavy artillery bombardment of the German defences did considerable damage to them. At 0310 hours on June 7, prior to the assault by infantry and tanks, nineteen of twenty one mines laid by the British containing 600 tons of explosives were detonated. One of the other mines had been found by the Germans and rendered safe. A cow died when a lightning strike set off the other remaining mine on 17 July An innovation of note used during the battle was the use of tanks to ferry supplies to the assaulting troops, no doubt saving a significant number of lives with the non-use of traditional carrying parties. Messines (now Mesen) was considered a strong strategic position, not only from its height above the plain below, but from the extensive system of cellars under the convent known as the Institution Royale. The village was taken from the 1st Cavalry Division by the German 26th Division on 31 October-1 November An attack by French troops on 6-7 November 1914 was unsuccessful, and it was not until the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917 that it was retaken by the New Zealand Division. On April 1918, the village fell into German hands once more after a stubborn defence put up by the South African Brigade, but was retaken for the last time on September 1918 during the German retreat. The Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial stands within Messines Ridge British Cemetery, and commemorates over 800 soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who died in or near Messines in 1917 and 1918, and who have no known grave. This is one of seven memorials on the former Western Front in France and Belgium, to those New Zealand soldiers who died in the various battles fought, and whose graves are not known. The memorials are all in cemeteries that were chosen as being appropriate to the fighting in which the men died. The site for the Trois-Arbres Cemetery was chosen for the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station in July 1916, and Plot 1 and the earlier rows of Plot II, were made and used by that hospital until April 1918 when it was evacuated during the successful enemy push. Purely speculation, but in view of the cemeteries prime use, it would seem likely that Lingard had been numbered amongst the New Zealanders who were wounded during the Battle of Messines, and later succumbed to same whilst a patient at the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station. DAWES, ARTHUR. Private, G/ C Company, 10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion. The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 21 September Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 3. A Palestine veteran, Arthur had been amongst the officers and other ranks which had joined C Company after 1 March The day on which Arthur died 22 other ranks in 120

121 his battalion lost their lives during the Advance to the Hindenburg Line, as part of the 74th (Yeomanry) Division operations. DAWSON, WILLIAM HENRY GEORGE. M.M. Corporal, A Company, 2nd/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force). Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 24 December Aged 20. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Brother of Mrs. Winifred A. Care of Glenleven House, 93, Island Wall, Whitstable, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Buried Jerusalem War Cemetery, Israel. Grave Ref: S. 22. Formerly Private, 3239, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). William was awarded the Military Medal whilst serving as a Corporal in the Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), as opposed to whilst when serving in his former regiment. The citation for William s Military Medal reads: - After the position had been taken, he established communication from the Front Line to the Battalion Headquarters by flag, under very heavy fire. Prior to enlisted William had been an employee of the General Post Office, probably either in or around the Dover, Kent area. DAYNES, CHARLES EDWARD. Private, 6/ st Battalion, Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F. Died 8 May1915. Aged 23. Born River, Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Phoebe Ann Daynes of Mill Cot tage, Lower Road, River, Dover, Kent, and the late George Daynes. Commemorated on the Twelve Tree Copse (New Zealand) Memorial, Krithia, Turkey. At the time of the 1881 census the Daynes family resided at Cottage, River, Dover (Kent), with George Daynes, a Corn Miller shown as being the Head of the house:- George DAYNES. Aged 30. Born Frittenden, Kent. Phoebe A. DAYNES. Aged 28. Born Frittenden, Kent. (Error). Please see 1901 census details below, re Phoebe s place of birth which is correct. Charlotte M. DAYNES. Aged 8. Born Sittingbourne, Kent. Amy E. DAYNES. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Florence S. DAYNES. Aged 4. Born Dover, Kent. George DAYNES. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. Alice M. DAYNES. Aged 1. Born Dover, Kent. Emily R. JOHNSON. Aged 33. Born Lambeth, Surrey. Nurse (S.M.S.) By the time of the 1901 census George Daynes had died, and the Daynes family resided at Crabble Mill Cottages, River, Dover, Kent with Phoebe Ann Daynes (neé Pellatt), a widow and a native of Newington, Sittingbourne, Kent as Head of the house. Charles s regiment was formed from volunteers of the Territorial Force regiments in the Canterbury Military District in August The 179 New Zealanders commemorated on the above memorial fell during the Second Battle of Krithia in early May 1915 or elsewhere on Gallipoli in July The memorial takes the form of panels placed in the wall flanking the Cross of Sacrifice standing at the centre of the north-west side of the cemetery of the same name. This is situated in the Helles area, nearly one kilometre south west of the 121

122 actual village of Krithia from which the 1915 battle takes its name. Charles is also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul. Charles regiment was formed on 17 March 1911, and during the Great War it saw action in Egypt, Gallipoli and France. Following the Great War it absorbed the 2nd (South Canterbury) Regiment in 1921, to become the Canterbury Regiment. George Daynes, a Police Officer brother of Charles, enlisted in the Canadian army at Vernon, British Columbia, Canada on 13 August 1915, and given the regimental number Born at Dover, Kent, 31 May 1878, George had previously served for a period of 8 years in the Royal Garrison Artillery, followed by 4 years as Reservist. DEARLOVE, ALBERT WILLIAM. Private st Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. Died Sunday 25 October Born East Hangbourne, Berkshire. Enlisted Reading, Berkshire. Resided Charlton, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 45. The above details are as extracted from SDGW, due to boundary changes East Hangbourne where Albert is shown as born is now in Oxfordshire near Didcot. Place of residence as shown probably means the Charlton area of Dover as opposed the former Charlton, Kent which is now in South East London. The following is a verbatim entry for the battalion war diary entry whilst in Belgium for the day Albert died:- Heavily shelled all day. A German battery was observed by some men in one of D Coys trenches about 800yds NE of 5th Kilometre stone on ZONNEBECK-BECELARE road. Fire was at once opened on the gun detachments, who tried to bring up the teams and get the guns away. This they had to abandon as most of the horses were shot. Eventually, during the rest of the day, they managed to manhandle 5 of the guns away with heavy casualties. During the afternoon the French attack on our left advanced to within 200 yards of the remaining gun and limbers. After dark a party of the regiment was sent out and they successfully manhandled the gun in. At dawn one trench of D coy, at right angles to the ZONNEBECK-BECELARE road discovered a German trench running along that road and about 5 yards from them. Some Germans attempted to run back during the morning and all were shot. At dusk, the remainder, about 70, surrendered and a German officer was taken prisoner during the evening. Capt O Steele, who had rendered very valuable assistance during yesterdays attack and today was killed by a big shell. 2/Lieuts Battye and Gross were wounded and 2/Lieut Searles went sick. DENNETT, THOMAS SUTTON. Corporal, G/ th (Service) Battalion, (Empire) Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 29 November Aged 19 years. Born Kennington, Ashford, Kent. Enlisted and resided Folkestone, Kent. Son of Thomas Sutton Dennett and Charlotte Dennett of Shakespeare House, West Hougham, Dover, Kent. Buried Hermies Hill British Cemetery, France. Grave reference I.A.1. Also commemorated on Hougham, Dover, Kent civic war memorial. Formerly Trooper, 3252, Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles (Yeomanry). 122

123 DENNIS, C.G. As commemorated on the war memorial is probably:- DENNIS, GEORGE CYRIL. Rifleman, st Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 11 November Aged 18. Born, and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. G. Dennis of 148, Clarendon Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: IX. E. 9. DICKS, SAMUEL DRESSER. Stoker 1st Class, K/ Royal Navy, H.M.S. Invincible. Died 31 May Aged 23. Born Richmond, Yorkshire 18 August Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Panel 18. DIGGINGS, FREDRICK WILLIAM. Company Serjeant Major, st Infantry Labour Company, 17th Labour Battalion. The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 24 March Aged 51. Born Ipswich, Suffolk. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Husband of J. Diggings of 1, Military Cottages, Military Hill, Dover, Kent. Buried Ste. Marie, Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: Div. 3. K. 11. Formerly 5996, Border Regiment, awarded the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Border Regiment). In June 1917 it being only a few months after his demise; Frederick s battalion was transferred from The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), and became a unit of the Labour Corps, becoming the Eastern Command Labour Centre. Frederick s comrades who died after the transfer date will however, (like Frederick) have The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) regimental badge engraved on their headstones. DIXON, E.E. This casualty is possibly as follows, he being the best match :- DIXON, ERNEST EDWARD. Second Lieutenant. 168th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 9 June Buried Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: IV. D. 2 Formerly Serjeant, 25304, Royal Garrison Artillery. At the time of the 1901 census a 9 year old Ernest E. Dixon was residing at 5 St. Andrews Terrace, Dover, Kent, he was the son of 43 year old William A. Dixon and 42 year old Esther Dixon. On the census record William is shown as the being the Head of the house and was employed as a Bricklayer. In addition to Ernest the couple also had 7 other children residing at home, all 10 family members being natives of Dover, Kent. 123

124 DIXON, PERCY VICTOR. Able Seaman, J/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Natal. Died 30 December Aged 19. Born Dover, Kent 28 February Son of Mrs. E. K. Dixon of 26, Clarendon Road Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 9. Percy was a brother of the next casualty briefly commemorated. H.M.S. Natal was a Royal Navy 13,550 ton Warrior class armoured cruiser which was commissioned in She was at anchor in the Cromarty Firth when she quite literally exploded at about 1520 hours the afternoon of 30 December 1915, a series of violent explosions tore through the ship, and within five minutes she capsized, a blazing wreck. At the time of her loss the ships commander Captain, Eric P.C. Back R.N., and his wife were hosting a party onboard the ship, which included nurses, civilians and children, all of whom were among the 388 who lost their lives when the ship blew-up. Those bodies which were recovered from the sea were interred in Rosskeen Churchyard Extensions, (or Burial Ground) Invergordon. Included amongst the 150 Commonwealth burials from both world wars at Rosskeen, is at least one other Kent casualty of the H.M.S. Natal disaster, he being 24 year old Walter C. Brisley of Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent. Following the loss of H.M.S. Natal an Admiralty Board of Enquiry was convened; the official result from same was that the explosion onboard H.M.S. Natal was due to the deterioration of cordite in the magazine. For many years there was a story circulating in many quarters about the ship having been sabotaged. This apparently was based on the fact that the Dreadnought battleship H.M.S. Vanguard had also exploded mysteriously after being visited by a particular Ordnance Chargehand, who also went into the magazine of H.M.S. Natal just before she too exploded and sank. The man in question is reputed to have then disappeared without trace; an obvious explanation accounting for his disappearance was that he too was lost when H.M.S. Natal exploded. For comprehensive details about the ship, probably the best book to consult is They Called It Accident by A. Cecil Hampshire which tells the story of H.M.S Natal from when she was launched until her loss. DIXON, REGINALD JAMES. Serjeant, nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Died 25 September1915. Born Buckland, Dover Kent. Enlisted Shorncliffe, Kent. Resided Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. E. K. Dixon of 26, Clarendon Road Dover, Kent. Husband of Mrs. Elsie Mabel Dixon of Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 83. It is unfortunate that Reginald s family details were not added to his commemoration after the Great War, as that would have probably confirmed (or not) that at the time of the 1901 census, 9 year old Reginald Dixon who was residing at 32 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent with his parents Thomas and Kate Dixon is this casualty. 124

125 DIXON, WILLIAM JOHN. Able Seaman, J/5442. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Natal. Died 30 December Aged 23. Born River, Dover, Kent 22 November Son of William John and Elizabeth Dixon of 1, Valley Road, River, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 9. Also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul. (Please see Percy Dixon commemoration re fate of H.M.S. Natal). At the time of the 1901 census the Dixon family was residing at River Street, River, Dover, Kent with William senior as the Head of the House. DOWLE, ROBERT. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Battersea) The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 24 February Aged 25. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Robert James Dowle of 1, Spring Cottage, Peter Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. C. 16. It was unusual for a raid of the magnitude of that undertaken by Robert s battalion to be conducted in broad daylight. In addition to the 17 officers and 525 other ranks of the battalion, a section of Royal Engineers and a party from a Tunneling Company joined it at the assembly area early in the afternoon of 24 February 1917, with the objectives of the raid being to take prisoners, inflict loss on the enemy, and destroy his dug-outs, defences and materials, what were located in the German trenches in the Hollandscheschuur Salient. The raid was in fact only the second carried out by a whole battalion, the first one having been undertaken by a battalion of the 47th Division. In charge of the raid by Albert s battalion was Major R.V. Gwynne, with Captain L. Matthews as second in command. Initially the daylight raid was an spectacular success, only ten minutes after it had commenced the first of the designated objectives had been captured, a quarter of an hour later and the second objective was in the battalions hands, in less than half an hour as the first objectives fell many enemy prisoners were taken and passed back down the line. As the attacked pressed on and men wearied, the enemy defenders put up more spirited resistance and by about 1830 hours the German resolve stiffened even more which necessitated the intervention of the Royal Artillery whose gunners dealt with the problem, the shelling destroying several enemy dug-outs and casualties amongst those defending them, those not killed were taken prisoner. In addition to the substantial number of enemy soldiers captured, four machine guns were seized, three of which were destroyed and the other sent back. Barely an hour and a half after the raid had started, those that were coming back had returned. Albert sadly was numbered amongst those who did not return, although a resounding success it was at a cost, 24 year old Captain Edwin H. Bird from Acre Lane, Brixton, London and 29 other ranks lost their lives during the daylight raid, Second Lieutenant Eric H. Fairclough from Catford, Kent died of wounds the same day, in addition to those who fell, two other officers and 91 other ranks were wounded and 11 men missing. H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, the Army 125

126 Commander and the Commander-in-Chief and other less notables of the Army Staff all sent congratulatory letters or messages to the battalion in respect of the raid. DOWLE, WILLIAM ROBERT. Private, M/ st Motor Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps. Died 14 November Aged 30. Son of Mrs. Dowle of Dover Kent. Husband of Ethel Maud Dowle of 57, Glenfield Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Chela Kula Military Cemetery, Niš, Nišava District, Serbia. Grave Ref: A. 6. Also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. William is amongst 25 members of the Royal Army Service Corps (formerly Army Service Corps) Motor Transport personnel who died of the world-wide influenza pandemic after the signing of the Armistice with Bulgaria. The cemetery at Niš contains 38 Commonwealth graves, including 5 graves of nurses of the Scottish Women s Hospital. William s Motor Transport Company was formed on 2 December 1916 for service in Mesopotamia, and the 881st Motor Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps later served as a Motor Transport Supply Column with the Serbian Army. As with many other units of the British military, the unit was later deemed surplus to requirements following the cessation of hostilities and was disbanded on 16 May DRAPER, ARTHUR REGINALD OLLEY. Lieutenant (Q.M.).. 18th (Service) Battalion, (1st Tyneside Pioneers) Northumberland Fusiliers. Died 16 April Commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 2, and on the St. Mary the Virgin parish war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Quarter Master Serjeant, A781, King s Royal Rifle Corps. DREW, EDWIN JOSEPH. Private, L/ nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 28 May Aged 30. Born Walmer, Deal Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Richard Drew of Mill Lane, Upper Deal, Kent. Husband of Emma A. Hammond (formerly Drew) of 42 Devonshire Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres), Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 12. DUNBAR, JOHN SINDAIR. Private, F Company, 1st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Died 27 October Aged 35. Born Kirkcudbright. Enlisted Newcastle-on-Tyne. Son of William and Annie Dunbar of 2, Weatherley Street, Scotswood Road, Newcastleon-Tyne. Husband of A. A. Goodchild (formerly Dunbar) of Hubberstone Green, Milford Haven Pembrokeshire, South Wales. Formerly of 39 Oxenden Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel

127 DUNCAN, ALBERT HENRY. Private, L/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 13 October Born Hougham, Dover Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15. Albert was killed in action at The Quarries near Hulluch, under heavy fire during a fresh British attack which was mounted during the Battle of Loos. The objective designated to the brigade (37th) split between the German positions of Gun Trench and The Quarries was subjected to a heavy artillery bombardment prior to the infantry battalions pressing home their attacks, following ranging shots being fired by the British gunners, who also had been designated set targets primarily bombarding the ensconced enemy defenders and the massive wire entanglements guarding the positions, before the infantry left the safety of their trenches the guns fired from exactly noon for an hour, following which until 1350 hours gas and smoke was used to create a smoke screen of approximately 1,200 yards for an hour, which was increased in density by the use of more smoke ten minutes before zero hour for the infantry assault. At first it appeared that all was going according to plan, as the 7th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment had managed to reach Gun Trench without to much trouble, and thankfully with less casualties than had been originally been envisaged, but on their left flank the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) were subjected to an immense amount of fire power from an enemy trench which was both unseen, and unknown prior to the attack getting underway, which had resulted in the trench not being shelled by the artillery before the infantry had attacked, with the catastrophic result that the German wire at that point remaining virtually untouched. After covering about one hundred yards the battalion was brought to a halt, but not before over four hundred officers and other ranks in the battalion became casualties within the short space of just a few tragic minutes. Of the thirteen officers which had led their men into the fray of the battalions first major engagement of the Great War, ten lost their lives, as did one hundred and seventy five other ranks, amongst the massive number of wounded some men later died, two being later that same day. DUNN, ARTHUR RUBERT. Corporal, th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, Died 23 April Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted London. Resided Ilford, Essex. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 6. DUNN, HORACE LEONARD. Private, /1st, City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders). Died 11 April Aged 19. Born St Martin s, Kent. Enlisted Finsbury Square. Resided Ilford, Essex. Buried Suez War Memorial Cemetery, Suez, Egypt. Grave Ref: D. 43. Horace s place of birth is probably indicative of the St Martin s area of Dover, Kent. Place of enlistment is of significance as pre Great War, (about 1912) Finsbury Square, Islington, London became the location of Horace s regiments headquarters. The original 127

128 1/1st initially served as dismounted infantry at Gallipoli, where it participated in the Battle of Scimitar Hill. The Yeomanry suffering heavy casualties prior to being evacuated to Egypt in December 1915, after which it moved to Salonika in November Following its return to Egypt in 1917, the regiment participated in the Allied advance into the Ottoman Empire controlled Palestine. In 1918 it formed E Battalion, Machine Gun Corps which served on the Western Front. DUNN, REGINALD VICTOR. Private, st/15th (County of London) Battalion. London Regiment (Prince of Wales s Own Civil Service Rifles). Died (Accidentally shot) 4 May Aged 20. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis G. Dunn of 34, York Street Almshouse, Dover, Kent. Buried Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: D. 45. Also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial, Dover, Kent. DUNN, WILLIAM JAMES. Lance Corporal, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 24 March Aged 32. Son of Captain and Mrs. Dunn of Dover, Kent. Born Charlton, Dover Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Husband of Gertrude Dunn of 48, Dour Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Ration Farm Military Cemetery, La Chapelle-D Armentieres, Nord, France. Grave Ref: VI. C. 11. Also commemorated on the St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. DURBAN, ALLAN EDWIN. Serjeant, TF/ st/10th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died 22 August Aged 27. Born Aylesford, Kent. Enlisted Stamford Brook, Middlesex. Resided Kentish Town, Middlesex. Son of Thomas Morris and Eliza Durban of 154, High Street Hythe, Kent. Commemorated on the Kirkee, India Memorial. Face 7. Formerly Serjeant, 2169, Middlesex Regiment. At the time of the 1901 census the Durban family was residing at 27 Priory Hill, Dover, Kent. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. DYER, A.H.M. Best match obtained so far is the following casualty:- DYER, HENRY MARTIN ABRAHAM. Private, st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 19 April Aged 26. Born St. James, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Henry Martin Dyer and Johanna Louisa Dyer of 192, Union Road, Dover, Kent. 128

129 Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: VI. C. 12. DYER, EDWARD GEORGE. Serjeant, T/504. (Acting Company Sergeant Major). 1st/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 25 September Born St. Mary s, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Heliopolis (Aden) Memorial, Egypt. Ref: T/504, also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. A veteran of the South African Campaign (Second Boer War), prior to enlisting for service in the Great War, Edward was an employee of the General Post Office. Regrettably like at least thirteen of other men in his battalion during the time spent in the Aden Protectorate, Edward died from Heat Stroke. On 26 July 1915, Edward had sailed from India with his battalion aboard the 4691 ton ship SS Varsova of the British India Steam Navigation Co Ltd. The Indian Posting of the Aden Protectorate was in times of peace normally of only one year duration, mainly due to the heat. Several commentators have made similar comments along the lines that the English infantry battalion which the 1st/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) replaced had also suffered badly with heat related illness and deaths. Whilst not wanting to appear pedantic to anybody viewing this brief tribute to Edward, but the English infantry battalion often referred to was the 1/1st Breconshire Battalion, (Territorial Force) South Wales Borderers, who doubtless had Englishmen amongst its number, but could hardly in truth be called an English infantry battalion. DYER, S. A. As commemorated on the war memorial is probably the following:- DYER, ALBERT SIDNEY. Private, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 20 October Aged 18. Born Christchurch, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Son of Henry Martin Dyer and Johanna Louisa Dyer of 192, Union Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 2. EAST, HUBERT JAMES. Captain. 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment. Died 10 May Son of Mr. and Mrs. William H. East of East Lee, Dover, Kent. Husband of Mary Vera Hyde Upward (neé Brown) (formerly East) of 111, Victoria Drive, Eastbourne, Sussex. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 36. At the time of the 1901 census the East family was residing at East Lee, Dover, Kent with 51 year old Artist and School Art Master William, a native of Gloucestershire as Head of the house. Hubert is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Educated at Dover College, Kent, Hubert was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the 3rd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment early in 129

130 1901, and served in the South African campaign, (Second Boer war), and for same had received the King s Medal with both date clasps. In July 1903 Hubert was transferred to the 2nd Battalion of his regiment, later being promoted to Lieutenant, and to Captain on 1 July As has been the case with several (possibly hundreds) of casualties researched over the years, it would appear that Hubert falls into the category of official date of death not exactly matching other data. As an officer in his battalion Hubert disembarked at La Havre, France from the SS Lake Michigan on 15 January 1915, after which his battalion made several moves towards Belgium, and on 2 May 1915 took over trenches at Verlorenhoek, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium where it remained until being relieved during the night of 7 May 1915 and going to nearby Ypres, the following day moving into trenches at Frenzenberg from where an assault on the enemy was launched at 2000 hours. The York and Lancaster Regiment history of the Great War period was written by Colonel H. C. Wylly who wrote of the above action fought by the 1st Battalion thus, The enemy position was reached and some few men gallant men even entered it, but were immediately bayoneted. Only one officer in the battalion was not a casualty of some category by the end of the day on 8 May 1915, including apparently 5 killed, however only the Commanding Officer 45 year old Frederick E.B. Isherwood is shown as died on that date by the CWGC. In view of the possible error it seemed prudent to make mention of same. Due the officer casualty rate, although a Captain, Hubert was commanding his battalion at the time of his death. EASTERFIELD, GEORGE. Private, rd Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died 1 July Aged 28. Son of George Dennis Easterfield and Adelaide Easterfield of 5, Riverside Terrace, River, Dover. Kent. Born Tonbridge, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided River, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 C. George is also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St. Peter & St. Paul. Formerly Private, G/859, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). EAVES, ALFRED THOMAS. Lieutenant. (Acting Captain). 10th (Service) Battalion, (Battersea) The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 3 October Husband of Mrs Eaves of 196 Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 D. Formerly Second Lieutenant, East Surrey Regiment. Gazetted December Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Raised in June 1915 the 10th (Service) Battalion, (Battersea) The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment underwent almost a whole year in training prior to going to the Western Front. Having left Aldershot on 5 May 1916 aboard three trains which arrived at Southampton later the same day the battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel R. Oakley then sailed for Le Harve, arriving the following day, from where the battalion left by train for Steenbecque, from Steenbecque the battalion marched 130

131 to Outtersteene, Bailleul, Nord, later moving back to Steenbecque and took up position in the Ploegsteert area of Belgium where the battalions first casualties occurred. Most of the battalions locations were in an area on the French/Belgium border for many months which the prime reason the battalion never played a part in the earliest actions of the Battle of the Somme Around the middle of August 1916 a succession of moves were made by Thomas s battalion, initially to Notteboom, then via Pont-Rémy a move was made to Buigny l'abbé were several days were spent, after which another move was undertaken to the Dernancourt, Somme area by way of Longpré les Amiens. Eventually the battalion camped about half a mile to the north of Méaulte to the south of the town of Albert on 9 September From the camp at Méaulte the battalion went to the Pommiers Redoubt on 13 September, and from there to trenches located to the north east of Delville Wood. Two days after occupying the trenches the battalion was involved in an attack undertaken in conjunction the other three battalions which made constituted their (124th Infantry Brigade), they being the 21st Battalion, King s Royal Rifle Corps, and the 26th and 32 nd Battalion s, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Initially little resistance was experienced during the day of the attack which had got under way at zero hour 0620 hours, with a position called Switch Trench being captured by 0700 hours, and only a mere hour an hour later part of Flers Trench also fell to the four assaulting battalion s, by 0850 hours the capture of the that trench complex was completed in unison with the taking of Flers Avenue, to cement their successes later enemy counter attacks were all repulsed. Confirmation of the successful outcome was given by Lieutenant Colonel R. Oakley to the rear echelon at about 1900 hours when he arrived back for treatment for his wounds, at which time he also reported that his battalion had sustained huge casualties throughout the day, and that in his opinion probably only about 50 all ranks were not casualties. Reading through documents appertaining to the battalion relating to the action involving the capture and holding on to them prior to being withdrawn on 19 September, they all bear out the battalions Commanding Officers estimate regarding casualties. In excess of 300 had been casualties and of their number almost 70 had either been killed in action or died of wounds over the three days of 15 & 17 September, regrettably and probably inevitably others succumbed to their wounds inflicted over the same two days over quiet a long time span after being evacuated the front the line of the Somme. At the start of October the battalion moved forward to the front line again via Pommiers Redoubt to a position named Gird Lines, where the battalion was subjected to fairly continuous fire of all types which included enemy artillery from beyond the Thilloy Road area. From reading the battalion history of the days events it would seem likely that Alfred had been an officer in D Company, which had fared particularly badly after leaving Gird Trench to occupy the positions held by the 21st Battalion, King s Royal Rifle Corps. Shortly after starting the execution of the order to relieve the Riflemen, fresh orders were issued to D Company to render assistance to the four battalions of an attack that was being carried out to it front. Almost from the outset problems occurred not least of which was the difficulty in communications, including that to their own 124th Infantry Brigade Head Quarters, with messages taking a full five hours to be received by the rear echelon from the front. Rumours were rife along the lines that the whole of D Company had been annihilated, which as it transpired was fortunately untrue and only a single officer death is shown, who was killed by a shell 131

132 whilst consolidating a captured position under during a period of heavy enemy shelling, the officer referred to probably being Captain Alfred Eaves. EDMOND, EDWIN JAMES. Corporal, Kent Fortress Company, 2nd/1st (Cinque Ports) Battalion, Royal Engineers. Died 20 May Aged 35. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Robert and Emma Edmond. Husband of Ethel Nelly Edmond of 6, Military Road, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Mary s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: K. E. 26. EDWARDS, A. No clear trace. It is possibly of significance that this casualty is commemorated on the addenda panel on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial which might be indicative of death occurring post the collection of the original names, which would also be past the cut-off date for a Great War commemorative death, by the then Imperial War Graves Commission in The sole albeit tenuous Dover casualty noted was the following soldier, but the only connection being his place of enlistment, with no residence data shown on either his CWGC commemoration, or SDGW:- EDWARDS, ALBERT. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Died 22 September Born Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: R. IV. D. 6. Formerly Private, 18962, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. EDWARDS, FREDERICK WILLIAM. Artificer Engineer, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Flirt. Died 1 June Age 43. Born Dover, Kent 9 December Son of Frederick and Mary J. Edwards of Dover, Kent. Husband of Lottie Victoria Edwards of The Royal Hotel, Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey, Kent. Buried Sheerness, (Isle of Sheppey) Cemetery. Grave Ref: V Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent Joseph s ship, a 380 ton C class ( Fawn sub class) Torpedo Boat Destroyer was built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, of Jarrow in Edward s ship being one of a number of fast (30 knots) turtleback-bowed three funneled destroyers of approximately 350 tons displacement which were constructed between 1894 and They were built by several shipyards to a general specification as laid down by the Admiralty covering layout, performance and armament, but unusually the actual detail as regards to exact specification was left to the respective ship builders, and so there was a variation between the groups of ships. H.M.S. Flirt sank on the day Edward died after being torpedoed by German Destroyers in the Straits of Dover. In view of its importance to warfare it seems right to make a very brief reference H.M.S. Flirt s builder. Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company was established at Jarrow in 1852 by Charles Mark 132

133 Palmer, and became the first armour-plate manufacturer in the world. The John Bowes, which was the very first iron screw collier revived the Tyne coal trade, and the company was also responsible for the first modern cargo ship, as well as a number of notable warships. At its peak the company employed about eighty per cent of the town s work- who is shown force. At the time of the 1881 census, Edward was residing with his mother as being the Head of the house at 167 Snargate Street, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent, as under:- Mary J. EDWARDS. Aged 32. Born Hackney, London, Middlesex. Teacher of Pianoforte. Frederick W. EDWARDS. Aged 7. Born Dover, Kent. ELLENDER, ALBERT GEORGE. Leading Stoker, K/4464. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Formidable. Died 1 January Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent 23 January Son of Joseph William and Elizabeth Ellender of 1 Strond Street, Dover, Kent. Husband of Mabel Charlotte Ellender of 43, Liverpool Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 11. A brother of the next casualty commemorated. Albert s 15,250 tons pre-dreadnought Battleship, was sunk by two torpedoes fired from the German submarine U-24 commanded by Rudolf Schneider, when she was about 20 miles off Start Point, Devon at 0200 hours on 1 January The first torpedo hit the number one boiler port side; a second explosion caused the ship to list heavily to starboard. Huge waves thirty feet high lashed the stricken ship, with strong winds, rain and hail, sinking it in less than two hours. Captain Arthur N. Loxley R.N, his second-incommand, Commander Charles F. Ballard R.N, and the signaler stayed at their posts throughout, sending flares and rockets off at regular intervals. There was no panic, the men waiting calmly for the lifeboats to be lowered. Someone played ragtime on the piano, others sang. The ships Chaplain was said to have risked his life going below to find cigarettes to distribute amongst the crew. Suddenly the ship gave a tremendous lurch, the Captain shouted Lads, this is the last, all hands for themselves, and may God bless you and guide you to safety. He then walked to the forebridge, lit a cigarette and, with his terrier Bruce on duty at his side, calmly waited for the end, in true Royal Naval tradition. Only 199 men were saved out of the ships complement of about 750, H.M.S. Formidable was on exercises at the time of her loss and has the sad distinction of being the first British battleship to be sunk in the Great War. On 26 October 1914 Rudolf Schneider was also in commanded the U-24 when he carried out first of the attacks on an unarmed merchant ship without warning. The ship being the SS Admiral Ganteaume, which Rudolf Schneider torpedoed but was unable to sink the ship, which was later successfully taken in tow and made it safely to port. ELLENDER, REGINALD ALFRED. M.M. Private, rd Stationary Hospital, (Territorial Force) Royal Army Medical Corps. Died 2 July Aged 31. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Sittingbourne, Kent. Son of Joseph William and Elisabeth Ellender of 1 Strond Street, Dover, Kent. 133

134 Husband of Olive May Ellender of 208, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Murmansk New British Cemetery, Russian Federation. Grave Ref: A. 9. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Murmansk New British Cemetery was made in The 40 burials in the cemetery were moved in from the Old British Cemetery that had been used by the No 86 General Hospital during the years 1918 and 1919, and the cemetery now contains 83 burials and commemorations of the Great War. The Special Memorials commemorate officers and men known to have been buried in cemeteries elsewhere in the Murman area of Russia. Reginald had been awarded the Military Medal for his bravery during the 1916 Battle of the Somme, but a few months later during the battle he was gassed at Bullecourt, which may have played a part in his demise as his Casualty Card shows cause of death as Pneumonia. Possibly the gassing had left him unable to cope with the severity of the weather encountered by the expedition of which he was a member. His unit at the time of Reginald s death was commanded by Major D.C. Williams, R.A.M.C. ELLIS, CHARLES EDWARD. D.S.M. Petty Officer, Royal Navy. H.M. Submarine E 34. Died 20 July Aged 33. Born Dover, Kent 13 December Son of Mr and Mrs T. Ellis, 54 Bridge Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Noordwijk General Cemetery, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. Grave Ref: D. 58. Charles submarine which was built by Vosper Thornycroft and launched on 27 January 1917 was used as a minelayer. Commanded by 28 year old Lieutenant Richard I. Pulleyne D.S.O., D.S.C, from Southwold, Suffolk, she and had left the port of Harwich, Essex on the morning of 14 July 1918 to lay mines off the coast of Vlieland, one of the West Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, where it is thought that she struck a mine, and was lost with all hands (3 officers and 28 ratings). Although a mine is given as probable cause the exact reason for the loss of E 34 is still officially recorded as being unclear. Like countless other commemorations of deaths at sea (both world wars) those of the officers and ratings of the E 34 might not in fact be the correct date, as depending on data and publications read, her loss is shown as having occurred on the or 21 July Of the 61 Commonwealth burials in Noordwijk General Cemetery, the majority are from the Second World War, but in addition to Charles Ellis is the submarines commander mentioned above, the E 34 s number two Lieutenant Hugh T. D. Wynne and 21 year old Gibraltar native and resident, Leading Telegraphist Charles J.N. Amoore. ELLIS, ERNEST BENJAMIN. Stoker 1st Class, K/28237(Ch). Royal Navy, H.M.S. Racoon. Died 9 January Aged 26. Born Dover, Kent 4 March Son of late Mr G. Ellis and Mrs Ellis of 32 East Cliff, Dover, Kent. Buried Rathmullan (St. Columb) Church Of Ireland Churchyard, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. The churchyard, on the west bank of Lough Swilly, contains the graves of sailors whose bodies were washed ashore from H.M.S. Racoon. These men of 134

135 whom one is unidentified, are buried in one plot in the centre of the churchyard. About nine yards north of the church, there are also buried in a communal grave in this churchyard, six sailors from H.M.S. Magic, which was sunk by an enemy torpedo. Both groups of burials are marked by collective memorials. One further war grave, that of Leading Seaman Arthur J Ward of H.M.S. Nicator is separate. There are in total 24 Commonwealth burials of the Great War in the churchyard, 1 of which is unidentified. The loss of Ernest s 950 ton Beagle Class destroyer has been variously attributed to having been sunk by an enemy u-boat or crashing onto rocks, and foundering in the Garvan Isles, whilst en-route from Liverpool, Lancashire to take up duties in the Northern Approaches. ELLIS, GEORGE ALFRED. Lance Corporal, L/ st Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 13 September Born Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk. Enlisted Maidstone, Kent. Husband of Amy E. Ellis of 60, Oswald Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the La Ferté-sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France. George was numbered amongst the nineteen members of his battalion who fell at the village of Sermoise to the east of Soissons, Aisne, France on the day he died. The 1st Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) had arrived at Sermoise that day, having been billeted at Serches. B and C Companies advanced from Sermoise to the bridge at Missy-sur-Aisne, and B Company soon came under fire from the enemy resulting in the deaths of the battalions two officers killed on 13 September 1914, they being 30 year old Captain Frank Fisher, and 29 year old Lieutenant Horatio J. Vicat, of Sevenoaks, Kent, both of whom are also like George, commemorated on the La Ferté- Vicat had only joined the battalion at the front less sous-jouarre Memorial. Lieutenant than a week earlier. Later the same night under the cover of darkness, the battalion made a successful crossing of the river Aisne. ELVERSON, RONALD WHIDBORNE. Lieutenant. 9th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Died 25 September Born Kennington, London c1891. Commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 6. At the time of the 1901 census the Elverson family was residing at 12 Victoria Park, St. James, Dover, Kent with 51 year old retired (Infantry) Major Hamilton J. Elverson, a native of Kingsbury, Middlesex as the Head of the house. Other family members present were Ronald s mother 50 year old Anna Eliza Elverson from Hanley, Staffordshire, 18 year old James Elverson who is shown on the census as being a Lieutenant of Artillery Militia, and a native of Guildford, Surrey. Ada M. Iverson was aged 13 and had been born in Ireland. In addition to the family members five servants and a Colonel (retd) George A. Crawford R.A. were also in residence. 135

136 ERRY, THOMAS HERBERT. Private, TF/ /7th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Middlesex Regiment. Died 3 May 17. Enlisted Hornsey, Middlesex. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 7. Former regimental number 6318, same rank and regiment. It is fairly certain that the spelling of Thomas s surname by the CWGC (ERREY) is erroneous as all other data checked shows it spelt as on the war memorial, it is also the same spelling on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. EVANS, A.W. No clear trace, but is also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. EVANS, EDWARD ARTHUR. Serjeant, nd (Service) Battalion, (Kensington) Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 29 April Born St. Luke s, London. Enlisted Hounslow, Middlesex. Resided Forest Gate. Husband of Mrs May Evans (neé Uden) of 101 Oswald Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais. France. Bay 3, and on the war memorial window in the Primitive Methodists Chapel, Dover, Kent. EVANS, V.S. Best match for this casualty as commemorated on the war memorial is:- EVANS, SAMUEL VICTOR DUKE. Private, TF/ /7th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Middlesex Regiment. Died 24 September Aged 20. Born Ceylon. Enlisted Sevenoaks, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Major F. and Mrs. E. A. Evans of 30, Vale View Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 12 D. Please note similar regimental number of Thomas Erry who died serving in the same battalion. In addition to Samuel only two other ranks lost their lives on the day that he did, on a day that their battalion had been withdrawn from a trench which was jointly held by them and the GERMANS! Just over a week before his death, Samuel s battalion had been in action at Bouleaux Wood located between Combles and Ginchy; at 0820 hours on 16 September A and C Companies had moved forward and in the regimental history of the battalion written by Colonel E.J. King (Harrison and Sons, 1927), he states that in a moment they were practically annihilated, leaving just 25 men. Without any hesitation on their part, the officers and other ranks of B and D Companies then advanced but were also subjected to heavy enemy fire, and also records that from an attacking strength of about 500, approximately 300 became casualties including 125 killed in action. Checking SDGW shoes that the Colonel had in fact been remarkably accurate, as it shows 122 other ranks deaths on that date, in addition to which ODGW shows 7 officers. Following this action, those able so to do went to Falfemont Farm followed by Maltz Horn Farm and to front line trench to the north west of Bouleaux Wood, into which a tank had previously fallen and remained there. It was in this trench 136

137 complex that the battalion remained with the stranded tank separating them from the enemy soldiers on the other of the machine side occupying the same trench until the day of Samuel s death. EVERALL, EDWARD HENRY. Able Seaman, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Aboukir. Died 22 September1914. Aged 26. Born Annalong, County Down, Northern Ireland 16 November Son of Freeman and Ellen Everall of 19, Vale View Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Ref: 2 Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued 137

138 crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February EVERSFIELD, FREDERICK. Able Seaman, J/ Royal Navy. H.M. Submarine D6. Died 24 June Aged 24. Born Dover, Kent 15 May Husband of Kathleen Christina Eversfield of 19, St. James Road, Carshalton, Surrey. Chatham Naval Memorial, Ref: 28. At the time of the 1901 census the Eversfield family was residing at Alexandra Cottages, Tower Street, Dover, Kent. Whilst on patrol in the North Sea, Frederick s submarine commanded by Lieutenant S.A. Brooks R.N., which had been launched on 23 October 1911, was sunk off the north coast of Ireland by the German submarine UB-73 which was commanded by Commander Karl Neureuther. Between the two world wars Karl Neureuther co-edited with Claus Bergen a book entitled Selection of U-Boat Stories which were published in English by Constable & Co, London in The D class of submarine was the Admiralty s first attempt to produce a reliable submarine that could carry out extended patrols away from coastal areas. They had increased displacement, greater internal space and most importantly, diesel engines driving through twin propellers, and the D class were also the first boats to be fitted with wireless transmitters. The innovative use of saddle tanks to hold the main ballast water externally provided additional inboard space, although the larger engines, and an additional torpedo tube aft and enlarged compliment, probably left little for improved habitability. With their enlarged bridge structure, these boats had a profile that became that of the conventional submarine. A successful and relatively reliable class of submarine, the D class worked very hard during the Great War primarily engaged on patrolling the North Sea and the Heligoland Bight, in addition to protecting the cross channel troopships. Frederick s submarine was one of the four that were lost during the war, the others being the D2, D3 and D5. As has been mentioned previously at these commemorations regarding the dates of deaths at sea, the loss of the D6 falls into that same category as depending on what is checked the date range for her loss varies over a range of five days, it being inclusive of 24 to 28 June Another thing which is also unclear regarding her loss is the number of casualties, as most indicate a loss of the whole submarines compliment, but perhaps it is of significance that it has not been possible to find a CWGC commemoration for her commander Lieutenant S.A. Brooks R.N. As the bulk of these brief commemorations were being finalised in mid 2005, it was reported that the wreck of the D6 had just been discovered by divers; hopefully she will be respected and treated as a war grave. 138

139 FAGGETHER, WILLIAM ALFRED, Private, th (Queen s Royal) Lancers. Died 20 May Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 5. Although The Battle of Frezenburg, during part of the Second Battle of Ypres was officially carried out between the 8 and 13 May 1915, it is likely that William and four of his comrades who fell with him did so as the result of operations linked to the above action at which the 1st Cavalry Division, to which the 9th (Queen s Royal) Lancers belonged. The regiment served throughout the Great War, most of which time was spent fighting as infantry like most British Cavalry regiments during the war. Only four days after William lost his life, 3 officers and 19 other ranks of his regiment fell at Hooge, Belgium, on of the officers being Captain Francis O. Grenfell V.C. who had won the Victoria Cross For gallantry in action against un-broken Infantry at Andregnies, Belgium, on 24th August, 1914, and for gallant conduct in assisting to save the guns of 119th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, near Doubon the same day. Taking into account William s regimental number it would appear that he was in fact a regular soldier of the 9th (Queen s Royal) Lancers, and as such was probably actually involved in the above action fought at Andregnies. On the 11 September 1960, William s regiment amalgamated with the 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales s), and from that day the now 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales s) regiment celebrate Mons/Moy Day annually, commemorating the last occasions on which both of the former regiments actually charged with the lance. On the 7 September 1914 Lieutenant Colonel David Campbell led a charge of two troops of B Squadron of the 9th (Queen s Royal) Lancers and overthrew a squadron of the enemy1st Guard Dragoons, it being the only lance versus lance action carried out during the Great War, and on the 28 August 1914 C Squadron of the 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales s), made a most successful charge against the 1st Guard Dragoons supported by the fire of A and B Squadron, J Battery Royal Horse Artillery, and the Scots Greys. In much the same way as William might have been at the V.C. action at Andregnies on 24 August 1914, he was possibly present at the fight with lances on 7 September FAIRWEATHER, WILLIAM HENRY. Stoker 1st Class, K/6889. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Aboukir. Died 22 September Aged 24. Born Dover, Kent 9 November Enlisted 2 June Son of William Henry and Catherine Julia Fairweather of Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 5, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent, on the latter William is shown with his initials reversed. At the time of the 1901 census the Fairweather family resided at 1 Flying Horse Lane, Dover, Kent. In addition to William junior his parents also had five other children at home, William senior a 46 year old native of Marylebone, London was an Engine Driver on the railways and Head of the house. One of William s brother s, Sapper, WR/150975, George Fairweather, Royal Engineers was awarded the Military Medal whilst serving with a railway unit of the corps. He was probably the same George 139

140 Fairweather M.M. who after the Great War became an Engine Driver with Southern Railway, and eventually drove the famous Golden Arrow. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March 1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February FARLEY, HARRY WILLIAM. Lieutenant. 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 140

141 Died 24 April Aged 22. Born Folkestone, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 7. Harry formerly had served as Private, L/5716, in the 16th (The Queen s) Lancers, prior to being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and joining the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), later being posted to the 8th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). It first appeared that Harry was remarkably unfortunate to have been killed in action (as on ODGW) on 24 April 1918, as also checking SDGW deaths on and around that date all fortunately show nil. The 8th Battalion history of written by Lieutenant Colonel H.J. Wenyon D.S.O, and Major H.S. Brown M.C, makes mention of moving to Ourton near Pernes, on 17 April 1918 where the Division (24th) was in General Headquarters, whilst there, a large draft of officers arrived including the then Captain H.S. Brown who rejoined after a six months tour of duty at home. At Ourton the battalion was involved in various forms of training, and on 27 April a very successful athletic sports meeting took place when the Brigade (72nd) Commander won the officers race, no doubt fairly and squarely! No mention is made of any actions with the enemy, indeed reference is made of the fact that the sports meeting had done some good as the other ranks were at risk of getting stale. Left with several options to consider because something did not fit, had Harry remained a Private or similar other rank it would probably have left the confusion of his demise unsolved, but as an officer it seemed prudent to delve deeper. Checking through the regimental history of the regiment for the Great War period, written by ex Captain C.T. Atkinson thankfully yielded positive results, which clearly show Harry s CWGC and ODGW details as being erronius, as at the time of his death he was serving with the 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), and not the 8th (Service) Battalion of his regiment, but was possibly on attachment. Although the initial impact of the German Spring Offensive which had commenced on 21 March 1918 had lost some of its devastating initial impact by the time Harry lost his life only a month later, his battalion and all the others that faced the enemy were still massively outnumbered, which in turn had probably buoyed the German soldiery on to attempt more successes than that which had already been accomplished. C.T. Atkinson draws the readers attention to the fact that the Germans had not abandoned hope of mastering the Villers Bretonneux plateau on the Somme by late April Their confidence was possibly one of the reasons that their attack on the plateau in the early hours of 24 April 1918 had been a noted success. The attack on the plateau had initially been by an overpowering bombardment, and by the later use of tanks supporting the infantry which resulted in those attempting to stave them off being overwhelmed. Plans for a counter attack were hastily put in place following the capture of the plateau which resulted in the 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) being order up. The events which took place in the area on 24/25 April 1918 are with good reason inexplicably linked to the exploits and tremendous sacrifice of the Australian soldiers who actually captured the village of Villers Bretonneux, but that not withstanding an awful loss of life occurred amongst all the other formations that fought in the area at that time. By the end of the action, Harry s battalion which had 481 able bodied men at the start of same had suffered 228 casualties which included Harry and another officer Lieutenant Moody posted as missing. It would appear that thankfully Lieutenant was spared, but Harry and 70 other ranks had died during the 141

142 two day engagement and four other of the officers had been wounded. The action of 24/25 April 1918 had brought the battalion s total losses for the month to almost 600. On the night of 25/26 April the battalion was relieved by a Moroccan Division and was withdrawn out of the actual battle area going to Métigny to the south of Airaines. FARRELL, WILLIAM HENRY. Rifleman, th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 25 September Aged 25. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Ellen Farrell of 66, Wyndham Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 46. FARRETT, ERNEST. Driver, 935. C 1072 Battery, 222nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 12 July1916. Buried Amara War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: IX. G. 10. Unfortunately there is no SDGW entry for Ernest, but he is also commemorated in the impressive C 1072 Battery, 222nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery Commemoration Book which is fortunately held in safe keeping at the Dover Museum, 5 Market Square, Dover, Kent, CT16 1PB. In the book Ernest is commemorated with the regimental number , as can be seen at the book transcription on this website. Ernest s MIC entry shows just a single regimental number, it being 935 as above. FENNELL, JOHN THOMAS. 737, Chief Petty Officer (Pensioner). Royal Navy. (RFR/CH/A/907). H.M.S. Aboukir. Died 22 September Aged 46. Born Dover, Kent 17 October Son of John Benjamin and Charlotte Fennell of Dover; Kent. Husband of Eleanor Mary Fennell of 6, Dunnett Road, Cheriton, Folkestone, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Panel 1, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. John is also commemorated on the Folkestone, Kent civic war memorial, which also shows his naval rank. John had an impressive record of naval service com prised of 23 years in the Royal Navy followed by 10 years in the Royal Fleet Reserve, ha ving enlisted in On the 1881 census his family as under were residing at Cross Street, Farnborough, Hampshire, at which time his father was employed as a Grocers Warehouseman. John B. FENNELL. Aged 35. Born Ramsgate, Kent. Charlotte FENNELL. Aged 31. Born Wickham, Kent. John T. FENNELL. Aged13 Born Dover, Kent. Henry M. FENNELL. Aged 9. Born Dover, Kent. William FENNELL. Aged 7. Born Dover, Kent. Charles FENNELL. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Edwin G. FENNELL. Aged 3 month. Born Farnborough, Hampshire. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine 142

143 in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February FILES, ALFRED WILLIAM GEORGE. Private, th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died 10 October Aged 25. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Annie Elizabeth Kirk of 123, Heathfield Avenue, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 154 or

144 Formerly Private, G/8882, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). FINN, THOMAS GEORGE. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, (Battersea) The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 17 September Aged 25. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Mrs. S. A. Finn of 114, Clarendon Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5D. Raised in June 1915 the 10th (Service) Battalion, (Battersea) The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment underwent almost a whole year in training prior to going to the Western Front. Having left Aldershot on 5 May 1916 aboard three trains which arrived at Southampton later the same day the battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel R. Oakley then sailed for Le Harve, arriving the following day, from where the battalion left by train for Steenbecque, from Steenbecque the battalion marched to Outtersteene, Bailleul, Nord, later moving back to Steenbecque and took up position in the Ploegsteert area of Belgium where the battalions first casualties occurred. Most of the battalions locations were in an area on the French/Belgium border for many months which the prime reason the battalion never played a part in the earliest actions of the Battle of the Somme Around the middle of August 1916 a succession of moves were made by Thomas s battalion, initially to Notteboom, then via Pont-Rémy a move was made to Buigny l'abbé were several days were spent, after which another move was undertaken to the Dernancourt, Somme area by way of Longpré les Amiens. Eventually the battalion camped about half a mile to the north of Méaulte to the south of the town of Albert on 9 September From the camp at Méaulte the battalion went to the Pommiers Redoubt on 13 September, and from there to trenches located to the north east of Delville Wood. Two days after occupying the trenches the battalion was involved in an attack undertaken in conjunction the other three battalions which made constituted their (124th Infantry Brigade), they being the 21st Battalion, King s Royal Rifle Corps, and the 26th and 32 nd Battalion s, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Initially little resistance was experienced during the day of the attack which had got under way at zero hour 0620 hours, with a position called Switch Trench being captured by 0700 hours, and only a mere hour an hour later part of Flers Trench also fell to the four assaulting battalion s, by 0850 hours the capture of the that trench complex was completed in unison with the taking of Flers Avenue, to cement their successes later enemy counter attacks were all repulsed. Confirmation of the successful outcome was given by Lieutenant Colonel R. Oakley to the rear echelon at about 1900 hours when he arrived back for treatment for his wounds, at which time he also reported that his battalion had sustained huge casualties throughout the day, and that in his opinion probably only about 50 all ranks were not casualties. Reading through documents appertaining to the battalion relating to the action involving the capture and holding on to them prior to being withdrawn on 19 September, they bear out the battalions Commanding Officers estimate regarding casualties. In excess of 300 had been casualties and of their number almost 70 had either been killed in action or died of wounds over the two days of 15 & 17 September, regrettably and probably inevitably others succumbed to their wounds inflicted over the same two days over quiet a long time span after being evacuated the front the line of the Somme. 144

145 FISHER, ROBERT HENRY. Private, GS/ st Battalion Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 4 October Born Lamberhurst, Kent. Enlisted Maidstone, Kent. Son of Mr and Mrs Fisher, of the Duke of Wellington, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 106 Formerly Trooper, 1498, West Kent Yeomanry (Queen s Own). On 2 October 1917, Robert s battalion had taken a full six hours to take over the relief of trenches which ran from the Menin Road, just south-west of Veldhoek on the Ypres Salient to a point approximately 1000 yards north, with the battalion left flank on the bank of a small stream called the Scherriabeke. The main reason for the length of time taken was due to the prevailing weather and awful ground conditions underfoot. A battalion strength made up of 18 officers and 651 other ranks had entered the trenches which were to be the jumping off point for an attacked planned for the 4 October. Despite enemy shelling throughout the day of trench occupation, no casualties were inflicted by same, but two men fell into flooded shell holes and were sadly never seen again, almost as soon as trench boards were laid they were smashed by enemy shells. Despite being supported by very heavy supporting artillery fire, two enemy attacks on the battalion front line trenches were successfully repelled. During the shelling the Regimental Aid Post was destroyed twice, in addition to which were casualties to the Battalion HQ, and particularly to the soldiers in D Company, it being the reserve company. The battalion history states that approximately 100 casualties were suffered by the battalion on the day, and checking SDGW showed 29 other ranks fatalities. In preparation for the planned attack starting at 0600 hours on 4 October, during the night of 3/4 October the Battalion HQ, and the soldiers of D Company, (Reserve Company) who had both suffered badly during the daylight hours, moved forward into their designated battle positions, and in addition to other night time activity carried out, was the laying out of tapes by the Company Commanders for the forthcoming attack, which as things transpired proved to be invaluable. At 0500 hours the German artillery shelled the battalion positions with a heavy barrage by guns of various calibres, at which time the attacking waves had already moved forward and dug in on their respective tape lines, with the enemy shells passing above them and fortunately not inflicting casualties. When the attack was carried out on 4 October, the 1st Battalion Queen s Own (Royal West Kent) took the objective which it had been assigned, it being the extreme right flank battalion of the attack on Paschendaele. In spite of heavy casualties the battalion manage to hold the position that it had gained until being relieved on the night of 5/6 October. Robert was initially reported as being amongst the missing, but was later accepted as having lost his life during the action which had cost his battalion casualties which amounted to 10 officers and 368 other ranks, of the latter 105 died on 4 October 1917, with others doubtless succumbing to their wounds later, and it is of significance for several days following the action which cost Robert his life the bulk of deaths to the battalion were entered as died of wounds. FISHWICK, MAURICE RANDALL. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Died 26 October

146 Enlisted Barnstable, Devon. Husband of Alice Mary Hawkins (formerly Fishwick) of North Leigh, Colyton, Devon. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 38, and is also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. FLEMING, PERCY ALEC. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Essex Regiment. Died 28 May Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium Panel 98. Formerly Private, 9215, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Percy was possibly the 2 year old shown on the 1901 census as residing at 8 Adrian Street, Dover, Kent with his 32 year old Dover native mother Elizabeth Fleming, and her three older children. FOGG, ALBERT FRANK. Serjeant, L/9203. A Company, 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 28 September Aged 21. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Eldest son of Norman and Henrietta Sarah Fogg of 104, Mayfield Avenue, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15. FOGG, ARTHUR CHARLES. Company Serjeant Major, GS/ A Company, 13th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 16 April Aged 19. Born Charlton, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover Kent. Charlton shown in/on SDGW is probably Dover, Kent. Son of Henrietta Sarah Fogg of 104, Mayfield Avenue, Dover, Kent and the late Police Constable Norman Fogg. Buried St. Amand British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II A. 2. Formerly Company Serjeant Major, 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) as extracted from MIC entry, SDGW shows 10900, The King s Own. Arthur was a brother of the following casualty commemorated on the war memorial. It would appear that their father had probably died between the times of his sons deaths. FOREMAN, FREDERICK. Private, nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Died 25 September Born Buckland, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Ramsgate, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 83. FOREMAN, WILLIAM HENRY. Diver. Mercantile Marine Reserve. Royal Fleet Auxiliary Dapper. Died 5 October Aged

147 Born Whitstable, Kent c1870. Husband of Clara E. Foreman (nee Wraight) of 15 Pretoria Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Buckland Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: D William is also commemorated on Whitstable, Kent civic war memorial. It would appear that William was following in his fathers footsteps by going to sea as can be seen from the 1881 census data below, at which time the family resided at 44 Victoria Street, Whitstable, Kent, all the family members were natives of Whitstable, Kent:- William FOREMAN. Aged 45. Mariner. Kate S. FOREMAN. Aged 45. Kate E. FOREMAN. Aged 20. Dress Maker Daniel C. FOREMAN. Aged 13. William FOREMAN. Aged 11. Stephen FOREMAN. Aged 7. Mary Ann FOREMAN. Aged 4. Harold FOREMAN. Aged 2. FORTH, WILLIAM STAVELEY. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (1st Public Works Pioneers) Middlesex Regiment. Died 6 July1918. Aged 38. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Elizabeth Forth of 5, Church Road, Temple Ewell, Dover, Kent and the late George Frederick Samuel Forth. Buried Hagle Dump Cemetery, Ie per, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. H. 4. memorial, and St. Mary Also commemorated on Temple Ewell, Dover, Kent civic war the Virgin parish church war memorial Dov er, Kent. At the time of the 1881 census the Forth family was residing at 43 Y ork Street, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent, as under:- George FORTH. Aged 40. Born Dover, Kent. Foreman at Oil Mills Elizabeth FORTH. Aged 35. Born Dover, Kent. George FORTH. Aged 13. Born Dover, Kent. Caroline FORTH. Aged 11. Born Dover, Kent. John FORTH. Aged 8. Born Dover, Kent. Sarah FORTH. Aged 4. Born Dover, Kent. Eleanor FORTH. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent William FORTH. Aged 7 months. Born Dover, Kent FOSTER, F. No clear trace, but a Frank B. Foster was noted when viewing the 1901 census who was residing at his grandfathers home at 39 Castle Street Court, Dover, Kent, his grandfather being 69 year old James Bartlett. The casualty commemorated on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial might be the following soldier devoid of his first initial, but this is purely speculative, based on the different data accessed:- FOSTER, LOFTUS FRANK, Lance Corporal, nd Battalion, King s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). Died 9 May Aged 22. Born Barham, Canterbury, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Sarah J. Lawrence of 8, Queen Street, Dover, Kent.. Buried Silsoe (St. James) Churchyard, Ampthill, Bedfordshire. Grave Ref:

148 Martin Edwards excellent website has a photograph of Loftus s headstone at the Silsoe, Bedfordshire transcriptions by fellow contributor Lynda Smith. In view of Loftus s place of burial it would seem likely that he had died whilst a patient at Wrest House, Silsoe, as it was put to good use as a Military Hospital during the Great War, until1916 when the house was badly damaged by fire. FOWLER, ALFRED THOMAS. Canteen Server, Admiralty Civilian. H.M.S. Hampshire. Died 5 June 1916 Aged 18. Son of Mrs. M. A. Belsey of 4, Limekiln Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 20. H.M.S. Hampshire struck one of 22 mines that were laid prior to the battle of the Jutland by the German U-boat U-72 which was commanded by Kapitänleutnant Curt Beitzen. Although now probably best remembered for the loss of Lord Kitchener, H.M.S. Hampshire sank with the loss of about 650 on board her. The bodies of over 100 officers and ratings were recovered from the sea and laid to rest in a collective grave in Lyness Cemetery, Hoy, Orkney Islands. 23 German submariners were lost on 13 December 1917 when the U-72 struck a mine off the island of Terschelling, Holland. FOX, JOHN COLLON. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Pioneers) Northamptonshire Regiment. Died 6 April Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried Senlis Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Grave Ref: I. D. 22. FRAMPTON, WILLIAM JOHN GOULBOURN SHIBDEN. Captain. 2nd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment. Died 24 April Aged 32. Son of Colonel William P. Frampton (late 59th Foot), and Mrs. Bayer Frampton of Newton Hall, Clitheroe, Yorkshire. Late of The Lodge, Park Avenue, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panel 42 and on the St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. William was in effect serving in his fathers old regiment, as the 59th Foot became the East Lancashire Regiment in July ODGW records William, as being William John Goulbourn Shipdern Frampton. An ex pupil of Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire, and of Wye, Ashford, Kent, Agricultural College where William is also commemorated as William John Goulbourn Shipdern Frampton. Other forms of rememberance of William include the Newton-in-Bowland panel on Slaidburn, Yorkshire civic war memorial, St Andrew s Slaidburn, Yorkshire parish church, brass memorial plaque, and the church Roll of Honour. The picturesque small hill village of Slaidburn in the Bowland Forest region of the historic county of Yorkshire, is currently administered by Lancashire County Council, as opposed to the old Yorkshire West Riding Council since it was abolished in FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN, , Able Seaman. (RFR/CH/B/3262). Royal Navy, H.M.S. Aboukir. 148

149 Died 22 September Aged 40. Born Dover, Kent 7 April Son of Benjamin Samuel Franklin of George Street, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Husband of Kate Franklin of 10, Ethelbert Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 2. Brother of the next casualty commemorated. At the time of the 1881 census the Franklin family was residing at 9 Erith Street, Buckland, Dover, Kent:- Benjamin FRANKLIN. Aged 44. Born Coventry, Warwickshire. Painter Mary FRANKLIN. Aged 37. Born Dover, Kent. Laundress Eliza FRANKLIN. Aged 12. Born Dover, Kent. Benjamin FRANKLIN. Aged 7. Born Dover, Kent. William FRANKLIN. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Thomas FRANKLIN. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Fanny FRANKLIN. Aged 1. Born Dover, Kent. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. 149

150 The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February FRANKLIN, THOMAS HENRY, rd/5th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Leicestershire Regiment. Died 17 May Aged 40. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Loughborough, Leicestershire. Son of Benjamin Franklin of Dover, Kent. Buried Hipswell (St. John) Churchyard, Yorkshire. Grave Ref: It is likely that Thomas died whilst a patient at the 750 bed Catterick Military Hospital. At the time of the 1881 census the Frank lin family were residing at 9 Erith Street, Buckland, Dover, Kent:- Benjamin FRANKLIN. Mary FRANKLIN. Aged 44. Aged 37. Born Coventry, Warwickshire. Painter. Born Dover, Kent. Laundress. Eliza FRANKLIN. Aged12. Born Dover, Kent. Benjamin FRANKLIN. William FRANKLIN. Aged 7. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Born Dover, Kent. Thomas FRANKLIN. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Fanny FRANKLIN. Aged1. Born Dover, Kent. FRANKS, ROLLAND SUTTON. Second Lieutenant. 8th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, attached to the 1st Battalion. Died 12 October Born Woodbridge, Suffolk. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 79. Formerly Lance Sergeant, TR/10/20333, Training Reserve Battalion. FREEBORN, ALBERT EDWARD. Corporal, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 13 October Aged 22. Son of Sydney James and Eva Sarah Freeborn of 31, Tower Hamlet Street, Dover, Kent. Born and resided Whitstable, Kent. Enlisted London. Buried Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: VIII. D Despite being both a native and resident of Whitstable, Kent, regrettably, Albert is not also commemorated on the Whitstable, civic war memorial. FREEMAN, CHARLES WILLIAM CHRISTOPHER. Stoker 1st Class, K/

151 Royal Navy. H.M.S. Pathfinder. Died 5 September Aged 22. Born Greenwich, Kent 21 May Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Freeman of 47, Primrose Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 5. H.M.S. Pathfinder a 2,900 ton Pathfinder Scout Class cruiser was the leader of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla based at Rosyth, Scotland, she was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off St. Abbs Head, Berwickshire, Scotland, by the German U-boat U-21 which was commanded by Leutnant zur See Otto Hersing. Short of coal she was only making 5 knots at the time of her loss, she has the unenviable distinction of being the first Royal Navy warship to be sunk by a U-boat of the German Navy during the Great War, and the first ship ever to be sunk by a torpedo alone. H.M.S. Pathfinder was struck by the torpedo in one of her magazines, which exploded causing the ship to sink within a few minutes with the loss of 259 men there was only 11 survivors of the sinking. Having sunk 36 ships for a total of 78,712 tons (warships excluded), on 22 February 1919 the U-21 sunk as the result of an accident in position 54.19N, 03.42W while on passage to surrender to the allied powers. FRENCH, HENRY JOHN. Able Seaman, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Pathfinder. Died 5 September Aged 24. Born Canterbury, Kent 25 March Son of Mr and Mrs French, Green Dragon, Strond Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 2. Royal Navy data accessed shows his Christian names reversed. For details re cause of death please see the last commemoration above. FRIEND, JOSEPH BERTIE. Second Lieutenant. 17th (Service) Battalion, (1st City) The King s (Liverpool Regiment), attached to the 13th (Service) Battalion, The King s (Liverpool Regiment). Died 21 August Aged 29. Born Margate, Isle of Thanet, Kent 24 May Eldest son of Joseph Bertie and Mary Isabel Friend (neé Burkett) of 7, Priory Gate Road, Dover, Kent. Earlier having resided at 152 Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 3, and St Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Joseph was educated at St. Josephs College, Margate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Having enlisted in the Royal East Kent Yeomanry in May 1907 he was called up on mobilisation on the first day of the Great War and served as a Serjeant, 1028 & in the 1st /1st Royal East Kent Yeomanry, and served briefly in the Army Ordnance Corps. Joseph had been amongst the members of the 1st/1st Royal East Kent Yeomanry, who left Liverpool onboard the SS Olympic on 25 September 1915 en-route for Gallipoli. It would appear that whilst at Gallipoli Joseph was struck by E? Fever, (probably Enteric, faded paperwork accessed). Whatever was the fever was, it necessitated Joseph s evacuation back to the United Kingdom. After recovering from his illness, Joseph spent nearly five months at No.18 Officer Cadet Battalion, under training at Prior Park, Bath, Somerset, on 151

152 the successful completion of which he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the King s (Liverpool Regiment) in September 1917, having been transferred to an infantry regiment at his own request, and joined the 17th (Service) Battalion, (1st City) The King s (Liverpool Regiment). The month after his transfer, Joseph joined his battalion on the Western Front where he served as the B.T.O. (Battalion Transport Officer). Joseph was with the battalion during its actions of late 1917 and early 1918, including the German Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918, during the early stages of which Joseph s battalion was (unlike many other battalions) spared heavy casualties, Londoner Private William Charles being the sole death on the first day of the offensive, and his death appears to be non war related. In June 1918 having been spared the reinforced enemy onslaught, Joseph was again evacuated back to the United Kingdom for a period of three weeks, suffering with trench foot, which was the direct result of having spent so long in the mud of the Western Front trenches. Deemed fit for active service again, Joseph returned to the Western Front, and was posted to the 13th (Service) Battalion of his regiment. Serving as a Platoon Commander, Joseph died instantly when he was hit by machine gun fire whilst at the head of his platoon, west of the Railway Station at the village of Achiet-le-Grand to the north-west of Bapaume, and south of Arras, Pas de Calais, France, in addition to Joseph, forty other ranks in his battalion also fell during the attack. Joseph s Commanding Officer, Major W. J. W. Howard, wrote the following to his father, I regret to be the bearer of the sad news of your sons death in action on 21 Aug., whilst he was leading his men in a most gallant manner. He was much esteemed by both officers and men, and his death leaves a sad gap. Offering you our very deepest sympathy. Former Private, Lieutenant (later Captain) John Robson White who has been a friend of Joseph also wrote to Mr. and Mrs. Friend the following, I have been told by his men how splendid he was at the time he was killed. He was one of the finest types of officers and gentlemen, and by his courage, good companionship and uprightness, made himself beloved by all who knew him. FRIEND, WILLIAM ROBERT. Private, G/235. C Company, 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), Died 2 August Aged 21. Born enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of James and Sarah Ann Friend of 4, Maxton Hill Cottages, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 17, also on the Hougham, Dover, Kent civic war memorial. FRY, HORACE. Stoker 1st Class, (RFR/CH/B/7348). Royal Navy, H.M.S. Aboukir. Died 22 September Aged 34. Born Teynham, Sittingbourne, Kent 9 August Son of George and Ellen Fry of 19, Crabble Hill, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Husband of Adelaide Henrietta Fry of 5, Pretoria Terrace, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel

153 Although a native of Teynham it would appear that Horace spent most of his short life in Dover, on the 1881 census his family are recorded as residing at 19 Oswald Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent as under:- Henry FRY. Aged 27. Born Upnor, Kent. General Labourer. Ellen FRY. Aged 25. Born Milton, Kent. Elizabeth FRY. Aged 7. Born Hoo, Kent. Maryan FRY. Aged 5. Born Faversham, Kent. Henry FRY. Aged 2. Born Faversham, Kent. Horas FRY. Aged 6 months. Born Teynam, Kent. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have 153

154 interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February FULLER, WILLIAM EDWARD. M.M. Band Serjeant, nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. Died 4 October Aged 31. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted London. Son of the late John and Susanah Fuller. Husband of Jane Flora Fuller of Crabble Farm House, Crabble, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 135. In addition to winning the Military Medal, William was also Mentioned in Despatches. From the scant details noted it would appear that William s heroic actions had been whilst working under fire as a non commisioned officer in charge of his battalions Stretcher Bearers. FUSSELL, WILLIAM BILLINGHAM. Corporal, st Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. Died 4 November Aged 22. Born Longford, Ireland. Enlisted Dublin, Ireland. Son of the late William Bellingham Fussell and Beatrice A. M. Fussell. Husband of Mrs. L H. Fussell of 104, Mayfield Avenue, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres), Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 45. William was killed in action at Molenaarelsthoek, Belgium. The relevant 1st Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (verbatim) war diary entry for the day shows: - C Coy sent to take up a position in rear of the junction of Connaughts right and King left. A & B Coys under Major Finch left the POLYGONE WOOD at about 2pm and moved to some dugouts just E of the wood at VELDHOEK in support of the 1st Bde. D Coy joined them from Bn Hd Qrs en route. C Coy relieved one company of the Staffords in the trenches and Col Graham took command of this section (Staffs & C Coy). FYRTH, ALBERT JOHN. Private, G/ D Company, 8th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 10 June Aged 24. Born Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey. Enlisted Canning Town, Essex. Resided Poplar, E.14. Son of John and Emma Fyrth of 84, Wyndham Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 45. Albert died during the successful Battle of Messines, being one of only two other ranks deaths in his battalion on 10 June For a whole raft of reasons, it has been argued by historians of several nations over the years that the Battle of Messines was the most successful local operation of the war, certainly of the Western Front. Carried out by General Sir Herbert (Daddy) Plumer s Second Army, the battle was launched on 7 June 1917 with the detonation of 19 underground mines underneath the German lines. The target of the offensive was the Messines Ridge, a natural stronghold southeast of the town 154

155 of Ypres, and which had been a small German salient since late The attack was also a precursor to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres known as Passchendaele, decided upon by the British Commander-in-Chief Sir Douglas Haig following the collapse of the French Nivelle Offensive earlier in May General Plumer had begun plans to take the Messines Ridge the previous year in Meticulous in everything he did, General Plumer preferred to plan for limited successes rather than gamble all on a significant break through. In preparing for the Messines battle he had authorised the laying of 22 mine shafts underneath German lines all along the ridge, his plan being to detonate all 22 at zero hour at 0310 hours on 7 June 1917, to be followed by infantry attacks so as to secure the ridge from the presumably dazed German defenders, the infantry heavily supported by the use of artillery bombardments, tanks and the use of gas. Leading up to the events of 7 June 1917, Albert s battalion moved from Wippenhoek Camp to N Camp near Scottish Lines at Busseboom, where they arrived at 0215 hours on the morning of 6 June. Due to the huge numbers of troop, vehicle and artillery which was on the move leading up to the forthcoming battle, the battalion took longer reaching their destination. For the remainder of the day the battalion remained in camp until 2300 hours when under the cover of darkness a moved was made to Dickebusch, arriving at 0200 hours the next day, where the battalion was billeted in the ruined houses and cellars. Although not called upon to take part in the opening phase of the battle, 72 Brigade, to which the battalion belonged was on orders to be ready to move off at a moments notice should the need arise. As if heralding the arrival of Albert s battalion at Dickebusch, the artillery pieces which had been fired incessantly for a number of days gradually decreased their activity until about 0230 hours when they fell silent, from which point in time for about half an hour the silence probably heightened the tensions amongst all the protagonist of the looming battle. At a little before 0300 hours the silence came to an abrupt end as German artillery commenced shelling their opposite numbers positions. Dickebusch village was shelled by gas shells quite heavily, despite which no fatalities took place in Albert s battalion, and that was also due in part to the fact it played no part in the opening attacks, and that the battalion vacated the village at 1300 hours. From Dickebusch the battalion marched to trenches known as G.H.Q. 2nd line, just east of Café Belge, on the Voormezeele to Vlamertinghe road. H.Q, A,B, and C Companies were assigned a large dug-out which although possessing good sleeping accommodation, the floor, walls and ceilings were all damp and smelt foul, to such an extent that most of the personnel allotted same chose to sleep in the open, despite being located only some 200 yards away from an active 60 pounder battery GABBE, A.C.G. As inscribed on the war memorial is probably the following casualty, having been commemorated with his middle initial inscribed C as opposed to E :- GABBE, ALBERT EBER GUSTAV. Private, th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment). Died 30 August Aged 23. Born Dover, Kent 11 October Enlisted Valcartier Camp, Quebec, Canada 24 September Son of Mrs K Gabbe of the Union Hotel, Dover, Kent. Buried Berks Cemetery Extension, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. D

156 Albert had been a member of the First Canadian Contingent of the British Expeditionary Force, at which time he had served in C Company, 5th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment), 2nd Division. He is also commemorated on page 15 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. On enlistment Albert had stated his civilian occupation as Fireman, and that he had formerly served for three and a half years in the Royal Field Artillery. Mention should perhaps me made on Albert s place of enlistment as it was originally erected as a military camp as early as August of 1914, as part of the mobilization of a Canadian Expeditionary Force at the onset of the Great War. Due to its proximity to the large and busy port of Quebec it eventually became the largest military camp on Canadian soil, including some 32,000 men and 8,000 horses. It would appear that Albert was particularly unfortunate to lose his life when he did, as at the time around the date of his death his battalion was providing work parties for the Engineers. On the day of his death, Albert was the only death, in addition to which another other rank was wounded when the battalion was relieved by the 8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, at which time Albert s battalion retired to reserve trenches located at Grand Monque Farm near Messines, Belgium. The 5th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment) was organized at Valcartier Quebec, Canada under Camp Order 241 of 2 September 1914 and was composed of recruits from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The battalion was commanded successively by Lieutenant Colonels G.S. Tuxford, and H.M. Dyer D.S.O. Albert s battalion embarked at Quebec on 26 September 1914 aboard the 17,540 ton White Star vessel S.S. Lapland, disembarking in England on 17 October 1914, at which time the battalion strength was 44 officers and 1094 other ranks. The battalion disembarked in France on 13 February 1915, becoming part of the 1st Canadian Division, 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade. It was later reinforced by the 15th Canadian Reserve Battalion. The battalion returned to England on 24 March 1919, disembarked in Canada on 18 April 1919, it was demobilized on 24 April 1919, and was eventually disbanded by General Order 149 of 15 September GAGE, WILFRED ROY. Private, T/ st/5th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 7 January Born St Margaret s, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Amara War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: XXXI. C. 3. On Friday 4 January 1916, the 5th (Weald of Kent) Battalion, (Territorial Force), The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was at Ali-el-Gharbi. The battalion moved up the river Tigris towards Sheikh Saad, with all surplus stores being carried by river barges The battalion only marched about eight miles due to the prevailing inclement weather conditions, combined with the terrain encountered by it. During the day it was extremely hot, but at nighttime the temperature dropped to below freezing. On 6 January the march was resumed and enemy outposts were reached, and firing commenced shortly after noon, fortunately however casualties to the battalion were light. On 7 January 1916 the Battle of Sheikh Saad was fought, during which, the battalion advanced towards the enemy but came under extremely heavy artillery bombardment. As the day wore on the battalion started to suffer increasing casualties, which included the death of the battalions Adjutant 24 year old Lieutenant Hugh S. Marchant, of Matfield, Paddock Wood, Kent. In addition 156

157 to the loss of the Adjutant, the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel J. M. Munn- Eric Clarke. The weather remained wet and cold and Mace was wounded as was Major soldiers rations consisted mainly bully beef and hard tack biscuits. Wilfrid was one of the thirty seven other ranks in his battalion who died in Mesopotamia on 7 January GALE, LEONARD FRANK. Able Seaman, J/8830. Royal Navy. H.M. Submarine L11. Died 3 January Aged 26. Born Dorking, Surrey 28 September Son of George and Annie Gale of Dorking, Surrey. Husband of Nellie Rosina Gale of 13, De Burgh Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover Kent. Grave Ref: Y. S. 9. H.M. submarine L11 which is shown at Leonard s CWGC commemoration as above survived the war and was sold for scrapping at Malta in March Leonard s details are not exactly complete, as at the time of his demise he was onboard the submarines depot ship H.M.S. Lucia. A former Labourer who had enlisted as a boy sailor, Leonard died as the result of an accident onboard the depot ship, when he fell into a dry dock, and later died at the Cleveland House Naval Hospital, Grangetown. Following his death the usual thorough Admiralty investigation was conducted which resulted in no blame for Leonard s death being attributed to anybody else, and that he had simply slipped and fallen overboard. H.M.S. Lucia was built by Richardson Westgarth & co Ltd shipbuilders at Middlesborough in 1907, as the 5,805 tons liner Spreewald for the German Hamburg-Amerika Company which was the forerunner of the modern day company Hapag-Lloyd. She was captured by the British in September 1914 and was converted on the Clyde to a submarine depot ship in With a ships compliment of 262 H.M.S. Lucia served during the Great War as a Submarine depot ship. During one of his visits to the Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow, H.M. the King visited H.M.S. Lucia on Saturday 23 July Most of the ship s service spent between the two world wars was in the East Indies, from which station she returned in Along with other vessels H.M.S. Lucia was transferred to the Red Sea Force in 1940, and became the Eastern Sea Fleet Submarine depot ship from 1942 until 1945, spending a significant of time at Colombo, Ceylon where she was attacked and damaged by Japanese aircraft in After being sold by the Admiralty surplus to requirements after the Second World War, she then became the merchant ship Sinai and was scrapped in the shipyard at La Spezia, Italy in February GANDY, FRANK REGINALD GEORGE. Private, st/19th (County of London) Battalion, (St. Pancras) London Regiment. Died 2 October1916. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 9 D. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 2888, 4th Battalion, (T.F.).The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Frank would have been amongst the significant number of soldiers of the both the 2/4th and 2/5th Battalions, (Territorial Force) The Buffs, (East Kent Regiment) who were transferred to the 1st/19th (County of London) Battalion, (St. Pancras) London Regiment 157

158 during the winter of 1915, and the spring of Located to the north west of the Somme village of Flers is the hamlet of Eaucourt l Abbaye near Le Sars, it is down a little road off the D928 main road which runs between Albert and Bapaume. At the time of the 1916 Battle of the Somme, the German army had skillfully converted the farm buildings and natural features of the little place into what various commentators have aptly, and with good reason described as a fortress. Several post Great War commentators have also picked up on various official and unofficial reports, diaries and despatches etcetera, regarding the 47th Division mistake of not following up close enough behind their supporting artillery barrage on 1 October 1916, during a successful attack by four British divisions supported by tanks on a front in the area of Flers-Eaucourt l Abbaye, George s battalion was in the 47th Division. Although the attack in the area on 1 September 1916 resulted in gains along a front of approximately 3,000 yards, the following day during counter attacks the Germans gained a footing back in Eaucourt l Abbaye, and nearby Le Sars was retaken by them. Needless to say the fighting was intense during the capture of Le Sars and the partial capture of Eaucourt l Abbaye. It would seem likely that Frank was killed in action defending the latter location, as did brothers George and William Brice who lost their lives the same day and who are also commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. GATEHOUSE, EDWARD WILLIAM. Stoker 1st Class, SS/ Royal Navy, H.M.S. Blonde. Died at home 11 September1916. Aged 28. Born Dover, Kent 5 January Son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gatehouse of Shakespeare Colliery, Dover. Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover Kent. Grave Ref: Z. N. 1. Also commemorated on the former Holy Trinity Hall, Dover, Kent war memorial. Edward s ship was a 3,850 ton Blonde class scout cruiser built at Pembroke Dockyard, and was laid down in December 1909 she was completed in May Whilst attached to Grand Fleet Battle Squadrons, on 31 May and 1 June 1916 she took part in the Battle of Jutland. In March 1917 H.M.S. Blonde was converted to lay mines, she survived the Great War and in 1921 she was sold for scrap. To clear a path for the railway a section of Shakespeare Cliffs was blasted with almost 20,000 tons of gunpowder in 1843, which resulted in an additional tract of land which was added to during the Channel Tunnel works in the1880 s, it being in stark contrast to the tranquil surroundings there today at Saphire Hoe. Shakespeare Colliery which was also known as Dover Colliery was Kent s first coal colliery opening in 1896 at the old Channel Tunnel workings, where prior to the tunnels abandonment coal had been discovered during the excavation process. After numerous setbacks the colliery was finally abandoned towards the end of the Great War and was it was in the hands of a Caretaker, who was Edward s father, Charles Gatehouse. Several of the coal miners and others, chose to reside on the land surrounding the colliery, and all were of necessity notably hardy souls who were known by the townsfolk in times past as the cliff dwellers, with the Gatehouse family being amongst their number. On the 1881 census at which time Edward s father a native of Dover, Kent was a Railway Labourer, the family residence was given as Folkestone Road Base, Shakespears Cliff, Hougham, Dover, Kent. The tunnel from the main road down to Saphire Hoe at the base of the cliffs was only made during the 1970 s Channel Tunnel workings, and during 158

159 the cliff dwellers times the only options was to climb the treacherous cliff path or go by sea. When Edward Gatehouse came home on sick leave, effectively to die and suffering like a vast number of Stokers from Tuberculosis, he came by sea. Following his death Edward s body was taken from the Gatehouse family home for burial in Charlton Cemetery, Dover, by his father Charles who took it by sea. Despite or possibly due to, the harsh existence of cliff dwelling several of the community lived to a quite a good age, in fact Charles Gatehouse, Edward s father, died the day before his ninetieth birthday on 30 September Edward s mother, Elizabeth Mary Gatehouse died on 18 August 1957 aged 94. The couple s son Edward had enlisted in the Royal Navy in July 1906 and had initially served aboard H.M.S. Acheron, which was the former H.M.S. Northumberland, built in 1868 as an armoured frigate she was renamed in 1904 and used as a Stoker s training and depot ship at Chatham, Kent. Although Edward s CWGC commemoration shows him as being a member of the ships company of H.M.S. Blonde, he had in fact due to his illness been posted for the last two months of his service to the Chatham Naval Barracks, H.M.S. Pembroke. Edward seems to have gone through something of a blip in his naval career over three consecutive years 1908, 1909 and On one occasion in 1908 Edward had refused to carryout his duty, and in 1909 and 1910 had been placed in the cells! GATEHOUSE, WILLIAM. JAMES. Deck Hand, 16618/DA. Royal Naval Reserve. H.M. Trawler, King s Grey. Died 26 September Aged 39. Born Dover, Kent 10 December Husband of Mrs. E. M. Gatehouse of 14 Lowther Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: O. V. 9. Formerly served in the Royal Navy, Official Number: William is also commemorated on a Great War memorial which was located inside the Holy Trinity Church, Dover, Kent in November 1918 by the families of the fallen men of the Dover Patrol (Trawlers & Minesweeping Patrol). In 1945 the church was sadly demolished after enemy bomb damage. The memorial needed a new home. The Dover Sea Cadets (Training Ship Lynx) at Archcliffe Fort, Dover, Kent agreed to look after it at their headquarters. The Sea Cadets moved from Archcliffe Fort in the 1970 s and the memorial was given to Dover District Council for safekeeping. A transcription of the memorial is also on this website. If information gleaned is correct it would seem that Edward and William Gatehouse were related and possibly brothers, but more research is needed to confirm same. Information obtained locally indicated that a relative of the above casualties died in Dover during the Second World War, a check on the CWGC website revealed that the information was in fact probably correct, as 71 year old Henry Gatehouse of 22 Adrian Street, Dover, a son of Richard Gatehouse of Charlton Green died at 22 Adrian Street on 5 October This information was what galvanized us to add the Dover, Kent, Second World War commemorations on this website. GATES, HORACE JOHN. Second Lieutenant. 16th Wing, Royal Flying Corps. Died 19 November Aged

160 Son of William Henry and Norah Amy Gates of 197, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Struma Military Cemetery, Greece. Grave Ref: I. X. 3. Formerly Private, 2173, Royal East Kent Yeomanry, and Private, , The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). GATES, THOMAS JAMES GEORGE. Telegraphist, London Z/7117. Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. H.M. P.36. Died 10 October1918. Aged 20. Son of James Thomas Gates and Caroline Frances Gates of 58, Nightingale Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Haslar, Royal Naval Cemetery, Hampshire. Grave Ref: E Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. GEARD, FREDERICK JOHN PARSONS. Corporal (Observer), No Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Died 18 August Aged 22. Born Mottingham, Kent 1 September Enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Son of John and Emily Geard of 36, Lascelles Road, Maxton, Dover, Kent. Buried Péronne Communal Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: On the left-hand side of the centre path, opposite the 1870 Memorial. Although Péronne has a total of 1977 identified Commonwealth casualties buried in three cemeteries, Frederick has the sole such grave in the above cemetery due to date of death. After completing his education at Herne Bay, Kent, Frederick enlisted in the Royal Engineers at Woolwich, Kent in September 1910, and after basic training at Chatham, Kent he served in the corps Air Battalion then based at Aldershot, Hampshire. In September he completed his trade course and was appointed as an Airman Rigger, and with the formation of Royal Flying Corps in May 1912 Frederick was transferred to serve in it. Frederick served in France for only two days prior to his death, which was due to a flying accident near Péronne. His pilot who was flying their BE8 (No.391) was Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Robert Smith-Barry who fortunately survived the crash but broke both his legs. Later whilst a Major, Robert Smith-Barry became the Commanding Officer of the School of Special Flying at Gosport, Hampshire, he was also the C.O. of 60 Squadron, R.F.C during the 1916 Battle of The Somme. One of his subordinate pilots for six weeks being the legendry Albert Ball V.C, D.S.O & two bars, M.C. No 3 Squadron, R.F.C. provided the nucleus of this squadron when it formed on 26 July 1913 at Farnborough. Flying a variety of types of aircraft, as were most squadrons at that time, it moved to France in September Operating as Corps Reconnaissance Squadron throughout the Great War, it became part of the Army of Occupation in December 1918, and returned to the United Kingdom in September 1919, with its disbandment following on 20 January GIBBONS, RICHARD GEORGE EDWARD. Carpenter. Mercantile Marine Reserve. H.M. Yacht, James Fletcher. Died 2 November Aged 39. Husband of E. A. Gibbons, of 10, Guildford Town, Dover. 160

161 Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: T. I. 13. In view of Richard s trade it was obvious that he had like many men of his era, followed in his fathers footsteps as can be seen by the 1881 census entry for the Gibbons family and household, at which time they were residing at 35 East Cliffe, Guston, Dover, Kent:- Richard GIBBONS. Aged 32. Born Dover, Kent. Carpenter. Henrietta Maria GIBBO NS. Aged 23. Born Dover, Kent. Lodging House Keeper. Richard George Edward GIBBONS. Aged 1. Born Dover, Kent. Maria COLLINS. Aged 17. Born Hougham, Kent. General Servant. Theresa MALTRUSS. Aged 39. Born Germany. Lodgers Nurse, Nurse to the Reverend Agassie. Katharine COLLINS. Aged 14. Born Dover, Kent. Nurse Maid, Nursemaid to Agassie. GIBBS, P. No clear trace, but is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. GILL, THOMAS HENRY. Stoker 1st Class, K/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Derwent. Died 2 May Aged 23. Born at 8 Colbran Street, Charlton, Dover, Kent 14 April Son of Henry A. and Emma Gill of 132, Union Road Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 23. H.M.S. Derwent, a River class Destroyer hit a mine on the night of 1/2 May 1917 which had been laid by the German submarine UC-26, and sunk off the port of Le Havre. A week after the loss of H.M.S. Derwent, the UC-26 commanded by Matthias Graf von Schmettow was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Milne off Calais, France, when only 2 of the submarines crew of 26 survived the sinking. GILHAM, ALBERT EDWARD. Boy. Mercantile Marine, S.S. Achille Adam (London). Died 24 March Aged 15. Son of Annie Elizabeth Gilham of 4, Wood Street, Dover, Kent and the late George James Gilham. Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London. Albert who was almost sixteen years old when he died of exposure, and has the sad distinction of probably being the youngest casualty commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. He was amongst six crew members lost when his 460 ton ship built in 1886, was captured by the German coastal minelayer submarine UC-66 commanded by Herbert Pustkuchen off the French coast at a position approximately 30 nautical miles due south of Beachy Head, Sussex, and was sunk by bombs. Four of those lost are commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. It would appear that most of the deaths of the crew were due to exposure as opposed to the actual sinking of their ship. It is thought that the UC-66 was probably later lost with all the submarines twenty three crew, on 12 June 1917, having been forced to dive by H.M.T. Sea King. After being 161

162 depth charged, it is suspected that the submarine finally blew up from an internal explosion of her own mines still on board whilst submerged. GILLHAM, FREDERICK HORACE. Sick Berth Attendant 1st Class, M/4581. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Lion. Died 31 May Aged 21. Born Dover, Kent 21 March Son of William and Jane Gillham of 162, Union Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 18. With a ships compliment of 907, the 30,084 ton Lion class battlecruiser H.M.S. Lion was quiet a formidable ship. Launched in May 1912, early in the Great War she was in the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet as flagship of Vice-Admiral Beatty. On 28 August 1914 H.M.S. Lion took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, and the following year fought in the Battle of Dogger Bank (24 January 1915) during which she sustained damage which put her out of action until April the same year. Her next major engagement was on 31 May 1916 when she took part in Battle of Jutland, during which H.M.S. Lion was hit by thirteen 12 inch shells and a 5.9 inch shell, which resulted in a casualty roll at the end of the day of 99 killed and 51 injured, one of those lost was Frederick Gillham. In reply Frederick s ship fired a total of inch shells from her eight guns of that caliber, in addition to other gunfire. Damaged during the battle which had cost Frederick his life, the ship was once again repaired, and in July 1916 put to sea again. In mid November 1917 H.M.S. Lion was part of covering force at the second Battle of Heligoland Bight. She survived the Great War and was sold for scrap in GLAYZER, FRANK. Private, L/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 27 August Aged 19. Born Rochester, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. P. F. and Mrs. C. Glayzer of 15, Winchelsea Terrace, Dover, Kent. Buried Méaulte Military Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: F. 3. GLEESON, AUGUSTINE. Private, L/ th (Service) Battalion, (Kent County) Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 7 June Born Brighton, Sussex. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 45. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Formerly Private. S/ Royal Army Service Corps. At the time of the 1901 census Augustine was living with his 37 year old widowed mother Elizabeth Gleeson, a native of Pontypool, Monmouthshire, Wales, at 10 Randolph Gardens, Salisbury Road, Dover, Kent. In addition to 8 year old Augustine and his mother, 14 year old Andrew J. Gleeson, Augustine s brother was also at home, a native of Hammersmith, London he too probably served in the Great War, initially in the Army Service Corps, in which he attained the rank of Serjeant, prior to going to the Tank Corps and in which he eventually became a Warrant Officer Class 1. Also at home was 7 year 162

163 old Elizabeth, who like Augustine was born in Brighton, Sussex, and 4 year old Sydney and 3 year old Harold who were both Dovorian s. GODDEN, A. No clear trace. Hopefully not adding to the problem for researchers if trying to find out who this casualty was, rather than helping. It seemed right to mention that at the time of the 1901 census, residing at 9 St. Andrews Terrace, Dover, Kent were brothers 9 year old Albert and 1 year old Arthur Godden, both were natives of River, Dover, Kent. Unfortunately their fathers Christian name is not clear on the census entry (pre ballpoint pen), but it appears to be something like Ja??y, and he was a 47 native of Dover, Kent, and employed as Paper Maker, Jane his 43 year old wife was born in Northamptonshire. It has been noticed over the years when trying to help people find out details about loved ones who died in the two world wars, and when researching war memorials in Kent that the GODDEN surname appears to be almost as prolific as Smith. The preponderance of the surname in respect of war related deaths seems to apply particularly at various locations in the east of the county. GODDEN, H. No clear trace. GODDEN, STEPHEN THOMAS. Gunner, B Battery, 74th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 23 October Aged 40. Born Folkestone, Kent. Enlisted Horley, Surrey. Resided Smallfields, Surrey. Son of Elizabeth Godden of 18, Park Street, Dover, Kent. Husband of Florence God den of 57, Mon tern Road, Forest Hill, London. Buried Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Tréport, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: VIII. M. 5B. At the time of the 1881 census the Godden/Mercer family were residing at Vine Cottage, Black Bull Road, Folkestone, Kent:- James MERCER. Aged 65. Born Folkestone, Kent. Builder Elizh. MERCER. Aged 60. Born Folkestone, Kent. Elizath. GODDEN. Aged 39. Born Folkestone, Kent. Eliza L. GODDEN. Laura G. GODDEN. Stephen T. GODDEN. Aged 11. Aged 8. Aged 3. Born Folkestone, Kent. Born Folkestone, Kent. Born Folkestone, Kent. George PALMER. Aged 17. Born Elham, Kent. Builders Apprentice. (Boarder). Stephen G. GODDEN. Aged 40. Born Bermondsey, Surrey. Mariner. Jane FINN. Aged 32. Born Hawkinge, Kent. Seamstress. GODFREY, CHARLES WILLIAM. Gunner, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 20 June Aged 32. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Margate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Husband of Edith K. Godfrey of 6, Empire Terrace, College Road, Margate, Kent. Buried Maple Leaf Cemetery, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Grave Ref: K. 7. Also commemorated on Margate Isle of Thanet, Kent civic war memorial. 163

164 At the time of the 1901 census the Godfrey family resided at St. Mary s Cemetery Lodge, Dover, Kent where Charles s 48 year old father Henry Godfrey, a native of Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, Kent was the Head of the house and was also the Cemetery Superintendent of St. Mary s Having been several times to Maple Leaf Cemetery where Charles is buried, it is like all those in the care of the CWGC, immaculate, the irony of Charles occupation struck a chord when reflecting on the hundreds of cemeteries visited over the years, because on the census his occupation is shown as being a 16 year old Cemetery Gardener. Whilst not wanting to accuse the Godfrey family of nepotism, the thought also occurred that had Charles survived the Great War he would possibly have eventually replaced his father as the Cemetery Superintendent. Charles mother Mary A. Godfrey was five years her husbands junior and was a native of Detling, Kent, also shown on the census entry for the family are two daughters, Ada 11 and Hilda 4 both of whom were born at Dover, Kent. GOLDER, HENRY ALBERT. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Bermondsey) East Surrey Regiment. Died 27 May Son of J.W. Golder of Ripple, Dover, Kent. Husband of Mrs M. M. Golder of 49, Lowther Road, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No.3, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. E. 11. Glancing the 12th (Service) Battalion, (Bermondsey) East Surrey Regiment for the period around the date that Henry lost his life, shows that he was particularly unfortunate to have done so, the reason being that the total casualty returns appertaining to his battalion for the month show only 8 other ranks deaths, plus 3 Subalterns and 47 other ranks either wounded or gassed. Henry being the sole death (killed in action) on 27 May 1918, although not entered by name. On the first day of May 1918, Henry s battalion had provided 8 officers and about 400 other ranks for a working party on the line behind Vlamertinghe, and during the evening of the following day moved to the Ypres sector to take over a number of outpost positions from the 26th (Service) Battalion, (Bankers) Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). During the afternoons of both 3 May and 4 May the battalion was subjected to enemy shelling along its front and reserve lines, which resulted in the deaths of 6 of the 8 other ranks casualties that month, the battalion remained at the outposts until the evening of 7 May, at which time it was relieved by the 15th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, allowing Henry s battalion to take over some other trenches that were located to the north of Ypres. Another move to other trenches on 10 May where it remained until the evening of 17 May when it was again relieved by the same battalion of the Hampshire Regiment, whereupon the battalion marched back to camp west of Vlamertinghe where a fairly uneventful week was spent, apart from artillery attention and the constant threat from enemy aircraft. At 2030 hours the battalion once again relieved the Royal Fusiliers in the Ypres sector where it then remained until the end of the May. As can be seen by the date of Henry s death, it was whilst in post at that sector he was killed. GOLDFINCH, EDWARD THOMAS. Private,

165 4th Battalion, Grenadier Guards, Died 13 October Aged 28. Born Alkham, Dover, Kent. Son of Thomas Edward and Elizabeth Hammond Goldfinch of 11, Kearsney Avenue, River, Dover. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 9, and is also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. GOLDFINCH, PHILIP. Corporal, S4/ rd Field Bakery, Army Service Corps. Died 27 November Aged 23. Born Charlton, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Shepherdswell, Dover, Kent. Charlton place of birth is probably indicative of Dover, Kent. Son of W. P. and A. Goldfinch of Dover, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: Z. L. 22. Also commemorated on Shepherdswell, Dover, Kent civic war memorial and on Great War memorial plaque located in the parish church of St. Andrew s Shepherdswell, Dover, Kent. If it might be of help/interest to any relative or interest party conducting more detailed research into Philip s army service, the S4 prefix on his regimental number is indicative of other ranks serving in Supply (Labour) formations of the Army Service Corps, and later the Royal Army Service Corps. GOLDSACK, EDWARD JOHN, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 10 August Aged 29. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. G. Goldsack of Dover, Kent. Husband of May Beatrice Geary (formerly Goldsack) of 59, High Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 11. Edward was amongst the 80 other ranks serving in his battalion that died on 10 August 1917 as the result of particularly disastrous attack on enemy positions on the Ypres Salient, during which both C and D Companies sustaining very high casualties rates. On 4 August 1917 the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), along with the rest of the 18th (Eastern) Division had gone forward to take over front line positions in preparation for an attack, which had been planned in and around enemy positions at Glencorse Wood and Inverness Copse to the east of Ypres. At the time the battalion had recently received a fresh draft of replacements to take the places of those soldiers who had either lost their lives, or had been evacuated front the battle area due to wounding; as such the attack was for them quiet literally a baptism of fire. In unison with the battalions fellow 55th Brigade members of the division, they being the 7th Battalion, Queen s Own Royal West Kent Regiment, a move was made into trenches in an old line at Sanctuary Wood below Hooge. Prior to the actual attack a vast amount of German shells fell amongst both the battalions, with direct hits on the trenches combined with incessant rain resulted in much of the trench complex being quiet literally 165

166 washed away. Major General Sir Richard P. Lee the Divisional Commander had put the 55th Brigade on the right flank of the attack, with Edward s battalion as the leading assault battalion. Prior to the attack, enemy intelligence got wind of what was coming and one of the results of which was that a substantial amount of fresh wired post had been erected by wiring parties under the cover of darkness, some of which they had managed to erect very near to Edward s battalions forming up tapes. A disastrous result of the fresh wire was that as some of the battalion moved forward in the dark they collided noisily with the obstruction, which brought an immediate response from the enemy in the form of small arms fire which was quickly followed by several green lights being put up by the German defenders which illuminated the assaulting battalion and giving the enemy artillery well lit targets with inevitable consequences. Several gaps were made in the initial attacking force to such an extent that when the main body left the trenches at zero hour the planned link up with the first earlier wave came to naught, the battalions troubles were compounded by further enemy artillery intervention at around zero hour. Despite the losses and confusion, incredibly a fighting line was eventually achieved by the battalion, albeit much depleted. At one point the battalion was decimated to such an extent by machine gun fire that only one soldier actually reached the wood objective unscathed. By the time that the battalion was relieved eighteen hours later Second Lieutenant J.H. Wilson was the only officer that had not become a casualty. Amongst those singled out for praise was G/1169 Lance Corporal Sidney Jelley from Crondall, Hampshire, one of the battalions Lewis Gunners, Sidney had continued to stay at his post under fire through out the morning of the attack, later he was contacted by another of the Lewis Gunners who was hard pressed to render assistance, Sidney in going to his comrades aid had to carry his gun weighing 28 pounds plus a quantity of ammunition a full 40 yards, whilst making his dash Sidney was subjected to an intense amount of German machine gun fire, despite which he managed to safely not only render the help requested but continued to keep his weapon going until the battalions relief. Later awarded the Military Medal for his heroic and welcome contribution to the battalion during the action, the then Lance Serjeant S. Jelly M.M. fell in battle on 28 August 1918, aged 26, and is buried at Becourt Military Cemetery, Bécordel-Bécourt, Somme, France. GOLDSMITH, HARRY. Able Seaman, J/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Raglan. Died 20 January Aged 21. Born Dover, Kent 7 March Son of Henry and Emma Elizabeth Goldsmith of 3, Sea View Terrace, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 28. At the time of Harry s enlistment in March 1914, he stated his trade or calling as being a Paper Maker. HMS Raglan was a 6,150 ton Abercrombie class monitor that was sunk with the loss of 127 lives off the coast of Imbros on the day that Harry died, by the Turkish Navy s 22,000-ton dreadnought battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim, The Turkish ship was formerly the German Navy vessel Goeben. From the time the Yavuz Sultan Selim had gone to the Black sea in company with the Breslau, mainly as the direct result of the insistence of Konteradmiral Wilhelm Souchon, both ships remained mainly crewed by German sailors. Sadly only 6 of the ships company of HMS Raglan survived the 166

167 sinking. Of specific Kent interest is that HMS Raglan s battle tattered ensign, for several years was hung in Barham church, but with the passage of time it could be seen to visibly deteriorate. GOLDSTRAW, GERALD PARKER. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Bankers) Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 4 October Born Pembroke Dock. Enlisted Portsmouth, Hampshire. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 8 C, and on the war memorial window in the Primitive Methodists Chapel, Dover, Kent. Unlike several of the other 17 battalions of the regiment which also fought in the Battle of the Somme 1916, Gerald s was fairly late before being moved to the area which was the direct result of earlier losses amongst the army. On the last day of August the battalion arrived at Vauchelles-les-Quesnoy which is a little way to the east of the town of Abbeville, Somme. After a succession of moves during the first fortnight spent on the Somme, the battalion went to Montauban on 14 September 1916 and from there moved into forward trenches to the north east of Delville Wood prior to an attack on Flers Trench and Switch Line on the following day, during the attack the battalion incurred 264 casualties which included the deaths of 22 year old Second Lieutenant S. Wright from Chiswick, London and 18 other ranks. On 16 September the battalion was moved into the support line where it remained until a move to Dernancourt on 18 September. On 2 October the battalion went to the Pommiers Redoubt and the next day to Thistle Dump near to where Thistle Dump cemetery is situated and from where an attack was mounted on 4 October which cost the lives of Gerald and at least 16 of his comrades. GOODBURN, EDWARD CHARLES. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, (2nd South Down) Royal Sussex Regiment. Died 15 October Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Grimsby. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 7 C. On 7 October 1916 Edward s battalion had relieved a fellow battalion of the 116th Brigade, 39th Division, it being the 14th (Service) Battalion (1st Portsmouth), Hampshire Regiment, in the Auchonvillers north sector, with a front extending from the junction of a position called Watling Street to the Beaumont Hamel road. On 13 October the battalion moved into Englebelmer Wood leading up to an attack on the infamous Schwaben Redoubt on 15 October. During the attack, D Company on the right flank was subjected to a particularly heavy attack by the enemy at approximately 1000 hours, and as Edward s is the only death incurred by the battalion throughout the first day of the assault on the Redoubt, it seems likely that he was a member of that company and fell during the late morning as the Germans came up Strasbourg Trench, during which time they used flamethrowers, despite the use of same their attack failed during which time they suffered heavily in casualties. On the following day thankfully only another three members of the battalion lost their lives, but on the last day of the engagement prior to being withdrawn to Aveluy later the same day 29 other ranks died. GOODWIN, FREDERICK GEORGE. Lance Corporal,

168 A Company, 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died 1 June Aged 29. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Henry Holtum Goodwin and Clara Eliza Goodwin of Dover, Kent. Buried Pernes British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II. E. 43. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. GOULD, REUBEN. Serjeant, L/ st Battalion. Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), Died 22 July Aged 35. Born Bethnal Green, London. Enlisted London, Middlesex. Husband of Mrs. C. E. Cheeseman (formerly Gould) of 6, Woolcomber Lane, Dover, Kent. Buried Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval, Somme, France. Grave Ref: XIV. Having arrived at Hérissart from Outrebois near Doullens on 14 July 1916 to play its part in the Battle of the Somme 1916, the 1st Battalion. Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) first moved to Franvillers then Méaulte, prior to occupying trenches situated between Bazentine-le-Grand and Longueval on 19 July, and on the following day ordered into the forward trenches at High Wood with A and B Companies being located in the south corner of the wood which runs in the direction of the actual village of Longueval. On the day that Reuben died the battalion took part in attack on Wood Lane, during it was on the left flank of a fellow 13th Brigade, 5th Division battalion, it being the 14th (Service) Battalion, (1st Birmingham) Royal Warwickshire Regiment. At 0952 intense enemy machine gun fire enfiladed the attacking force, which with rapidly mounting casualties brought the attack to a standstill, and resulting in virtually all of the officers being either killed or wounded to varying degrees. After what must have seemed like a partially long stressful day and night, the battalion was eventually withdrawn at dawn the following morning. Following the withdrawal it afforded the chance to take a roll call and enter the battalion casualty roll, which recorded killed in action, wounded and missing totaling 421 all ranks. Of the casualty roll figures for 22 July 1916, 8 officers deaths and 132 other ranks deaths are shown, but it would seem inevitable that probably a substantial number of those that had been wounded later succumbed to them. GRACE, WILLIAM HENRY. Private, th Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Died (Accidental Injury) 13 April Aged 28. Born Steeple Claydon, Buckinghamshire. Enlisted Wondai, Queensland, Australia. 5 October Son of Tom and Fanny Grace of Dover, Kent. Husband of Stella Mary Grace of Sunnyside, Stalworth, Proston, Wondai, Queensland, Australia. Buried Achiet-Le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. B

169 William is also commemorated on Panel 143 of the Australian War Memorial at Canberra, ACT, Australia, being numbered amongst the 661 of his battalion similarly honoured. In addition to those lost during the Great War, the 47th Battalion, Australian Infantry, Australian Imperial Force had 1564 officers and other ranks wounded. Australian records show that William who was a Farmer had previous military experience as an East Kent Volunteer prior to going to live in Australia at the age of 20. In England he had resided in Dover, Kent, possibly at 10, Mayfield Avenue where his family was in residence at the time of the 1901 census, William had also gone to school in Dover. He sailed from Brisbane for Europe on 27 October 1916 onboard the 7,827 ton ship HMAT Marathon which in peacetime was owned by G Thompson & Co Ltd of London, who got her back on 28 July1917. Comprised in almost equal measures of untried soldiers and Gallipoli veterans from the 15th Battalion, the 47th Battalion in France on 9 June 1916, and was composed primarily of officers and other ranks recruited in Queensland and Tasmania being incorporated into the 12th Brigade of the Australian Division. Entering the trenches of the Western Front for the first time on 3 July 1916 William s battalion participated in its first major battle at the village of Pozieres on the Somme. Initially the 47th Battalion provided working parties during the 2nd Division s attack on 4 August 1916, after which as part of its own division, defended the ground that had been captured. The 47th endured two periods in the heavily contested trenches of Pozieres, as well as a period in reserve. Following the actions fought at Pozieres, William s battalion spent the period up until March 1917 alternating between duty in the trenches and training and rest behind the lines. On 11 April 1917 it took part in the attack mounted against the heavily defended village of Bullecourt near Arras, Pas de Calais which was part of the formidable Hindenburg Line to which the Germans had retreated during February and March. Devoid of surprise and dependent upon the support of unreliable tanks, the attack failed. Later in the year, the focus of the A.I.F s operations switched to the Ypres sector in Belgium where the 47th took part in the battles of Messines and Passchendaele. At Bullecourt where William died an impressive memorial was erected in 1993 which is inscribed Sacred to the memory of the 10,000 members of the Australian Imperial Force who were killed or wounded in the two battles of Bullecourt, April-May 1917, and to the Australian dead and their comrades-in-arms who lie here forever in the soil of France. GRANT, FRANK. M.M. Able Seaman, Bristol Z/3424. Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Howe Battalion, 63rd Royal Naval Division. Died 26 October Born 17 March Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 2. For obvious reasons, arguably the oddest out of all the British divisions during the Great War, the Royal Naval Division was formed in September 1914 made up of Royal Marines and surplus naval reservists. The division was organized into battalions that were named after distinguished sailors in naval history, Hood, Nelson, Howe and Drake etcetera. After early action fought in the defence of Antwerp, Belgium, the Royal Naval Division went to Gallipoli where it landed in April 1915, and saw the campaign through to the end. In April the division was taken over by the War Office from the Admiralty and the following month it was moved to France; in July it was given the number 63. As 169

170 the 63rd Royal Naval Division it remained on the Western Front for the remainder of the Great War. Total casualties amounted to nearly 48,000. GRANT, HENRY ALFRED. Private, st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Died 26 April Aged 31. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Putney, Surrey. Son of Henry and Susan Jane Grant, of Dover, Kent. Buried Tannay British Cemetery, Thiennes, Nord, France. Plot 2. Row A. Grave 11. GRAVES, FRANCIS GEORGE. Second Lieutenant. 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottingham and Derbyshire Regiment), attached to the 16th (Service) Battalion (Chatsworth Rifles). Died 20 September Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 99, and is also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. GRAVES, HENRY KNOTT. Acting Farrier Serjeant, th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 13 October Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried Basra War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: I. Q. 1. Also commemorated on the former Holy Trinity Hall, Dover, Kent war memorial. Formerly Driver and Acting Serjeant, 12th Field Company, Royal Engineers. GRAY, HEWITT. Serjeant, st/18th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Irish Rifles). Died 6 December Born Hythe, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Westoutre British Cemetery, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: B. 2. Formerly Acting Serjeant, 6318, 18th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Irish Rifles), and th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). GREEN, HERBERT DAVID. Private, L/ st Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died Monday 23 April Born Chestfield, Whitstable, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2. Formerly Driver, T/30700, Army Service Corps. For the first three months of 1917 the 1st Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) remained in the comparatively quiet sector of Cléry-sur-Somme, and at the end of March was billeted in the town of Corbie, where on the last day of the month it 170

171 was announced that the 33rd Division to which the battalion belonged was to be transferred to the Third Army, and their Brigade (100th) was being moved from Corbie to the Villers-Bocage area. On 2 April 1917 the move commenced, but what had been explained to the soldiers of the battalion was that the move to Villers-Bocage was by way of a much longer route march and Villers-Bocage itself was not the actual destination, as such the battalion passed through Villers-Bocage, Beauval, Ransart, Grenas and Souastre before finally arriving on 9 April 1917 at Saint-Amand in the Pas de Calais, where the battalion remained for three days before moving to Mercatel going into the divisional reserve via Bienvillers, Monchy au Bois, Adinfer and Boiry. After more moves, on 18 April Lieutenant Colonel L.M. Crofts D.S.O. joined the battalion and assumed command having recovered from his wounds, at which time Lieutenant Colonel C.F. Watson C.M.G., D.S.O. relinquished command to take command of the 7th (Service) Battalion. No doubt the army higher echelon (and the rank and file) had been encouraged by the spectacular success of the Canadian soldiers with the capture of Vimy Ridge by mid April, in conjunction with several villages to the south, and also the partial successes of footings that had been gained at various locations in the Hindenburg Line. As part of carrying on the ongoing successes the 19th Brigade was moved into captured positions in the Hindenburg Line. To the south the battalion and the rest of its brigade was moved to positions in an area to the east of Croisilles south of Arras, with patrols gradually moving out across the river Sensée (mainly at night), and all the time pushing forward posts ever nearer to the Hindenburg Line, as far south as the Hump at Bullecourt. Eventually on 23 April 1917 an attack on the German positions on a large scale commenced. During the attack the 98th Brigade located in the north was ordered to attack southwards down the Hindenburg Line primarily by the use of bombs (hand-grenades), and make a junction with the 100th Brigade which of course included Herbert s battalion, in the Sensée Valley. When the attack got under way it quickly became self-evident to those who were participating in it that it was difficult to actually execute what had been planned. Assaulting the Hindenburg Line, initially covering 800 yards of open ground also when reaching it meant tackling concrete machine gun emplacements which had been skillfully situated every fifty yards or so, some of which were of the two story variety, in addition to which, both the first two lines of the almost impregnable obstacle had thick wire entanglements to a depth of about twenty yards. To make matters even worse was the complicated but cleaver use of tunnels, which afforded an element of safety (and confidence) to the defenders, and also allowed positions to be changed quickly without the risk of the defenders being exposed to their opponents fire. Of real concern was a what if, it being should the soldiers of the 98th Brigade fail in their bombing attacks down the Hindenburg Line, as that would leave the battalion exposed to the enemy with both flanks unprotected should the pair of tanks on the right flank either break down or be knocked out. Herbert s battalion, which for the actual attack was led by Major Thomas Weeding from Addlestone, Surrey, passed through Hamlincourt at about 1930 hours on the evening of Sunday 22 April and picked up a quantity of ammunition and bombs near Judas Farm. Four hours after leaving the farm the battalion reached and formed up in the assembly position, which was in quarries that were located about half a mile to the north east of Croisilles, east of the river Sensée. In addition to the hot cocoa that was served out, twenty entrenching tools per company were also distributed. At 0330 hours the following morning, Herbert and the rest of his battalion left the quarries and moved to the 171

172 attack start line, where the 1st Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) was deployed on a 300 yard front on tapes equidistant on each side of the Croisilles to Fontaine road. The first waves consisted of D Company to the right of the road led by Captain R. Brodhurst-Hill who was taken prisoner later the same day, on the left of the road was A Company led by Second Lieutenant H.J. Carpenter who was wounded during the attack. Although the advance from the position of deployment was in excess of 1,000 yards across open country along the Sensée Valley, fortunately the river was at the time but a mere trickle, and as such provided an element of cover to the battalion as it moved forward. Upon reaching a sunken road at about 0415 hours the attacking force had to wait there for zero hour which was fixed at 0445 hours, whilst waiting at the road, fortunately undetected by the enemy, allied artillery continued to bombard the Hindenburg Line and when the infantry moved forward at zero hour the battalion followed up just fifty yards behind the dropping shells. At 0508 hours Second Lieutenant J. Holliday reported that the first line had been taken, but also reported that the tanks had still not arrived. By 0525 the first five prisoners of the German 99th Infantry Regiment were being sent back down the line, five minuets after which the telephone lines had all been destroyed, and from then on runners were the sole means of communication. Time (for now) prevents a detailed account here of the days events when Herbert lost his life, suffice to say that the pre attack concerns appertaing to the tanks and the 98th Brigade were regrettably fully justified, both of which without a doubt a major factor in the battalion casualty roll for the day, which showed 3 officers (Second Lieutenants) killed, 4 officers wounded and 9 missing, who were subsequently found to have survived but taken prisoner, only Second Lieutenant H.V. Lacey was not an officer casualty. In addition to the officer casualties, those to other ranks numbered 435, of that number 115 actually lost their lives on the same day as Herbert, but many others died of their wounds over the next few weeks. Major Thomas Weeding who had led the ill fated, but in military terms successful attack was wounded, he was killed in action on 26 August 1917, aged 38 and is buried in Coxyde Military Cemetery, Koksijde, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. GREEN, RICHARD WILLIAM. Private, th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died 13 November Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Folkestone, Kent. Resided Shorncliffe, Kent. Buried St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: O. I. R. 2. Formerly Private, G/8525, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Possibly Richard is the same Richard W. Green who as a 12 year old was residing at 13 Trevanion Street, Dover, Kent at the time of the 1901 census. Richard s 35 year old widowed mother was the Head of the house and also had two daughters. GREGORY, ALFRED FREDRICK. Gunner, nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 3 June Aged 23. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Walter and Caroline Gregory of 18, Widred Road, Dover, Kent. 172

173 Buried Pont-De-Nieppe Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: II. D. 7. GRIFFITHS, JAMES THOMAS. Rifleman, st/18th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Irish Rifles). Died 21 March Born Cardiff, Wales. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 10. Formerly Private, 4185, 4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). GRIFFITHS, T. No clear trace. GRIGSON, ALFRED HENRY. Private, th (Prince Albert s Own) Hussars. Died 14 May Born Ipswich, Suffolk. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France. Grave Ref: I. A. 94. GRIGSON, WALTER ERNEST. Serjeant, th (Service) Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Died 1 April Born London. Enlisted Camberwell, Surrey. Resided Peckham, Surrey. Buried St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: P. IX. I. 4B. Formerly Serjeant, 5854, 1st Battalion, London Regiment. GROUNSELL, FREDERICK C. Bombardier, th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Died 31 May Aged 24. Son of George and Rebecca Grounsell of Belmont, Lower Road, River, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Kirkee, India Memorial. Face 1. Formerly Bombardier, 1139, Royal Field Artillery. Also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul, Frederick is also commemorated in the impressive C 1072 Battery, 222nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery commemoration book which is held in safe keeping at the Dover Museum, 5 Market Square, Dover, Kent, CT16 1PB. In the book Frederick is commemorated with his surname spelt GROUNDSELL as can be seen at the transcription on this website. Of particular importance the book also shows his place of burial, which is at Deolali, India, the same information is unfortunately not on his CWGC commemoration details. Unfortunately there is no SDGW entry for Frederick. HADLOW, ALBERT LLEWELLYN. Second Lieutenant. 70 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 6 October Aged 20. Born Herne Bay, Kent. 173

174 Buried Haringhe, Bandaghem Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. A. 30. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Whilst a pupil at the school Albert had been a member of the Cadet Force, which doubtless helped when he enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps. From what unfortunately scant details have been gleaned in respect of Albert s military service, it would appear that he had enlisted in the army at Dover, Kent and was attested to the Royal Engineers, serving as Sapper 736 and In 1917 Albert transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, and served as an R.F.C./R.A.F. Wireless Operator as opposed to being a pilot, had he been the latter, doubtless far more details would have been forthcoming from the plethora of publications appertaing to same. Albert s squadron was formed at South Farnborough, Hampshire on 22 April 1916, and was later transferred to Fienvillers in France one Flight at a time such was the gravity of the situation between May and August 1916 to take up fighter patrols. At the time of death his squadron was based at Droglandt, Ypres, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Number 70 Squadron was the first Royal Flying Corps Squadron to fly the Sopwith 1½-Strutter. As the Germans perfected their tactics, casualties to the squadron rose, and a year later the squadron converted to the far more capable Sopwith Camels, which was the first designed fighter to have two forward firing machine guns. Its design gave it amazing maneuverability and aerobatic qualities. HALL, F. No clear trace. HALL, FREDERICK STEPHEN. Private, st Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers. Died 28 September Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 10. Formerly Private, 3022, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). HAMILTON, JAMES DUNSMORE. Serjeant, st/1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Yeomanry. Died 17 April Enlisted Northampton, Northamptonshire. Resided Dover, Kent. Buried Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref. IV. D. 29. Formerly Corporal, 1977, Northamptonshire Yeomanry. With the formation of the Territorial Force, the then Northamptonshire Imperial Yeomanry became the Northamptonshire Yeomanry on 1 April 1908 with its Headquarters based at Northampton, Northamptonshire. Trained and equipped as Dragoons, the Northamptonshire Yeomanry at that time was comprised of four squadrons, they being, A Squadron based at Northampton with a detachment at Cottesbrooke. B Squadron based at Peterborough with detachments at Oundle, Glinton and Thrapston. C Squadron based at Kettering with detachments at Wellingborough, Rushden and Clipston. D Squadron based at Daventry with detachments at Weedon, Blisworth, Blakesley and West Haddon. 174

175 HAMPTON, ALBERT ALEXANDER. Private, L/9915. D Company, 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 1 October Aged 20. Born Buckland, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Grandson of Mr. G. and Mrs. Jane Hampton of 48, Douglas Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the La Ferté-sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France. At the start of the Great War the1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was stationed Fermoy, Ireland, which it had left on 12 August 1914 and proceeded to Cambridge where it arrived exactly a week later, the journey allowed the battalion which was in a state of high morale time to indulge in singing on the way, the most popular song being It s a long way to Tipperary which had been arranged by Bandmaster Elvin of the battalion. After having been joined by 554 reservists, many of whom were veterans of the Second Boer War or the Northwest Frontier of India, in some cases both, their experience and it as was with of some of the regulars, combined with the youthful enthusiasm of some of the younger members of the battalion set them in good stead when the battalion set foot on French soil at St. Nazaire on 9 September 1914 having crossed from Southampton aboard the SS Minneapolis. Following a number of moves, the battalion arrived at Courcelles and took over front line trenches to the north east of Vailly sur Aisne at 0230 hours on 21 September when relieving the 1st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers and the 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Private Herbert Cole aged 21 from Battersea, became the first of at least 1120 other ranks in the battalion to die in the Great War, the second being 30 year old Private Young T.E. Town from Milton Regis, Sittingbourne, Kent. A fairly recent innovation is the sounding of the Last Post which takes place at the Ploegsteert Memorial on the first Friday of every month at 1900 hours. We have noticed in the summer months that it is advisable to arrive early for the simple but nonetheless moving tribute as the lay-by in front of the Berks Cemetery Extension where the memorial is situated usually fills up quite quickly as 1900 hours approaches, as whilst the number of those who attend the ceremony is not comparable with those at the Menin Gate in Ieper an hour later, every time we have been at the Ploegsteert Memorial ceremony the numbers seem to grow. Following the sounding of the Last Post, it is advisable to wait until the rush to Ieper is over, as there is both plenty of time to get to the Menin Gate ceremony. HANDFORD, DOUGLAS FREDERICK. Battery Sergeant Major, th Battery, 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade, Australian Field Artillery. Died 6 August Aged 30. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Drillham, Queensland, Australia 24 August Resided Nare Villa, Drillham, Western Line, Queensland, Australia. Son of Mrs. Ellen Amelia Handford and the late Frederick John Handford. Brother of Mrs Nellie Medhurst 52, Richmond Road, Gillingham, Kent. Buried Shell Green Cemetery, Turkey. Grave Ref: I. I. 2. Also commemorated on Panel 12 of the Australian National War Memorial, and on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Douglas was educated in Dover, Kent and on leaving had enlisted as a Boy Soldier in the Royal Garrison Artillery. His service as a boy had included time spent in post at Dover 175

176 Castle. On completion of his boys service, Douglas was posted to the Royal Horse Artillery in which he served for 12 years, including time spent in the Second Boer War The former Portuguese island of St. Helena to this day still evokes sad stories amongst many South Africans about the thousands who spent their exile there during the Second Boer War. In 1900 the Boer General, Piet Cronje and his wife were amongst those sent there, and amongst the garrison staff guarding the Boer prisoners was Douglas Handford. On his discharge from the army with splendid character, Douglas went straight to Australia and was gainfully employed as an officer at Drillham, Queensland, Railway Station, but the lure back to the military was probably proving too much for him. He was about to leave his railway employment to take up a military instructors post at Brisbane, when war was declared, instead of taking up the above post he enlisted as a Gunner in the Australian Field Artillery. No doubt due to his past experiences and former years of service Douglas was extremely quickly promoted straight to a Battery Sergeant Major in the 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade. As a Battery Sergeant Major in the Instruction Company, of the 7th Battery, 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade, Australian Field Artillery, Douglas departed from Brisbane, Australia on 25 September 1914, onboard the 8948 ton, Shaw, Savill and Albion Co Ltd (London) requisitioned ship the H.M.A.T. Rangatira (A22). On 3 August 1914, the Australian Government offered to send an expeditionary force of 20,000 men to Europe, which it decided to organise as an Infantry Division and a Light Horse Brigade. Accordingly, the First Division was formed in Australia in August Intended to be representative of the Australian nation as a whole, it was organised from contingents from all states. It was originally intended to send the division to England for training, following which to go over to fight on the Western Front. The division was diverted to Egypt instead on the recommendation of Colonel Harry Chauvel, owing to the state of training areas in the United Kingdom. The division arrived in Egypt in December 1914 and began training at Mena, near Cairo, in sight of the great pyramids. On what is now remembered as Anzac Day, 25 April 1915, the First Division made an amphibious assault at what is now known as Anzac Cove, on the Gallipoli Peninsula. On Anzac Day the division was unable to capture all of its designated objectives but was able to secure an important, vital toehold on the peninsula. It served throughout the campaign there. In May the 2nd Brigade was re-embarked and participated in the attack on Krithia at Helles but returned in time for the Turkish counter offensive on 19 May. On 15 May, its commander, Major General William Bridges was fatally wounded by a sniper. During the August offensive, the First Division captured the Turkish positions around Line Pine. Finally, it was involved in the withdrawal to Egypt in December All but one of the 409 men buried at Shell Green Cemetery are Australians. They were mainly from the 9th and 11th Infantry Battalions A.I.F. (166) and the Australian Light Horse (122). Shell Green was a sloping cotton field on the seaward side of Bolton's Ridge. The cemetery is on the edge of a steep slope overlooking the sea, near Artillery Road which was the main route by which guns were hauled up from the beach to their positions on 400 Plateau. Grave I. I. 1, next to Douglas at Shell Green Cemetery is that of the officer under whom he had served. On the morning of 6 May 1915, Captain Walter Aland Leslie, and Lieutenant Percy Ross and their gun crews were on Bolton s Ridge, attempting to destroy a concealed Turkish position when Leslie was wounded in the arm and thigh. Confusion seems to have surrounded the subsequent death and burial of Captain Leslie who was reported to have been taken on board the 176

177 hospital ship H.M.H.S. Gloucester Castle, where he was recorded as having died at 0800 hours and was then buried at sea. His parents Alexander Smith Leslie and Martha Elizabeth Leslie (nee Aland), were informed that he had died of wounds on 8 June However, four years later in 1919 Leslie s remains were located actually on Gallipoli by the Graves Registration Unit, and he was re-interred at Shell Green Cemetery next to his Battery Sergeant Major, Douglas Handford. Captain Leslie had received a Special Mention in Divisional Orders for conspicuous gallantry or valuable service for the period 6 May to 28 June His brother Sergeant Arthur Leslie, from South Toowong, Queensland, Australia, also serving with the 3rd Australian Field Brigade, was killed in France on 30 September 1918, and is buried at Ste Emilie Valley Cemetery, Villers- Faucon, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. D. 6. HANDLEY, WALTER ERNEST. Private, G/5276. B Company, 8th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 18 August Aged 38. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Husband of Harriett Jane Handley (neé Prescott) of 9, Chapel Lane, Bench Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 D, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1881 census the Handley family was residing at 26 Limekiln Street, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent:- George HANDLEY. Aged 30. Born Dover, Kent. Railway Porter Mary HANDLEY. Agnes HANDLEY. Aged 31. Aged 14. Born Dover, Kent. Born Dover, Kent. George HANDLEY. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Walter HANDLEY. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Albert HANDLEY. Aged 1. Born Dover, Kent. By the time of the 1901 census the family had moved to 1 Round Tower Passage, Dover, Kent. HANSON, JOHN THOMAS. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 15 August Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Thomas and Alice Hanson (neé West). Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 8 C 9 A and 16 A. John s battalion arrived at Bois des Tailles on the last day of July 1916; from there a move was made to Sandpit Camp on 2 August before moving to the Carnoy craters six days later. On 9 August the battalion moved again, into trench positions which were located in Bernafay Wood just to the north of the Montauban to Guillemont road. Three days later taking up occupancy of numerous craters, before going to the front line position trenches which were located between Delville Wood and the Guillemont road, on 13 August to undertake relief of the 8th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), in preparation for an attack on enemy positions located near Guillemont on

178 August. Amongst those relieved would almost certainly have been Walter Handley who is the last man briefly commemorated above. During the time spent in the former Buffs held trenches, John s battalion carried out the construction of communication trenches, during which time fortunately only a few men were injured and none were killed, despite being subjected to fairly persistent enemy shelling which at times was quite heavy. Casualties to John s battalion were also light on the day that he died, he being numbered amongst only 10 other ranks deaths in addition to which 18 other ranks were wounded and 5 had to be treated for shell-shock, no officer casualties are recorded for 15 August Doubtless the main reason for the low casualty rate to the battalion on the day that John lost his life was because it was in reserve of the attacking battalions, its main role being to provide carrying parties taking what was required in the form of small arms ammunition, food and water. It would seem likely that John lost his life during one of the moves forward to replenish those at the front of the attack. HANWELL, W.E. No trace, the best (tenuous) match appears to be the following casualty, based primarily on the number of times that an E for F and C for G and vice versa are found on war memorials at different locations around the United Kingdom. Clearly caution should be exercised by anyone wanting to carry out more in depth detailed research on this casualty, as patently this is not a sound and irrefutable finding! HANWELL, WILLIAM FRANK. Private, M2/ th Mechanical Transport Company, Army Service Corps. Died 27 February Born and enlisted Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. Resided Milton, Northamptonshire. Husband of E. Hanwell of Little Harrowden, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. Buried Salonika (Lembet Road) Military Cemetery, Thessalonika, Greece. Grave Ref: 888. Although a neutral country at the outset of the Great War, Greece was available as a base because it was united by an alliance to Serbia. Resulting from the alliance and Bulgaria s involvement in the war, an invitation was given to the Allied Powers by the Greek Prime Minister, Eleutherios Venizelos to go to his country. Following the acceptance of same, Salonika (now Thessalonika) was occupied by three French Divisions and the 10th (Irish) Division from Gallipoli in October Other French and Commonwealth forces landed during the year and in the summer of 1916, they were joined by Russian and Italian troops. In August 1916, a Greek revolution broke out at Salonika, with the result that the Greek national army came into the war on the Allied side. 605th Mechanical Transport Company, Army Service Corps came into being on 26 November 1915 and was disbanded on 6 March 1921, having spent most of its time during the Great War years in the Salonika theatre of operations, as 38 Auxiliary (Motor Transport) Company, equipped with light vans. As other casualties to the same company have been noted on 27 February 1917, it would appear that William probably killed in action. HARBIRD, H.R. It would seem likely that this man was commemorated on the war memorial with the wrong initials. The CWGC record a sole casualty for either of the world wars with this surname, which also matches SDGW. The MIC entries show only 9 soldiers with the surname, and checking the Royal Navy data revealed only one sailor. 178

179 HARBIRD, WILLIAM HENRY. Private, GS/ th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 13 May Aged 19. Enlisted Hammersmith. Resided Hanwell, Middlesex. Son of William Henry and Annie C. Harbird of Hanwell, Middlesex. Buried Sandpits British Cemetery, Fouquereuil, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. J. 2. Also H.R Harbird is also commemorated on the St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, TR/10/54400, 102nd Training Regiment, Battalion, and Private, 37805, East Surrey Regiment. HARDEMAN, ERNEST. R.T. Serjeant (Pilot), Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Died in aerial combat 16 February Born Dover, Kent. Son of John and Sarah Hardeman of 36 Military Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Ham British Cemetery, Muille-Villette, Somme, France. Grave Ref: I. B. 30. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Before undergoing pilot training, passing same and becoming aircrew, Ernest had been a Royal Flying Corps, Air Mechanic 2nd Class which is as shown on his Medal Index Card entry. At 1345 hours on 16 February 1918, the Bristol F.2b aircraft piloted by Ernest and crewed by his Observer; 22 year old Lieutenant George Wheeler Croft from Lincolnshire was shot down by the 26 year old German ace Hauptmann, Wilhelm Willi Reinhard, who at the time of the engagement was the Commanding Officer of Jasta 6. Ernest and George were shot down above Fayet near St. Quentin on the Somme, and became the eighth of Wilhelm Reinhard s twenty victories. It perhaps should also be mentioned that Ernest and his Observer were somewhat unfortunate to have engaged Wilhelm Reinhard on the day they were shot down, because he was highly regarded amongst his peers, as both an outstanding pilot and aerial combat tactician. A native of Düsseldorf, Germany, Wilhelm Reinhard subsequently lost his life on 3 July 1918 at Adlersdorf, near Berlin, when he took up a Zeppelin-Lindau D.I, for a test flight. He was killed when a strut broke and the top wing of the aircraft collapsed. Twentieth century history, notably the Second World War and events leading up to it would probably have been somewhat different had the wing strut broke only a few minutes earlier, when a different ace pilot had been testing the aircraft. The pilot in question being Oberleutnant, Hermann Wilhelm Göring. Rumours still circulate to this day that the accident which cost Wilhelm Reinhard his life was due to the aircraft being sabotaged by a Mechanic, who was either being blackmailed or employed by Hermann Göring so to do. Leonard Mosley, when writing his Göring biography in the early 1970 s, stated that when one of the struts that attached the top wing to the fuselage broke off, the sound was so loud that it was quiet distinctly heard on the ground. Other commentators have made comments along the lines that no pilot would have resorted to such despicable tactics as that rumored to have been carried out by Oberleutnant, Hermann Göring in his quest for promotion. HARDING, PHILLIP. Private,

180 1st/5th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 10 March Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Basra War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: IV. L 8. HARDY, PHILLIP ERNEST RADFORD. Second Lieutenant. 2nd Royal Marine Battalion, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. Died 28 April Aged 22. Son of William James and Emily Hardy of 9, Langport Road, Weston-super-Mare. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 1, also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. For obvious reasons, arguably the oddest out of all the British divisions during the Great War, the Royal Naval Division was formed in September 1914 made up of Royal Marines and surplus naval reservists. The division was organized into battalions that were named after distinguished sailors in naval history, Hood, Nelson, Howe and Drake etcetera. After early action fought in the defence of Antwerp, Belgium, the Royal Naval Division went to Gallipoli where it landed in April 1915, and saw the campaign through to the end. In April the division was taken over by the War Office from the Admiralty and the following month it was moved to France; in July it was given the number 63. As the 63rd Royal Naval Division it remained on the Western Front for the remainder of the Great War. Total casualties amounted to nearly 48,000. Phillip was amongst the six officers in his battalion who were killed during the Battle of Gavrelle, Arras. For anybody wanting to obtain more (comprehensive) details about the battle fought when Phillip lost his life, the best book to purchase is Gavrelle, it being one of the excellent books in the Battleground Europe series published by Pen & Sword Books. Although somebody reading this brief tribute to Phillip, may possibly accuse (falsely) the transcriber of being biased regarding the above publication, as it is jointly authored by Kyle Tallett, who is the expert on the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. HARE, ALFRED J.J. Airman 2nd Class, Squadron, (India) Royal Flying Corps. Died 25 August Son of Mr and Mrs H Hare of 77 South Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: XXI. C. 50. Alfred had been employed as a Post Office Messenger by the General Post Office prior to enlisting in the Royal Flying Corps in August On completion of his basic training he was posted to India in October The following month, Alfred was assigned to Major-General Sir Charles Townshend s ill fated Mesopotamia Force, and whilst serving in same had the misfortune to fall into Ottoman troops hands in December 1915, and died of Malaria whilst a Prisoner of War of the Turks. In the early stages of the campaign the Royal Flying Corps had been unable to send any aircrew in support of General Townshend s operations but was able to provide two aircraft. The flying personnel were drawn from the recently formed Australian Flying Corps which agreed to provide a contingent of pilots and ground crew with all the necessary equipment and paraphernalia to keep the aircraft in service. The Australians, under the command of Captain Henry 180

181 Petre, arrived at Basra, Mesopotamia in May 1915, where they were subsequently joined by personnel from India and New Zealand, some of whom were Army Officers who had learned to fly at their own expense, but were not members of any official Flying Corps unit. In August this cosmopolitan Empire Unit was informed that it would be forming part of 30 Squadron, R.F.C., and become A Flight on 5 August The Flight, operating Farman and Caudron aircraft, performed much useful bombing and reconnaissance work, photographed and sketching terrain in preparation for further advances. Throughout the summer the forces on the ground continued to push their way along the river Tigris to Kut-Al-Amara which fell to General Townshend s Mesopotamia Force on 29 September The whole area at that time was then in British hands and the vital oil wells and pipeline were, for the moment, secure. 30 Squadron, R.F.C. was then moved to Aziziya it being approximately 50 miles up river from Kut-Al-Amara, and once ensconced there carried out important reconnaissance patrols. The Ottoman forces were constructing a major defensive position at Ctesiphon in preparation to meet the British advance, and halt it short of the city of Baghdad. The whole area had to be carefully mapped from the air as contemporary maps showed little more that the course of major rivers and locations of some settlements and were, thus, inadequate for the commanders needs. For this work, Alfred s squadrons Farman Shorthorn aircraft was found to be the ideal aircraft. Post Alfred s death, his squadron became the first in the world to carry out a relief Air Drop, on 4 January 1916, 30 Squadron s BE2C aircraft devoid of their Lewis guns and ammunition to save weight, dropped food and supplies to the besieged troops at Kut-Al-Amara. Although it will need more detailed research when time permits, there is every indication that at the time of his death, Alfred was underage for military service, and if that was the case he clearly would also have been under age at the time of his army enlistment in August His father volunteered for military service and served as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers. HARRIS, A. E. No clear trace, but the best match appears to be the following soldier:- HARRIS, ALBERT EDWARD. Rifleman, st/8th Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles). Died 21 May Aged 28. Born France. Enlisted London. Resided Ramsgate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Son of William and Ann Harris. Husband of Maria Isabel Harris of 12, Mayville Road, St. Peter s, Broadstairs, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 10. HARRIS, ALBERT VICTOR. Corporal, Royal Field Artillery. Died 12 October Aged 31. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Alfred and Susan Harris of 57, Cranford Road, Cressington, Lancashire. Commemorated on the Kirkee, India Memorial. Face 1. Although as can be seen, Albert is shown as being the son of the above couple, it was noted when checking census data etcetera that on the 1901 census entries, Albert, a Plumbers Mate is recorded as residing with his widowed mother at 9 Tower Hamlets 181

182 Street, Dover, Kent. It was also noted during researches that on 31 January 1886, Albert Victor Harris was baptised at St. James parish church, Dover, Kent, he being the son of Alfred Osborn Harris and Susan Harris, at which Alfred Osborn Harris was a Plumber. HARRIS, AMOS JOHN. Gunner, D Battery, 129th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 22 October Aged 28. Husband of Charlotte Hester Pilton (formerly Harris) of 3, Portland Place. Dover, Kent. Born Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried Kirechkoi-Hortakoi Military Cemetery, Exohi, Greece. Grave Ref: 383. HARRISON, ARTHUR LEYLAND. V.C. Lieutenant Commander. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Lion. (H.M.S. Vindictive, during the Zeebrugge Raid). Died 23 April1918. Aged 32. Born Torquay, Devon 3 February Son of the late Lieutenant Colonel A. J. Harrison, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) and the late Adelaide Ellen Harrison of Waldon Cottage, Durham Road, Wimbledon, London. Commemorated on the Zeebrugge Memorial, Brugge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. The Zeebrugge Memorial is a small stone panel set in the wall of Zeebrugge churchyard which commemorates three officers and one mechanic of the Royal Navy who fell on the Mole at Zeebrugge during the execution of the St George s Day Raid. Educated at Dover College, Arthur was a member of the Junior School from 1895 to After enlisting in the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1902, Arthur steadily gained promotion and became a Lieutenant in October 1908, and a Lieutenant Commander in October 1916 aged 30. Prior to his death Arthur had been Mentioned in Despatches on 15 September 1916, and had seen action at several now famous naval battles, including the Battle of Heligoland 1914, Dogger Bank 1915 and Jutland He was a keen and competent all round sportsman, but from an early age he had shown both flair for, and dedication to Rugby Union, which resulted in Arthur being selected and turning out for the Royal Navy first XI on several occasions. Between 1906 and 1914 he also played for the Hampshire United Services team, and also played for Hampshire in and All of which culminated in him playing for England during the season, when he played against Ireland and France during the1914 Five Nations Championship. At the Queen s Club in March 1914 he played in the game of Royal Navy and Army Officers teams, and following the match all the players and officials were presented to H.M. the King. An extract from the London Gazette, dated 14 March 1919 reads:- For most conspicuous gallantry at Zeebrugge on the night of the 22nd-23rd April, This officer was in immediate command of the Naval Storming Parties embarked in 'Vindictive'. Immediately before coming alongside the Mole Lieut.-Commander Harrison was struck on the head by a fragment of a shell which broke his jaw and knocked him senseless. Recovering consciousness he proceeded on to the Mole and took over command of his party, who were attacking the seaward end of the Mole. The silencing of the guns on the Mole head was of the first importance, and though in a position fully exposed to the enemy's machine-gun fire Lieut.-Commander Harrison gathered his men together and led them to the attack. He was killed at the head of his men, all of whom 182

183 were either killed or wounded. Lieut.-Commander Harrison, though already severely wounded and undoubtedly in great pain, displayed indomitable resolution and courage of the highest order in pressing his attack, knowing as he did that any delay in silencing the guns might jeopardize the main object of the expedition, i.e., the blocking of the Zeebrugge-Bruges Canal. Exactly 82 years after the now famous raid on the enemy held port of Zeebrugge, a permanent memorial to the memory of Arthur Harrison V.C. and his sacrifice was unveiled at Roundham Head, Paignton, Devon, paid for by members of the Torbay branch of the Royal Naval Association. HART, H. No clear trace, the best match appears to be the following casualty, but caution is advised should anybody carry more detailed research on this casualty, or the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial (post August 2004), as this is not a perfect match:- HART, HENRY ROBERT. Drummer, L/ st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Died 28 July Born Chatham, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme. France. Pier and Face 6 B or 6 C. HART, HORACE CECIL. Private, st/5th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 17 January Born Holy Trinity, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Amara War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: I. B. 17. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover Kent. HART, HYLA PADGHAM. Lieutenant. 13th (Service) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. Died 5 October Born Dover, Kent c1890. Son of Harry and Sophia Hart. Commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 9. Harry, Hyla s father was a native of Dover, Kent, and Hyla s mother Sophia was a native of Bethersden, Ashford, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census the Hart family resided at Avenue Villa, Frith Road, Dover, Kent, with 39 year old Grocers Clerk Harry recorded as being the Head of the house. On the census Hyla is shown as being aged 11, which would mean that at the time of his demise he would have been about 28 years old. Also entered on the census return for the address is Harry and Sophia s 17 year old daughter Dora, who was born at Holloway, London. HAYES-NEWINGTON, CHARLES WETHERELL. Captain. 2nd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. Died 11 May Aged 21. Son of Major C. M. Hayes-Newington, late 22nd Cheshire Regiment and the King s (Liverpool Regiment.), and Mrs. Hayes-Newington of 16, Merton Road, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, and Ticehurst, Sussex. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel

184 Very brief reference was made to Charles at the commemoration to Charles Andrews (please see commemoration) who lost his life serving in the same battalion a fortnight after the loss of his friend. As is often the case there appears to be a slight variance between date of death and actual commemoration date for this young officer. In much the same way that it has been noticed with deaths at sea during both world wars, they being on occasions assumed or estimated dates, the same thing has been noticed with some of the army casualties who are commemorated on overseas memorials, primarily the larger ones. In the book The History of the Cheshire Regiment in the Great War, by Colonel Arthur Crookenden, C.B.E. D.S.O, who was the regimental historian and Colonel of the Regiment from 1930 to1947, mention is made of the costly action fought by Charles s battalion and his death. On 4 May 1915 the 2nd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment was amongst those occupying the Ypres Salient that were withdrawn, after which the battalion was in a new defensive line running shortly to the east of Frezenberg, during which time on 6 May on of the battalion officers Captain John. C. Routh was killed, and on the following day the battalion took over the front line positions at Verlorenhoek. The after occupying the Verlorenhoek trenches the battalion was attacked by an enemy force in strength which resulted in the complete loss of three companies. Following the days events a pair of subalterns, they being the only officers still standing, when ration were issued to the other ranks that night only 32 men drew them. Five officers are recorded as losing their lives on 8 May 1915, a Major, a Captain, a Lieutenant and two Second Lieutenants, the Captain being Charles Hayes-Newington. The Illustrated London Evening News dated 9 October 1915, under the heading Dead on the Field of Honour: Officers Killed in Action, records amongst their number Capt C. W. Hayes-Newington, Cheshire Regt. Ticehurst House Hospital which was opened as a private lunatic asylum at Ticehurst, Sussex, in 1792, was founded by Samuel Newington ( ), who was already in practice at the village as a surgeon and apothecary. The asylum remained in the ownership of his descendants until fairly recent times, and they continued to serve as its Medical Superintendents until the death of Herbert Francis Hayes-Newington ( ). The Hayes-Newington family of which Charles was a member, had fairly substantial holdings in the Ticehurst are of Sussex. Although Charles is commemorated on Dover, Kent civic war memorial, it should perhaps be pointed out that his brother who also fell is not, he being Second Lieutenant Harold May Hayes-Newington, 1st Battalion, The King s (Liverpool Regiment), who died on 10 March 1915, aged 20. Buried Vieille- Chapelle New Military Cemetery, Lacouture, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: IX. E. 14. It seemed somewhat apt that Major Hayes-Newington s sons were both serving as officers in his two former regiments at the times of their respective deaths, both in HAYWARD, H. No clear trace. At the time of the 1901 census there was an 11 month old boy Henry J.W. Hayward, residing with his parents James and Jane Hayward at 2 Tower Hill Cottages, Dover, Kent. HAYWARD, JOHN HENRY. Leading Seaman, J/682. Royal Navy, H.M.S. Raider. Died 24 November Aged 24. Born Queenborough, Isle of Sheppy, Kent 7 April Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel

185 At the time of the 1901 census, John was residing at 37 Tower Hill, Dover, Kent. The Head of the house was John s grandfather 70 year old Henry Bartlett, a native of Portsmouth, Hampshire who was a retired Ships Painter. Also in residence was John s 40 year old widowed mother Margaret Hayward who was a native of Dover, Kent and her other son William J. Hayward, who like John was born at Queenborough, Isle of Sheppy, Kent. Having enlisted at Chatham, Kent as a boy entrant on 25 February 1908, John served at H.M.S. Ganges, Shotley, Suffolk, where he became a Boy 1st class on 24 October After his training he served as a Boy 1st class, John had several postings, they being to H.M.S. Natal, H.M.S. Cressy, H.M.S. Dido, H.M.S. Royal Arthur, and on 27 March 1909 joined H.M.S. Hyacinth. On 7 April 1910 it being his eighteenth birthday whilst serving onboard H.M.S. Hyacinth he signed on for a 12 year engagement in the Royal Navy and became an Ordinary Seaman. Still as member of the crew of H.M.S. Hyacinth, John became an Able Seaman on 11 November Interspersed with short periods of being on the roll of the Chatham, Kent shore based establishment H.M.S. Pembroke, John served as an Able Seaman on H.M.S. Tyne, H.M.S. Blenheim, and H.M.S. Lancaster, whilst serving on the latter ship John became a Leading Seaman on 1 June 1915 and left H.M.S. Lancaster on 29 July 1915 to return to H.M.S. Pembroke prior to being attached to H.M.S. St. George, and serving on the River class destroyer H.M.S. Waveney. John left H.M.S. Waveney after less than a month and joined H.M.S. Wallington on 6 November Following another period at H.M.S. Pembroke, John was attached to H.M.S. Sandhurst, serving on the new 975 ton R class destroyer H.M.S. Raider (G82) from 31 October 1916, the ship was commissioned on 17 July 1916, and survived the Great War and was sold for scrapping in April Whilst serving as the Boatswain s Mate of his watch, John was swept overboard at about 0200 hours in heavy seas having on his own initiative gone forward to the forecastle alone and unsecured to see that the ammunition there was safe, having just prior to which been in a party of sailors carrying out the same task moving ammunition boxes and the like whilst under supervision of an officer. The subsequent inquiry into John s tragic death found no other person, officer or rating contributing in any way to his death. One of the men who had been working with John shortly before ran forward and reported to an officer that he had heard a cry from the sea. With commendable speed H.M.S. Raider was put about and thorough search was carried out with all the ships company roused so to do, despite all the efforts being made to effect a rescue John was not found. Due to the prevailing weather conditions and sea state at the time it proved both impossible and irresponsible for boats to be lowered although men had volunteered to man them, when considering the stormy weather etcetera and that it was also pitch black those who did volunteer to man the boats must have been made of stern stuff. After being nearly run down by another vessel, and with worsening weather, Commander G Fraser the ships commander was reluctantly obliged to abandon the search for John. In truth with the sea state and cold weather John would have died quite quickly and his shipmates would in truth have been looking for his body. It was noted on his papers of 7 April 1910 that John who had been an errand Boy prior to enlisting in 19108, was only five foot four inches tall, and that he had a hole in his left collar bone. Despite having undergone the rigors of H.M.S. Ganges including copious amounts of Physical Training, followed by the rest of his time spent as a Boy sailor, his chest measurement was only 33½ inches. Clearly a small man but it would seem with the heart of a lion, had he not been so disposed John might not have 185

186 taken it upon himself to check the ships forecastle alone to see that the ammunition located there was safe and secure. H.M.S. Sandhurst to which John was attached was the former merchant ship Manipur built by Harland and Wolf, Belfast and was launched on the 14 December 1905, she served throughout the Great War, first as a dummy HMS Indomitable, then as a Fleet repair ship. Having survived the Great War she later served in the Second World War during which for the first two years she was based at Dover as a supply and repair ship for the Dover Patrol, and took part in the evacuation of the BEF in At Dover when alongside the Eastern Arm she was hit by an aerial torpedo in the engine room and sank, it was decided to patch her side and pump her out; this was successfully achieved under difficult conditions during air attacks on the Dover area and on the harbour, after temporary repairs H.M.S. Sandhurst was successfully sailed by a skeleton crew to the London Docks for repairs In 1941 H.M.S. Sandhurst became a depot ship for escort ships at Londonderry, Northern Ireland and later at Greenock, Scotland. Surplus to peacetime requirements she was eventually scrapped at Dalmuir, Scotland in April HAYWARD, SYDNEY PAUL. Private, L/ st/7th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Manchester Regiment. Died 10 June Born Buckland, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried La Chapelette British and Indian Cemetery, Péronne, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. G. 3. Commemorated by the CWGC as P. Hayward, MIC shows Sydney P. Hayward, and also with his former regimental number (Manchester Regiment). HAYWARD, WILLIAM. Private, L/8436. D Company, 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Aged 27. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Hayward of 52, Primrose Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 12 or 14. Obviously a regular soldier based on his regimental number L prefix, William s CWGC commemoration has additional information which is hard to decipher i.e. Sened g years. It possibly should read Served 8 years. HEAD, W.D. As commemorated on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial is the following casualty:- HEAD, WALTER WILLIAM. Private, th Battalion, Essex Regiment. Died 10 August Aged 20. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Hannah Head of 50, Tower Hamlets Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Morlancourt British Cemetery No 2, Somme, France. Grave Ref: B. 10. Formerly Private, 36398, Norfolk Regiment. probably 186

187 At the time of the 1901 census the Head family was residing at the above address, when Walter s 29 year old father, Thomas W. Head, an Iron Moulder and Dover native was the Head of the house. HEBDEN-PHILLIPS, R.F. What at first glance appeared to be an easy casualty to locate has proved to be quite the reverse. For some time the only data accessed appertaing to the surname in the Great War was a MIC entry for Muriel Hebden-Phillips, of a Voluntary Aid Detachment. Eventually the following casualty was revealed who is the casualty commemorated on Dover, Kent civic war memorial, and entered here as traced, (but not alphabetically):- PHILLIPS, FRANCIS REGINALD HEBDEN. Lance Corporal, th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Plymouth, Devon. Resided Canterbury, Kent. Died 26 August Aged 20. Son of Mr C. Hebden Phillips and Mary Elizabeth Phillips of 12, Ethelbert Road, Canterbury, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: Q. H. 16. At the time of his death in C1 Ward, Salisbury Hospital, Plymouth, Francis was on the strength of the Royal Engineer Dispatch Riders of the Plymouth Garrison, serving with the Central Military Exchange, Army Signals, Plymouth, Devon. HEDGECOCK, EDWARD (Teddie) JOHN. Gunner, nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 10 September Age 23. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Only son of Edward John and Elizabeth Catherine Hedgecock of 13, South Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Bleuet Farm Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. H. 58. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census the Hedgecock family resided at 9 Hullsdorph Cottages, Dover, Kent. Head of the house was 34 year old Dover native Edward Hedgecock senior. HEDGECOCK, ERNEST CHARLES. Private, G/ th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 30 May Aged 24. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Emma Elizabeth Hedg ecock of 7, Alexandra Place, London Road, Dover, Kent and the late Charles Ellis Hedgecock. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 3. It perhaps should be pointed out that there is an odd entry as under on the 1901 census:- Henry MARCHAM. Aged 36. Born Dover, Kent. Milk Carrier. Ellen MARCHAM. Aged 35. Born Dover, Kent. The following, all Dover natives are shown as being the children of the above couple:- Edward HEDGECOCK. Aged 13. Richard HEDGECOCK. Aged 11. Florence HEDGECOCK. Aged

188 Percy Mar HEDGECOCK. Aged 4. Ernest HEDGECOCK. Aged 1. HENDERSON, R. M. No clear trace. HERON, ALBERT ERNEST. Trooper, Royal Horse Guards. Died 12 April Aged 29. Born Woolwich, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Joseph Heron of 4, Dour Cottages, Wood Street, Dover, Kent. Husband of E. Woolmington (formerly Heron) of 45, Church Street, Enfield, Middlesex, late of 9, Evelyn Villas, Devonshire Road, Merton, Surrey. Buried Tilloy British Cemetery, Tilloy-Les-Mofflaines, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II. F. 21. Also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census the Heron family was residing at 15&16 Trevanion Street, Dover, Kent which was an Inn, at which 40 year old Lancastrian Joseph was both Head of house and the Landlord. Joseph s 42 year old wife is shown as being the Landlady, in addition to 13 year old Albert the couple had three of their other children residing with them. In view of the wording on Albert s CWGC commemoration, it would appear that at the time when additional family details were added his mother had also died. HEWES, ERNEST ALFRED. Serjeant, nd Company, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 8 May Aged 34. Born Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Husband of Elsie Gertrude Hewes of Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Karachi War Memorial, Pakistan. HEWES, HENRY GEORGE. Gunner, st Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 22 April Aged 28. Born Rangoon, Burmah. Enlisted Newport, Isle of Wight. Resided Freshwater, Isle of Wight. Husband of Annie Whitham (formerly Hewes) of New Village, Freshwater, Isle of Wight. Buried St. Nicolas British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. G. 3. Formally Private, 22767, 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Purely conjecture, but wonder if the two HEWES casualties were in fact brothers, and in view of places of birth were possibly the sons of a former member of the Royal Garrison Artillery, who had served as part of the Sheerness Isle of Sheppey, Kent Garrison, and who later saw service in Burmah, and possibly Fort Victoria on the Isle of Wight? HICKS, HORACE CLEMENT. Gunner, nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 30 November

189 Born Charleton, Devon. Enlisted Exeter, Devon. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, Nord, France. Panel 1. Mention should be made that a 13 year old Dover, Kent native was noted residing with his parents Austin and Eliza Hicks at 4 Castle Cottages, Charlton Green Dover, Kent at the time of the 1901 census. Places on birth, enlistment and residence on Horace s brief commemoration was accessed from his entry in/on SDGW which is probably correct, but on numerous occasions over the years, data accessed from same has sometimes proved to be erroneous, as such it seemed prudent to add census findings in case it might be of help to somebody doing more comprehensive research on the life and death of Horace Hicks. In view of date of Horace s death and that he is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval it is clear that he was amongst those members of his battery who lost their lives during the Battle of Cambrai. The battle began at 0620 hours on 20 November, commencing with a carefully prepared and predicted, but unregistered artillery barrage by 1,003 guns on key German defences, that shelling was then followed by smoke and a creeping barrage at 300 yards ahead to cover the first infantry advances. Despite the British efforts which had been put in place to preserve secrecy, the enemy forces had however been in possession of sufficient intelligence to be on a constant moderate alert, which amongst other things had resulted in an attack on the little village of Havrincourt being anticipated as was the use of tanks. Initially there was considerable success in most areas, and it seemed patently obvious that a great allied victory was within reach; the Hindenburg Line had been successfully penetrated with advances of up to 8 km achieved. On the right, the 12th (Eastern) Division advanced as far as Lateau Wood before digging in as ordered. The 20th (Light) Division forced a way through La Vacquerie and then advanced to capture a key bridge across the St Quentin canal at Masnieres. The actual fate of the bridge is unclear, as it was certainly destroyed but that was either by German demolition or by the weight of tanks attempting to pass over it. Whatever the cause it halted the hopes for advance there. In the centre the British captured Ribécourt and Marcoing, but when the cavalry passed through, late, they were dealt a sharp blow and fell back from Noyelles. Over the week several other local actions were fought with which resulted in successes and failures on both side of the overall battle. More and more British troops were pushed into the front line positions, which resulted in the British reserves being rapidly depleted and al the time the enemy troops were constantly receiving more reinforcements. The final British effort was on 27 November carried out by the 62nd Division aided by thirty tanks, with its early success being reversed by a successful German counterattack. The British then held a salient approximately seven miles by five and a half miles with had its front running along the crest of a ridge. On 28 November the British offensive was deemed to have officially ceased, at which time the British troops were ordered to consolidate their positions by laying barbed wire entanglements and digging in. The Germans were particularly quick off the mark to concentrate their artillery on the new British positions with staggering numbers of rounds being fired prior to their infantry counter attacking. The initial rapid speed of the German infantry advance when carrying out the counter attacks was completely unexpected by the British. The German attack began at 0700 hours on 30 November, and almost immediately the majority of its III Corps divisions were heavily engaged. At numerous locations during the German attacks, local engagements mirrored the successes and failures which had occurred on both sides during the British offensive. 189

190 On 3 December Sir Douglas Haig ordered a retreat from the salient held by his troops, and by 7 December all the British gains were abandoned, except for a portion of the Hindenburg Line around Havrincourt, Ribécourt and Flesquières. The Germans had exchanged this territorial loss for a sweep of land to the south of a position named Welsh Ridge. Total casualties on both sides resulting from the battle were approximately 45,000 each, with 11,000 Germans and 9,000 British soldiers being taken prisoner. In terms of territory the Germans had recovered the early losses and a little more. Despite the outcome, the battle was seen as evidence than even the strongest trench defences could be overcome. The British had seen the advantage of tanks while the German command had seen the potential of new infantry tactics. HICKSON, S.V.E. No clear trace, but the Medal Index Cards shows a perfect match for an officer who was a Second Lieutenant in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. ODGW records only three officers with the surname HICKSON, but non match the one who is commemorated on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial. There is no CDGC entry for this casualty. HILL, F.C. As commemorated on the war memorial was not traced, but the following casualty might be the man commemorated but with the wrong second initial:- HILL, FREDERIC DANIEL. Armament Staff Serjeant, T/277. 5th Company, Royal Army Ordnance Corps. Attached to the 118th Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 5 September1915. Aged 35. Born Portsea, Hampsh ire. Enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Youngest son of James. J. and Em ily Hill of Dover, Kent. Husband of Ethel Hill of 19, Buckland Avenue, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Acheul French National Cemetery, Amiens, Somme, France. Grave Ref: 18. At the time of the 1881 census the Hill family was residing at 55 Blisset Street, Greenwich, Kent:- James J. HILL. Aged 40. Born Birmingham. Engine Fitter. Emily HILL. James J. HILL. Thomas H. HILL. Alfred HILL. Frank HILL. Millie HILL. Aged 36. Aged 15. Aged 13. Aged 7. Aged 5. Aged 3. Born London, Middlesex. Born Greenwich, Kent. Apprentice Engine Fitter. Born Victoria Dock. Born Greenwich, Kent. Born Alexandria, Egypt. Born Alexandria, Egypt. Frederick HILL. Aged 1. Born Portsea, Hampshire. HOBBS, RICHARD. Bombardier, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 1 November Aged 36. Born Swingfield, Folkestone, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Richard and Mary Hobbs of Selsted, Dover, Kent. Husband of Annie Hobbs of 15, Stanhope Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Vendegies Cross Roads British Cemetery, Bermerain, Nord, France. Grave Ref: B

191 Richard is also commemorated on the village tribute to the fallen at Swingfield, Folkestone, Kent which is in the form of memorial plaques, located in the Lych gate of the parish church of St. Peter s. Probably also the casualty commemorated on the St. James s parish, Dover, Kent Great War memorial plaque. The cemetery where Richard is at rest was made by the British XVII Corps early in November1918. There are now nearly 580 Great War casualties commemorated in the cemetery, but Richard is numbered amongst the only forty eight identified casualties. HOBBS, REGINALD H. Private, CH/ Chatham Battalion, Royal Naval Division, Royal Marine Light Infantry. Died 8 May Aged 19. Son of Mr and Mrs Hobbs of Crabble Farm, Dover, Kent. Commemorated at Courtney s and Steel s Posts, Turkey. On Special Memorial 26. The cemetery where Reginald is at rest was named after Lieutenant Colonel R. E. Courtney, C.B., V.D., who brought the 14th Australian Infantry Battalion to it on 27 April 1915, and Major T. H. Steel, as Steel s Post was next to it on the south-west and was also of the same 14th Battalion. Both these positions were occupied on 25 April 1915 and were held until the evacuation of Gallipoli in December HOGBEN, MONTAGUE WILLIAM. Private, nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. Died 29 September Aged 19. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of James Hogben of 4, Pioneer Road, Crabble Hill, Dover, Kent. Buried Pigeon Ravine Cemetery, Epehy, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. C. 12. HOGBIN, WALTER JAMES. Private, th (Service) Battalion, The King s (Liverpool Regiment) Died 26 August Aged 39. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Kilburn, London. Resided Brondesbury, Kilburn, London. Son of Jane and Stephen Hogbin of Dover, Kent. Husband of Mrs. Elizabeth J. Hogbin (neé Hughes) of 3, Torbay Mansions, Willesden Lane, Kilburn, London. Buried Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimil le, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II. E. 20. Formerly Gunner, , Royal Field Artillery. The 1881 census shows the Hogbin family residing at 39 Castle Place, St. James, Dover, Kent where Walter was also probably actually born c1878:- Stephen HOGBIN. Aged 54. Born Dover, Kent. General Labourer. Jane HOGBIN. Aged 45. Born Dover, Kent. Christopher HOGBIN. Aged 17. Born Dover, Kent. Medical Dispenser (S M S) George HOGBIN. Aged 14. Born Dover, Kent. Porter. William HOGBIN. Aged 11. Born Dover, Kent. Albert HOGBIN. Aged 8. Born Dover, Kent. 191

192 Agnes HOGBIN. Bertha HOGBIN. Aged 8. Aged 6. Born Dover, Kent. Born Dover, Kent. Walter HOGBIN. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Arthur HOGBIN. Aged 6 months. Born Dover, Kent. At the time of 1901 census the family was residing at 63 Lowther Road, Dover, Kent with Stephen Hogbin still the Head of the house, and Walter was at the time employed as a Billiard Marker. HOLBROOK, HENRY GEORGE. K/17531, Stoker 1st Class. Royal Navy, H.M.S. Pathfinder. Died 5 September Aged 19. Born Dover, Kent 29 September Son of Frances Margaret Holbrook of 17, Tower Street, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent and the late George Henry Holbrook. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 5. H.M.S. Pathfinder a 2,900 ton Pathfinder Scout Class cruiser was the leader of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla based at Rosyth, Scotland, she was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off St. Abbs Head, Berwickshire, Scotland, by the German U-boat U-21 which was commanded by Leutnant zur See, Otto Hersing. Short of coal, H.M.S. Pathfinder was only making 5 knots at the time of her loss; she has the unenviable distinction of being the first Royal Navy warship to be sunk by a U-boat of the German Navy during the Great War, and the first ship ever to be sunk by a torpedo alone. H.M.S. Pathfinder was struck by the torpedo in one of her magazines, which exploded causing the ship to sink within a few minutes with the loss of 259 men; there were only 11 survivors of the sinking. Having sunk 36 ships for a total of 78,712 tons (warships excluded), on 22 February 1919 the U-21 sunk as the result of an accident while on passage to surrender to the allied powers. HOLDEN, G.S. No clear trace. HOLDERNESS, HARRY. Private, nd Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Died 14 October Born Folkestone, Kent. Enlisted Camberwell. Resided Deptford. Husband of Mrs. L. Holderness of 31, Crossfield Street, Deptford, London. Buried Dadizeele New British Cemetery, Moorslede, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. C. 2. Formerly Private, 8089, 18th (County of London)Battalion, London Regiment, (Royal Irish Rifles). HOLLAND, HAROLD EDWARD. M.M. Company Quartermaster Serjeant, L/ th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Died 1 September Aged 39. Born St. Martins, Jersey, Channel Islands. Enlisted Jersey, Channel Islands. Son of the late H. E. Holland. Husband of May L.G. Holland of 29, Eaton Road, Dover, Kent. 192

193 Commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 6, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. HOLLAND, REGINALD SEABRIGHT. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Empire) Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 28 September1918. Aged 19. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of William John and Emma E. Holland of 85, Crabble Hill, Dover, Kent. Buried Noyelles-Sur-L`Escaut Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France. Grave Ref: II. B. 11. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. HOLMES, WILLIAM PERCY. Private, th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 30 September Aged 36. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Burvill Holmes and Catherine Holmes (neee Isaac) of Dover, Kent. Husband of Mrs. S. Holmes of 2, Kingswood Villas, Crabble Avenue, Dover, Kent. Buried Nine Elms British Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave II. F. 4. William s father was the well known Photographic Artist, Burvill Holmes, whose wife Catherine, who was a native of Carmarthen, Wales, was recalled as being in her younger days a lady of exceptional beauty. HOLYMAN, LEWIS BADEN. Trimmer, Mercantile Marine Reserve, H.M.S. Caledonia. Died 2 November Aged 18. Buried Haslar Naval Hospital, Gosport, Hampshire. Grave Ref: E HOOD, CHARLES ROBERT. Able Seaman, J/406. Royal Navy. H.M. Submarine E22. Died 25 April Aged 24. Born Dover, Kent 11 July 1891 Son of Thomas and Clara Hood of Dover, Kent. Husband of Margaret May Hood of 14, South Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 16. On the morning of 25 April 1916 the submarine on which former boy sailor Charles Hood, and fellow Dovorian Edward Scarlett were serving, was on surface passage in the North Sea. At just after 1150 hours a torpedo fired from the German submarine UB-18 struck the E22 sending her immediately to the bottom. Of the crew of 33 only two survived the sinking, and were picked up by crew of the UB-18 and taken as Prisoners of War. At the time that the E22 was sunk, the German submarine was commanded by Otto Steinbrinck, the UB-18 was herself sunk with the loss of all 24 hands on 9 December 1917, when it was rammed by the British trawler Ben Lawer in the English Channel. 193

194 HOPKINS, CHARLES JOHN. Serjeant, 55. Kent (Territorial Force), Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 26 May Born Crawley, Sussex. Enlisted Folkestone, Kent. Buried Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, Kent. Grave Ref: O Also commemorated on Sandgate, Folkestone, Kent civic war memorial. HOPPER, ALBERT. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 9 April Enlisted Chelsea. Resided Dover, Kent. Buried Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: XVII. J. 9. Formerly Trooper, 4261, 1st County of London Yeomanry. HOPPER, ALBERT EDWARD. Lance Serjeant, 27/ th (Service) Battalion, (4th Tyneside Irish) Northumberland Fusiliers. Died 11 March Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Sunderland, County Durham. Buried Faubourg D`Amiens Cemetery, Arras, Pas de Calais, France. Grave II. F. 11. HOPPER, ALFRED EDWARD. Gunner, th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 13 January Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Son of Alfred and Lilian Hopper of Dover, Kent. Husband of Lucy May Gouge (formerly Hopper) of 85, Amersham Vale, New Cross, London. Buried Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France. Grave Ref: II. C. 51. HOPPER, EDWARD CHARLES. Serjeant, Royal Air Force. Died 25 February Aged 26. Son of Edward and Margaret Hopper. Husband of Emma Isabel Hopper of 444, Katherine Road, Forest Gate, London. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: Q. T. 30. At the time of the 1901 census the Hopper family resided at 10 Tower Hill, Dover, Kent with 31 year old Dover native Edward Hopper senior as Head of the house. HOSKING, HERBERT JOHN ROY. Second Lieutenant. 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, attached to the 7th (Service) Battalion. Died 23 July Aged 19. Son of James and Florence Hosking of Chilston, Kingsdown, Deal, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Panel Pier and Face 11 A. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for 194

195 Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. HOWARD, DENNIS BROOKE. M. C. Captain. 12th Battery, 35th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 22 October Buried The Huts Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: XIII. D. 6. HOWARD, JOHN. Able Seaman, Royal Navy. (RFR/CH/B/9078). H.M.S. Cressy. Died 22 September Born Dover, Kent 8 April Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 2. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. 195

196 Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February HOWARD, RUPERT. Lieutenant. 16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment). Died 4 September1916 Aged 31. Born London 23 June Enlisted Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 7 July Resided 7, Alkagas Mansions, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Son of Gerald Richard Howard of Compton Lodge, Kearsney, Dover, Kent. Husband of Gertrude Helena Howard of 4, East Drive, Brighton, Sussex. Buried Ovillers Military Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: VI. A. 2. Also commemorated on page 105 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance. Rupert was employed as a Clerk prior to enlisting, and probably been in the employ of the Bank of Montréal at their Victoria branch. Before going to Canada Rupert had also previously served for two years as a member of the British South African Police. HOWARD, WILLIAM ALFRED. Corporal, L/ C Company, 1st Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 27 November Aged 20. (Please see below). Born Maidstone, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Charles James and Eliza Charlotte Jane Howard of 2, Beach Street Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 11, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. It is not possible to add much by way of additional brief information at this time (October 2004), regarding William s death, as his service papers (if available), death certificate or casualty card data have so far been sighted. The prime reason for wanting to see any (or all) of them, is that SDGW shows Died as opposed to Killed in Action or Died of Wounds etcetera, which may or may not be the correct information. Possibly of more significance is that SDGW records William s date of death as having occurred on 1 May As William was clearly a regular soldier as indicated by his regimental number prefix, a check of his MIC entry showed him formerly as a Private, with the same regimental number and serving in the same regiment. Whilst the date of death as commemorated by the CWGC is possibly correct, it would have meant on the face of it quiet rapid promotion, from the time that William s battalion had arrived at La Harve aboard the SS Braemar Castle on 13 August To add to the confusion regarding William s date of death is that on some data checked William is shown as being as Acting Corporal. In view of the horrendous losses suffered by the regular battalions in the British Expeditionary Force early in the Great War, it might be of significance regarding the date of William s demise. On several occasions prior to 27 November 1914, the 196

197 battalion incurred heavy casualties, notably on 31 October, when 151 other ranks deaths were recorded amongst a total casualty roll numbering 624, plus 9 officers. Purely superstition but the probable explanation for the dates confusion, was as happened in many other cases of casualties researched over the years, is that William had been taken prisoner, and died whilst in enemy hands, possibly of wounds or similar trauma. HOWELL, SIDNEY GEORGE. Gunner, rd/3rd Siege Reserve Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 22 November Aged 24. Son of Arthur and Annie Howell of 56, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: M. X. 14. HOY, EDWARD GEORGE. Private, st/8th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Middlesex Regiment. Died 17 August Aged 28. Born Herne Bay, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Alfred John and Annie Hoy of Herne Bay, Kent. Husband of Mabel Hoy of 4, Douglas Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Buried Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No. 3, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: II. H. 10. HUBBARD, WILLIAM THOMAS. Private, th (County of London) Battalion, (Hackney) London Regiment. Died 25 April Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Buried Bouchoir New British Cemetery, Somme, France Grave Ref: VI. C. 23. HUDSON, HARRY CHARLES. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 26 April1918. Aged 18. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of George and Alice Hudson of 2, Beaconsfield Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Pargny British Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: III. C. 5. HUGHES, LEONARD HARRY. Gunner, L/ th Battery, 17th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 19 April Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Tottenham, Middlesex. Son of Evan and Margaret Hughes. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 1. At the time of the 1901 census the Hughes family was residing at 118 Clarendon Place, Dover, Kent. HUMPHREY, CHARLES. Corporal, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, Died 1 November Aged

198 Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Margarette Anne Humphrey of 263, London Road, Dover, Kent and the late James Humphrey. Buried Awoingt British Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: II. E. 7. At the time of the 1901 census the Humphrey family was residing at 97 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent. Head of the house was 45 year old Dover native James, who was a Foreman Dyer. HUNTER, T. No clear trace. HUNTLEY, GEORGE. Armourer, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Pembroke. Died 1 July Aged 48. Born Christchurch, Kent 31 August Enlisted 11 July (Christchurch is possibly Folkestone, Kent as opposed to Dover, Kent, please see below). Husband of Frances Huntley of 9, Dour Street, Dover, Kent. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dov er, Kent. Grave Ref: M. V. 21. Possibly George was residing with his family at 34 Charlotte Terrace, Folkestone, Kent at the time of the 1881 census enumeration:- Henry HUNTLEY. Aged 36. Born Mersham, Kent. Whitesmith. Emma HUNTLEY. Aged 35. Born Dover, Kent. George HUNTLEY. Aged 11. Born Folkestone, Kent. Walter HUNTLEY. Aged 8. Born Folkestone, Kent. Henry HUNTLEY. Aged 6. Born Folkestone, Kent. Emma HUNTLEY. Aged 5. Born Folkestone, Kent. Alma HUNTLEY. Aged 3. Born Folkestone, Kent. Alfred HUNTLEY. Age1. Born Folkestone, Kent. George enlisted in the Royal Navy on 11 July 1894 for a 12 year engagement, at that time stating his trade to be an Engine Smith. Needless to say that after purchasing a copy of his service papers it came as no surprise to find a whole array of vessels served on by George, the first being at H.M.S. Wildfire which was a shore based Royal Naval training establishment and Naval Gunnery School on the Isle of Sheppy, Kent, where George remained until 25 November 1894, and from where he passed out as an Armourers Mate. From 25 November 1894, Armourers Mate George Huntley served at H.M.S. Vernon which was the Royal Navy Torpedo School at Portsmouth. Throughout his naval career George served for a number of times at H.M.S. Wildfire and at H.M.S. Vernon, he also served on numerous occasions at the Chatham, Kent shore establishment H.M.S. Pembroke, with his first time at sea being from 10 March 1897 aboard H.M.S. Alecto. On 23 February 1899, George was promoted to Armourer whilst at H.M.S. Pembroke. He finished his term of engagement on 12 April 1906, but was then re-engaged; he continued to serve until Medially Discharged with a pension on 8 January It would appear that his medical short comings were wisely looked over with the services need for manpower at the start of the Great War, as obviously such an experience tradesman would not have been rejected when volunteering his services again. Despite his medical grade and age, George served again litteraly from days before the actual start of the war. 198

199 From 2 August 1914 George served aboard the 2135 ton Pelorus class cruiser H.M.S. Prospine with the 7th Cruiser Squadron in the North Sea, before going to Egypt and Mesopotamia, where George was twice wounded. As the result of his woundings, from 1 July 1917 until the date of his death exactly seven months later, George was based at H.M.S. Pembroke, Chatham. Initial thoughts were along the lines of him having succumbed to complications from his wounds, but George died from a complaint that looks really confusing on his service papers, but in desperation my local G.P. was consulted to see if he could decipher the gaggle of meaningless words, his instant reply was, in a word Dysentery. From George s description it would seem that he five feet four tall with bushy mustache and eyebrows, and had a multitude of tattoos, his service papers show that he was always of Very Good Character, and had been in receipt of a number of gratuities at different times in his service. HUSK, FREDERICK JAMES. Bombardier, nd Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Died 29 April Aged 27. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of George and Clara Husk of 30, Randolph Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: XXI. V. 4. Brother of the following casualty. HUSK, HENRY JOHN. Driver, st/3rd Home Counties Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 15 May Aged 35. Born Dover, Kent 22 December Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of George and Clara Husk (nee Atkins) of 30, Randolph Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Kirkee, India Memorial. Face B. Henry had previously served time as an Able Bodied Seaman in the Royal Navy with the Official Number: , and had left shortly before the start of the Great War. In view of his previous nautical experience it seems odd that he volunteered to serve in the army in October Hen ry died from Heatstroke, but so far we have been unable to find out exactly where, or the exact circumstances of same. At the time of the 1881 census the Husk family (Pre Henry) was residing at 8 Edgar Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent:- George HUSK. Aged 29. Born Ewell, Kent. General Labourer. Clara HUSK. Aged 28. Born Buckland, Kent. Emily HUSK. Aged 7. Born Buckland, Kent. George HUSK. Jesse HUSK. Aged 5. Aged 4. Born Buckland, Kent. Born Buckland, Kent. Edward HUSK. Aged 1. Born Buckland, Kent. Edward JONES. Aged 27. Born Whitfield, Kent. General Labourer. HUTCHINS, THOMAS ALFRED VICTOR. Private, nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards. Died 4 November Aged 21. Son of Susanna Bailey of 11, Westmount Terrace, Priory Hill, Dover, Kent. Buried Villers-Pol Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France. Grave Ref: Ref: G

200 SDGW which records Thomas s rank as a Guardsman, unfortunately has blank fields re places of birth, enlistment and residence. IGGLESDEN, R.A. Is the non commissioned officer as commemorated below, but his attestation papers clearly show that he not only gave his Christian names as being ARTHUR ROBERT, but also signed his signature as A.R. Igglesden. At his CWGC commemoration details he is of course shown as set out below. It should be noted that on all local Dover, Kent, Great War tributes on which his sacrifice is remembered, he is shown as being A.R. Igglesden. As did the local newspaper, the Dover Express. IGGLESDEN, ARTHUR ROBERT. Lance Corporal, th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regiment). Died at Vimy Ridge, Neuville-St-Vaast, Pas de Calais, France, 10 April Aged 26. Born Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 13 November Enlisted Calgary, Alberta, Canada 31 May Son of Robert W. Igglesden, and Mary E. Igglesden of The Beacon, Chilton Avenue, Kearsney, Dover, Kent. Buried Canadian Cemetery No 2, Vimy Ridge, Neuville-St-Vaast, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: 2. C. 21. Robert is commemorated on Also commemorated on page 261 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance, and on a Great War memorial plaque located in the Unitarian Church, Adrian Street, Dover, Kent, Robert is also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. The following is an extract from the Dover Express:- The sympathy of all in Dover will be extended to Mr and Mrs R. Igglesden in the death of their son, Private Robert Arthur Igglesden, who was killed in action with the Canadians at the taking of Vimy Ridge on 10th April. He went to Calgary about five years ago in the business of baker and confectioner, and intended to return after a few years experience and to be taken in as partner with the firm of Igglesden and Graves at Dover. When the war broke out he joined up with his brother Henry Alfred Igglesden at Calgary who has recently been home on ten days sick leave having been wounded last November. Another brother is serving with the RFA in India. Henry Alfred Igglesden, of whom the newspaper makes brief reference, was born at Dover, Kent on 23 February He had in fact enlisted at Calgary, Alberta, Canada on 22 June 1915 the month after his brother, and not actually with him. Like his brother, he too was also a Carpenter; he had served for two years as a Territorial in the Royal Engineers. It perhaps should be added the village of Neuville-St-Vaast where Arthur is buried also has the largest German military cemetery in France. There are 36,792 Great War burials marked by crosses, with other headstones in the form of the Star of David marking the graves of Jewish soldiers. During the Second World War Adolf Hitler ordered the removal of the Jewish headstones, but his order was disobeyed. Unlike the CWGC cemeteries, the German military cemeteries often contain mass graves and at Neuville-St-Vaast a mass grave holds the remains of 8,040 soldiers. INWOOD, W. J. Best match for this casualty appears to be the following:- INWOOD, WILLIAM. Private, st/4th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales s Own 200

201 (Yorkshire Regiment). Died 24 April Enlisted Shoreditch, London. Enlisted Northampton, Northamptonshire. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 5. Formerly Private, 4260, Northamptonshire Regiment. IRVIN, GEORGE. IRVING, CHRISTOPHER RICHARD. Gunner, th Siege Battery. Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 24 July Aged 25. Born Lockerby, Dumfrieshire, Scotland. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of George and Agnes Irving of 128, Clarendon Place, Dover, Kent. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Buried Bronfay Farm Military Cemetery, Bray-Sur-Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. A. 32. JACKSON, CECIL FRANCIS. Sapper, th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 17 October Aged 16. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Ellen Jackson of 14, Alma Place, Maison Dieu Road Dover, Kent and the late Edwin John Jackson. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 8A or 8D. JACKSON, THOMAS DOUGLAS. Leading Aircraftman, Squadron. Royal Air Force. Died 13 February Aged 21. Born Dover, Kent Son of Thomas Edward and Mary Jackson of 4, Malmains Road, Maxton, Dover, Kent. Buried Valenciennes (St.Roch) Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: II. B. 30. Thomas was a victim of the worldwide Influenza pandemic of It has been estimated that throughout the world over seventy million people died of the influenza pandemic. In India alone, more people died of influenza than were killed all over the world during the entire Great War years of carnage. At the time of the 1901 census the Jackson family resided at 16 Norman Street, Dover, Kent, Thomas s father who was born in Scotland was recorded as aged 59 and a Draper. JARDINE, JAMES. M.M., M.S.M. Serjeant, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 29 October Aged 38. Born Monbrief, County Armagh, Ireland. Enlisted Seaforth, Lancashire. Resided Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland. Son of David and Anne Jardine. Husband of Henrietta Sarah Jardine (neé Fogg) of 80, Mayfield Avenue, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Souplet British Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: III. F

202 JARVEST, ARTHUR JOHN. Private, G/ nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Aged 32. Born Charlton, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. (Charlton is probably Dover). Son of Mrs. M. Jarvest of 48, Tower Hamlets Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 12 or 14. JEFFREYS, FREDERICK WALTER. Corporal, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 25 August Aged 20. Born St Mary s, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Jeffreys of 14, Caroline Place, Dover Kent. Buried La Brique Military Cemetery No.1, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: C. 8. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent, and on the St. Mary s Church of England School war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census the Jeffreys family was residing at the same address as set out above. JENNER, WILLIAM CHARLES. Private, L/ st Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 12 October Born and enlisted Maidstone, Kent. Buried Dud Corner Cemetery, Loos, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: VIII. D. 6. Born Bletchingley, Surrey. Enlisted Margate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, Nord, France. Panel 3. JOHNSON, FREDERICK. Corporal, th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Died 26 September Born Godalming, Surrey. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 65. JOHNSON, JOHN. Private, PW/ th (Service) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died 3 May1917. Aged 28. Born Maxton, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of the late Mrs. M. A. Jones. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 7. JOHNSON, MONTAGUE WILLIAM. Private, nd/6th Battalion, (Territorial Force), Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment). Died 5 May Aged 23. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Ashford, Kent. 202

203 Son of the late Richard Stephen and Isabel Alice Johnson of Dover, Kent. Buried Rumaucourt Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: 53. Formerly Private, , Army Ordnance Corps. Red Cross data shows that Montague died whilst a prisoner of war. JONES, HERBERT STANDON. Private, G/ rd (Reserve) Battalion, The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died at sea Thursday 10 October Aged 29. Born Ashford, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Edward Stanton Jones and Mary Arm Jones of 18 Edinburgh Road, Ashford, Kent. Buried Kirkcudbright (St Cuthbert) Old Churchyard, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. Formerly (23825) or (22578) 21st Lancers. Also commemorated on Ashford, Kent civic war memorial, and his mother Mary erected a private family memorial in the Ashford Cemetery, Canterbury Road, Ashford. Both Herbert s parents were buried in the same plot. Edward Stanton Jones (Herbert s father) died on 13 October 1917, aged 64 years. Herbert drowned when the R.M.S. Leinster he was traveling on was torpedoed by the German submarine UB-123, commanded by Robert Ramm off the East coast of Scotland. Herbert s body was finally washed ashore in southern Scotland, and he was buried in the local churchyard along with four other R.M.S. Leinster military casualties, they being:- Sapper, , C. J. Hitchcock, Royal Engineers. Private, 835, Christopher C. Kenny, Leinster Regiment. Sergeant, , A. Pankhurst, Shropshire Yeomanry, and Corporal, 20495, E. Withington, Royal Defence Corps. For additional data appertaining to the loss of the R.M.S. Leinster, please see Herbert s more detailed commemoration on Ashford, Kent on this website. An excellent source for information can be found at m which is very well researched site. JONES, HENRY WILLIAM. Private, nd/1st (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers). Died 26 October Aged 19. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Ramsgate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Son of Gertrude Jones of 37, Duncan Road, Ramsgate, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 148 to 150. Formerly Private, 2120, Kent Cyclist Battalion. JONES, THOMAS EDWIN. Warrant Officer Class I. East African Intelligence Department. Died 5 January Aged 26. Son of Tom and Sarah Ann Jones of 2, Belgrave Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Nairobi British and Indian Memorial, Kenya, East Africa. JORDAN, GEORGE HENRY. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Died 21 September Aged

204 Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted West London. Son of George Edward and Susannah Jordan of Stoneywood House, Bucksburn, Aberdeenshire. Buried Unicorn Cemetery, Vend`Huile, Aisne, France. Grave Ref: I. H. 19. Formerly Private, , London Regiment. KEEFE, JAMES. Serjeant, PO/4490. Royal Marine Light Infantry. H.M.S. Alcantara. Died 4 March Aged 42. Husband of Frances Rose Port (formerly Keefe) of 50, St. James Street, Dover, Kent. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: D. V. 3. Awarded the Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. The ship on which James served was formerly the 15,831 ton ocean liner Alcantara that had gone into service only a couple of months prior to the onset of the Great War, making her maiden voyage during June The following year she was pressed into naval service and converted into an armed merchant cruiser. H.M.S. Alcantara. was sunk by the 5,000 ton German cruiser Greif on 29 February 1916 (Leap Year). In view of James s recorded date of death it would appear that he had managed to evacuate the sinking ship and probably died on injuries received on the day his ship was lost. Flying Norwegian flags and disguised as a merchant vessel the Greif hove to after being ordered to do so by Captain Thomas Wardle of the H.M.S. Alcantara, signaling to the British ship that she was Norwegian and sailing out of Trondheim bound for Rio de Janeiro and La Plata. At about 0940 hours shortly after sending the signal, the Norwegian vessel instantly became a German naval vessel and commenced firing well aimed shots at H.M.S. Alcantara at a range of 800 yards wrecking havoc, a torpedo from the Greif hit H.M.S. Alcantara amidships, but a second one missed and passed under her stern. Captain Wardle did not lose his ship without a fight and the two vessels exchanged gunfire. Eventually both ships were sunk, but it was the intervention of H.M.S Andes which commenced opening fire from a range of 3 miles, landing a direct hit on the bridge of the Greif which wrecked her steering gear and crippled her. During the encounter by the ships, 72 British sailors and marines and about 187 Germans were lost, Captain Wardle, the remnants of his crew and 120 Germans were rescued by H.M.S Munster and H.M.S. Andes and it was probably one those two ships that James actually died of his wounds. KEIGHTLEY, GORDON. Sub-Lieutenant. Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. R.N.A.S. (Mudros). Died 20 May Born Eastry, Kent. Commemorated on the Hollybrook Memorial, Portsmouth, Hampshire, and also on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Based on the above CWGC data as above, Gordon was probably a member of F Squadron, 2 Wing, Royal Naval Air Service, which was formed out of B Flight at Stavros, Greece during April 1917, as a fast reaction, high mobility bomber squadron. Whilst based at Thasos the squadron was virtually destroyed in an accidental explosion 204

205 on 12 May 17 which resulted in several deaths and injuries, it would seem likely that Gordon was one of those injured and succumbed to same a week later. KEMP, WILLIAM JOHN. Serjeant, rd Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 20 December1916. Aged 24. Born Sandwich, Kent. Enlisted Portsmouth, Hampshire. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Annie Kemp of Vale Cottage, South Alkham, Dover, Kent. Buried Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II. A. 1. KENNETT, THOMAS EDWARD. Able Seaman, (RFR/CH/B/8014). Royal Navy. H.M.Submarine D2. Died 1 December Aged 32. (Please see below re Thomas s date of death). Born Charlton, Kent 3 September 1881, probably at Colebran Street where the family was residing at the time of the 1881 census taken in April. Son of William and Esther Kennett of Dover, Kent. Husband of M. A. M. Harvey (formerly Kennett) of 101, Hillside Road Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 2. Like countless war deaths relating to losses at sea, the exact date and/or fate of the loss of the submarine on which Thomas was serving is still not exactly clear. On 23 November 1914 whilst returning to the North Sea port of Yarmouth, Norfolk in heavy seas, the vessels 31 year old Captain, Lieutenant Commander Arthur G Jameson R.N. from Exmouth, Devon was swept overboard and lost; despite a search of the area by his crew regrettably he was not located. The day after the tragic loss of her captain the submarine put to sea again, this time under the command of 22 year old Lieutenant Commander Clement Head R.N. from Seaford, Sussex; he was sadly destined to be in command of the submarine for only a short time as it failed to return from its patrol. It is believed that she was sunk on, or about the 25 November, following an encounter with a locally based German Torpedo Boat, off Borkum Island, East Frisia, Lower Saxony, Germany. KENNETT, WILLIAM JOHN ISGAR. Able Seaman, J/3433. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Lama. Died 9 December Aged 22. Born Dover, Kent 24 June Buried in North Point Christian Cemetery, Kamaran Island, Republic of Yemen. Commemorated on the Maala Memorial No.2, Republic of Yemen. At the time of the 1901 census William was probably the 9 year old residing with his parents at 7 Hullsdorph Cottages, Dover, Kent, the Head of the House was his father 42 year old Dover native Richard Kennett, a Stonemason Parer. Mention should also be made of another census match, He being 8 year old William Kennett shown on the same census as residing with his parents Percy and Jane Kennett at 2 Union Row, Dover, Kent. His father a native of Hythe, Kent, who was a Bricklayer, is recorded as being Head of the house. At the time of William s demise H.M.S. Lama was engaged patrols in the Red Sea trying to control the smuggling of contraband goods, and other illegal activities in the 205

206 area. T.H. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) makes mention of William s ship in the book Seven Pillars of Wisdom, describing her as being a small converted liner. In 1967, Kamaran in the Red Sea where William is buried, became a part of South Yemen upon its independence from Britain, but was seized by the adjacent Yemen Arab Republic in 1972 and eventually became a part of a unified Yemen in KEYTON, ALBERT JOSEPH THOMAS. Private, M2/ Army Service Corps, Clearing Office. Died 11 November Born enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried St. Mary s New Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: J. H. 11. Note that sadly Albert died on Armistice Day. KING, C. Lieutenant. Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Albyn. Died 20 September Buried Dunkirk Town Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: II. B. 14. This casualty is also commemorated the Dover Patrol Trawlers and Drifters war memorial, and also on the South Eastern and Chatham Railway war memorial, former Marine Station, Dover, Kent. Also commemorated on the former Congregational Church, Dover, Kent war memorial. H.M.S. Albyn was a 363 ton paddle steamer which was built in 1893 by J and G Thomson at Clydebank. She first went into the fleet of the Glasgow and South Western Railway, later going to Belfast Lough as the Slieve Donard for the Belfast and County Down Railway Company. Bought by Captain Alexander Campbell in 1899 and transferred to P and A Campbell in Stationed at Southampton she then went to the Bristol Channel for the 1903 season, and was stationed at Newport. The paddle steamer ran aground at Portishead in fog near high tide on 1 April 1907, but was successfully refloated with aid of tugs on the next tide. On being returned to the south coast, she was based at Brighton, Sussex in 1913 and Requisitioned for war service in 1915 as H.M.S. Albyn and stationed at Dover for minesweeping duties. On the day this officer lost his life H.M.S. Albyn was amongst those which suffered damage whilst lying at anchor at Dunkirk during a sustained air raid of two hours duration. The ships 2nd Engineer was also killed as the result of the bomb which set the stern of H.M.S. Albyn alight. Although she survived the Great War the ship was not refurbished after the war, but her engines were saved and used in the new Campbell steamer P.S. Glen Gower. Lieutenant King had worked for the South Eastern and Chatham Railway in charge of their Dover based vessels prior to the Great War. KING, EDWARD. M.M. Corporal, th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment). Died 2 November Aged 36. Born Dover, Kent 9 March Enlisted Niagara Camp, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Fort Mississauga, Ontario, Canada on 15 September Son of Edward King of 19, Douglas Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. 206

207 Husband of Harriett King of 5, Pardoner s Way, Crabble, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel , and on the Brantfort Works, Great War memorial plaque, Brantfort, Ontario, Canada. Edward is also commemorated on page 268 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance. Edward s wife Harriet was stated as being his next of kin on his enlistment papers, their home address being 58 Brunswish Street, Brantfort, Ontario, Canada. At the time Edward gave his trade or calling as being a Ranch Hand. At the time of the 1881 census, baby Edward resided with his parents at 3 Cliff Court P H, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent:- Edward KING. Aged 25. Born Dover, Kent. Labourer Sarah KING. Aged 23. Born Dover, Kent. Edward KING. Aged1 month. Born Dover, Kent. KING, E.T. Only three casualties (all British soldiers) are commemorated by the CWGC that match this serviceman s initials and surname. SDGW shows only the same three, two of whom are shown with places of birth, enlistment and where resided, non of which are Dover, Kent. The remaining soldier is shown with place of birth and enlistment, but no place of residence which might have been Dover, Kent. Possibly he is the man commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, he being:- KING, EDWARD THOMAS. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry. Died 10 February Aged 40. Born Leigh, Dorset. Enlisted Sherborne, Dorset. Son of George J. and Louisa King of Leigh, Sherborne, Dorset. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 2 A. KING, THOMAS EDWARD. Petty Officer, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Gaillardia. Died 22 March Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent 10 May Son of Herbert and Evelyn King of Dover, Kent. Husband of Emily Minnie King of 5, Woolcomber Lane, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 28, and on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Thomas s ship was a 1,250 tons Aubrietia Flower Class convoy sloop which was built by Blyth Ship Builders to replicate (as much as possible) a merchant ship, and was in use as a minelayer and Q-ship. On 22 March 1918 in the North Sea, off the Orkney Islands she was carrying out buoying operations in the newly laid Northern Barrage between Scotland and Norway which was aimed at interrupting the passage of German submarines into the North Atlantic. It is thought that she was blown up and sunk by one of the barrage mines, but an element of doubt regarding her loss remains however, as it was suggested that in fact she was torpedoed. KING, WALTER. Lance Corporal, nd/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 19 April

208 Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Gaza War Cemetery, Israel. Grave Ref: XII. D. 8. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 2911, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). KINGSFORD, AUBREY CARLTON. Corporal, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. With some justification is probably fair to say that the various commentators remarks about the action fought on the 2/3 May 1917 at the village of Chérisy, to the south east of Arras, France, by the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), and by the other battalions taking part along the lines of it being a failure are well grounded. It should be hastily pointed out however, that non of those (irrespective of country etcetera) who have passed judgment on same, have ever leveled any criticisms or disparaging remarks about those who took part in the action, which was undertaken as part of the overall battles of the Scarpe. On the night of 2/3 May 1917, Aubrey s battalion was opposite the village of Chérisy, which is situated only a short distance to the south of the Arras to Cambrai road (D939). Waiting in readiness for the attack were the officers and other ranks of both A and B Companies who had been selected to be the assaulting companies, with C as the supporting Company, and D Company being held in reserve, waiting in shell holes to the rear of the support trench. At 0345 hours the first two companies set off towards the battalions prime objective allotted the battalion on the morning of 3 May 1917, it being a location named Keeling Copse. Fortunately all the battalion were clear of the front trench prior to it, and other locations being bombarded by German artillery. Blame for the confusion which had prevailed during the attack has been ascertained to numerous causes and people, but an overriding factor oft referred to was the fact that during the early stages of the days events, it had been pitch black. As the direct result of the lack of light, all the sections, platoons and even companies seen got mixed up and muddled. At one point virtually the whole of the 12th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, had crossed in front of the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), but with a measure of commendable skill that error was corrected. With the coming of dawn the village of Chérisy was not only reached but actually passed, and as it was entered by the battalion touch was made with the same Middlesex battalion which had strayed across its front earlier in the attack. Upon reaching the river Sensée beyond Chérisy, it was noted that the adjacent battalions had in fact lost touch with each other again. As the result of the set-back, Captain Black of A Company wisely halted the battalion, and set about forming a defensive flank along the road which runs to the south east of Chérisy. Before the reorganization could be accomplished, the troops were heavily attacked, which had the additional result of the message sent back by Captain Black failing to get back. By 0900 hours Captain Black s Company on the right flank of the battalion was unable to move. Resulting from the situation which A Company was in, had the effect of those on the opposite flank losing what advantages it had made, with both B and C Companies having by that time also 208

209 fought their way to the Sensée. Shortly afterwards, fresh orders were received by the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), to advance in unison with the 8th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment to the Red Line, and their fellow 55th Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division, members of the 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), to consolidate the Blue Line. At approximately 1100 hours unclear reports filtered through that a general retirement was taking place, at a time when stretcher bearers and the like were engaged on rescue undertakings. An unfortunate result of the confusion generated by the retirement was that those engaged on the rescues, those retiring and the enemy soldiers were to all intents and purposes intermingled, which had the knock on effect of making it virtually impossible to open fire. After the retirement was stopped the attack, albeit with less momentum got under way again, and as late as 1915 hours an attempt was made to reoccupy Cable Trench by the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), supported by Aubrey s battalion, but is was to no avail as the assaulting battalion was driven back by intense German machine gun and rifle fire. By the end of the day on 3 May 1917, the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was back in the original front line trenches. As the result of the failed attack at Chérisy, the battalion had two officers killed, six wounded and four missing, and the casualties to the other ranks were one hundred and twenty killed, one hundred and sixty nine wounded, and approximately one hundred missing. KINGSFORD, EDWARD JOHN. Sapper, th Railway Company, Royal Engineers. Died 26 June1916. Aged 35. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of William and Alice Kingsford, of Dover, Kent. Buried Brandhoek Military Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: II. E. 14. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 6381, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Edward had previously served in the South Africa Campaign (Second Boer War) with the East Kent Regiment (Mounted Infantry), and awarded the Queen s South Africa Medal with five bars. One of Edward s brothers s, Private W.H. Kingsford, of the Army Ordnance Corps, died of fever on 10 December 1901 during the South Africa Campaign (Second Boer War), and is numbered amongst the twenty Dover, Kent, Second Boer War casualties who are commemorated on a memorial plaque located in the church of St. Mary the Virgin, Cannon Street, Dover, Kent. KINGSNORTH, CHARLIE. Bombardier, J Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. Died 1 December Aged 23. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Ipswich, Suffolk. Son of George and Sarah Ann Kingsnorth of 68, Newson Street, Ipswich, Suffolk. Buried Flesquieres Hill British Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: VII. G. 3. NB. On all data accessed the above casualty is shown with his Christian name spelt as above, as opposed to Charles. 209

210 KITE, ALFRED ALBERT. Private, th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died 21 March Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panel 90 to 93. Formerly Private, S4/28468, Royal Army Service Corps. Albert died on the first day of the German 1918 Spring Offensive; it was a day when at least 419 other ranks of the Machine Gun Corps lost their lives. KNELL, LEONARD WILLIAM. Ordinary Seaman, Z/9865. Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. H.M.S. Victory VI. Died 11 October Aged 18. Son of Florence Emily and the late William Henry Knell of 5, Russell Street, Dover, Kent. Buried St. James s, Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: M. V. 8. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Leonard had only a slim chance of being killed as the result of enemy action whilst stationed at the naval training establishment H.M.S. Victory VI, it being the correct name for the Crystal Palace, Penge, Kent (now London). Inevitably the establishment was nicknamed H.M.S Crystal Palace, by sailors and the local populace, and with the passage of time it would appear that it was called same in official documentation which has been noted during various researches. Approximately 125,000 members of the Royal Navy and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve were trained at H.M.S. Victory VI during the Great War, at the cessation of hostilities it was re-opened as the first Imperial War Museum. Sir Henry Buckland took over as General Manager, and things began to look up with many of the Palace former attractions being resumed, including the Thursday evening displays of fireworks by Brocks. A timber structure and the ship s bell which was originally sited on the lower terrace, at H.M.S Crystal Palace was installed as a memorial to those who trained at the establishment, and in 1931 it was unveiled by H.R.H the Prince of Wales. On more than one occasion it has come as something of a surprise to people after being asked what we knew about Nelson s ship during the Great War, when being told that their relatives had been at Penge and not Portsmouth! KNIGHT, HUBERT WILLIAM. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Battersea) The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 25 April Aged 19. Born Portsmouth, Hampshire. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of William John and Mary Knight of 89, Stamshaw Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire. Buried Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas de Calais. France. Grave Ref: IX. A. 22. Formerly, Private, 38631, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. KNOTT, HENRY RICHARD WALTER. Corporal, st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment. 210

211 Died 26 October Born and resided Buckland, Dover Kent. Enlisted Maidstone, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 35. KNOTT, SIDNEY WILLIAM. Sapper, th London Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 19 September Aged 27. Born Buckland, Dover Kent. Enlisted Gillingham, Kent. Husband of Rose Knott of 24, George Street, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel. Grave Ref: Ref: R. 61. Formerly Sapper, T2327, Royal Engineers. KNOTT, THOMAS JAMES. Sapper, rd Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 25 January Aged 24. Born Hougham, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Ernest and Kate Knott of Folkestone, Kent. Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 1. LAING, CHARLES WILLIAM. Second Lieutenant. 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 24 April Aged 36. Born 34 New Town Street, Northgate, Canterbury, Kent 25 June Son of the late David and Susan Laing (neé) Butcher. Husband of Emily J. Laing (neé Fox) of 6, St. Mark s Court, Abercorn Place, St. John s Wood, London. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 12, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent, also on the Canterbury, Kent civic war memorial. Charles had served as Lance Corporal, 5706, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) during the South African Campaign (Second Boer War), and on 10 March 1900 had been wounded at Driefontein when Captain A.R. Eustace and 20 other ranks were killed, and Charles was amongst the 79 other ranks who were wounded, in addition to 3 officers. Following this action 102 Boer dead were counted. Amongst the 3 officers wounded that day was Lieutenant James McBain Ronald, who fell the day before Charles on 23 April 1915, whilst they were again serving in the same battalion, at which time James was a 39 year old Captain, he too is commemorated on the Menin Gate. The 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) had returned to positions at St. Jean, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium on 21 April 1915, and took part in the fighting around Wieltje between 23 and 27 April where Charles lost his life. Having risen to the rank of Colour Sergeant in the regiment, Charles had only recently been commissioned in 1915 shortly before his death. It would seem almost that it was pre-ordained for Charles to be a soldier, and follow in the footsteps of his Crimean War veteran father, who at the time of the 1881 census was serving as a Staff Sergeant in the Militia, and residing at 34 New Town, Canterbury St. Mary N & St John Hospital, Kent, as under:- David LAING. Aged 51. Born St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. 211

212 Staff Sergeant Militia. Susan LAING. Aged 44. Born Aldington, Ashford, Kent. David LAING. Aged 16. Born India. James LAING. Aged 14. Born India. Charlotte LAING. Aged 10. Born Canterbury, Kent. Robert LAING. Aged 8. Born Canterbury, Kent. Alexander LAING. Aged 6. Born Canterbury, Kent. Charles LAING. Aged 2. Born Canterbury, Kent. Margaret LAING. Aged 5 months. Born Canterbury, Kent. At the time of Charles s birth at the same above address, his father David was a Staff Sergeant in the East Kent Militia. LANDALL, HERBERT HAROLD. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 12 May Aged 18. Son of Richard and Bertha Landall of Forge House, Lyminge, Folkestone, Kent. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Folkestone, Kent. Buried Mailly Wood Cemetery, Mailly-Maillet, Somme. France. Grave Ref: II. K. 6. Formerly Private, 75270, 107th Training Reserve Battalion. LASLETT, WILLIAM SAMUEL BARRETT. Private, G/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 28 August Aged 22. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Laslett of Dover; Kent. Husband of E. A. Doe (formerly Laslett) of 85, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: X. 22. LAURIE, ALFRED WILLIAM. Second Lieutenant. 42nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 22 November Aged 26. Born Belfast, Ireland. Son of Frederick and Bessie Laurie of Dover, Kent. Husband of Florence Rhoda Laurie of 24, St. Thomas s Square, Newport, Isle of Wight. Formerly of Shoeburyness, Essex. Buried Bazentin-Le-Petit Military Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: E. 15. Also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent, and also commemorated on the Duke of York s Royal Military School, Guston, Dover, Kent war memorial. Formerly Corporal, 25313, Royal Garrison Artillery. LAWS, ARTHUR FREDERICK , Rifleman. 2nd/6th (Rifle) Battalion, (Territorial Force) The King s (Liverpool Regiment). Died 30 October Age 38. Husband of Alice Laws of 2, Conrade Villas, Underdown Road, Dover, Kent. 212

213 Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 31. Formerly Private, 5487, East Surrey Regiment. LEE, SYDNEY GEORGE. Gunner, th Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery. Died 31 December Aged 25. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Henry and Sarah Lee of 6, Dublin Cottages, River, Dover, Kent. Husband of Alice Maud Mary Mitchell (formerly Lee) of 21, Randolf Road, Union Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq. Panel 3. Formerly Gunner, 36227, Royal Garrison Artillery. LEEDS, FREDERICK JAMES. Serjeant, Royal Engineers, Signal Depot, Fenny Stratford, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire. Died 8 February Born Dover, Kent c Enlisted and resided Birmingham, Warwickshire. Son of James and Elizabeth Leeds (neé Compton) of Dover, Kent. Husband of Ada A. Leeds of 19, Leyburne Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Birmingham (Yardley) Cemetery, Warwickshire. Grave Ref: B Frederick was a former long service regular soldier who had served for many years, in India, and had taken part in the in the Tirah campaign, in addition to which he was a veteran of the South African campaign (Second Boer War). He had re-enlisted for the duration of the war very early at the start of the Great War. As a civilian he was employed by the General Post Office Telegraph Department, probably in the West Midlands area of England. Amongst the officers on the staff at the above depot when Frederick was in post was E.V. Appleton, who in later years became Sir Edward Victor Appleton F.R.C.S. ( ), who was awarded the Nobel Prize of Physics in 1947, for his contributions to exploring the ionosphere. At the time of the 1881 census the Leeds family was residing at 26 Marine Parade, St. James, Dover, Kent:- James LEEDS. Aged 51. Born Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. Lodging House Keeper Elizabeth LEEDS. Aged 44. Born Bradwell, Oxfordshire. Elizabeth M. LEEDS. Aged15. Born Dover, Kent. Frederick J. LEEDS. Aged12. Born Dover, Kent. Fanny COMPTON. Aged 24. Born Bradwell, Oxfordshire. LETTY, REGINALD RICKARD. Lance Corporal, th (Service) Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. Died 23 August Born Stonehouse, Devonshire. Enlisted Devonport, Devonshire. Commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel

214 Formerly Private, 38093, Devonshire Regiment. LEWIS, ERNEST CHARLES F. Private, G/9900. A Company, 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Aged 20. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of the late Albert Charles Lewis and Elizabeth L Lewis of Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census the Lewis family comprised on both parents and their eight children, resided at 32 Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent, all ten being Dovorian s. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2. At the action fought at Monchy-le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France on 3 May 1917 during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, the 6th Battalion suffered at least 376 casualties amongst its officers and other ranks they being a combination of killed, wounded and missing. The battalion having spent the preceding night waiting in shell holes for zero hour which had been set for 0345 hours, with A Company on the right flank, B Company on the left, with C Company supporting, and the officers and men of D Company behind those of B Company the battalion formed up ready to take part in the days attack. Exactly at the agreed time the British artillery commenced firing as a prelude too, and in support of the battalion, who as with the gunners also left their start area on time as ordered and set off into total darkness, as the battalion pressed on every effort was made to keep communication with them, Second Lieutenant McAuley, the battalion signaling officer along with two of the battalion signalers and two orderlies, went forward to establish an advanced HQ in what was known as Devil's Trench, but he later returned at 0430 hours and reported that no communication had been possible. A fairly early indication however that all was apparently going well, was when two German prisoners were sent back down the line from the battalion, but at that time nothing definite could be ascertained, even later on when daylight came, gunfire and snipers made it hard to get any news of how matters were proceeding; but at dusk it was discovered that the battalion had already suffered a substantial number of casualties, and that despite the sacrifices being made by the battalion of all ranks the line in their front was practically as before. With the growing concern of the continuous loss of officers at the time which was so serious that Second Lieutenant s Seago and Sowter were sent for from the detail camp and, arriving about 2200 hours, and very quickly were sent forward to reorganize the remnants of the devastated battalion. Part of the objective allotted the battalion on the morning of 3 May 1917 had been a spot called Keeling Copse, and it was found after the battalion had taken stock of its significant losses, that Second Lieutenant s P. A Cockeram and Norman O.F Gunther with about 40 men and a Lewis gun had actually got there, only to then realize that they were completely isolated with the enemy infantry having reformed its line behind them, and both sides being their original trenches, the result being that three lines of Germans intervened between this handful of men and their comrades, nothing daunted however, they held their own all day during which time they accounted for many of the enemy soldiery surrounding them. Under the cover of darkness when night fell, and by then having expended every cartridge and bomb they possessed, they gallantly fought their way back again, breaking through one line after another, until at last the two subalterns and thirteen of the men with them were able to report themselves to battalion Head Quarters. The casualties in this terrible action were Second 214

215 Lieutenant s John H Dinsmore and Harold V Hardey-Mason killed, and Captain John B Kitchin died of wounds; Captain McDermott and Second Lieutenant s Williams and H.G Nesbitt wounded; Second Lieutenant s Charles Warnington, Athol Kirkpatrick, H.W Evans and R.L.F Forster, Lieutenant s K.L James, Grant, King and Wills posted as missing of whom the first five were found to have been killed; 25 other ranks were also killed, plus 128 wounded and in addition to which 207 were initially reported as being missing, but ultimately many were later found to have lost their lives during and resulting from the attack of 2 and 3 May About 0200 hours on 4 May the remnant was relieved and got back, on the following day what remained of the battalion was reorganized into two companies each of which consisted of only two platoons, No 1 Company had Second Lieutenant Stevens in command, with Second Lieutenant s Sowter, Seago and Sankey under him; No 2 Company was commanded by Captain Carter, assisted by the intrepid Second Lieutenant s Gunther and Cockeram. Following a later debriefing meeting to see if lessons could be learned from the attack of 3/4 May by the battalion a few things became obvious, the main points raised being that it was a pity that the ground was quite unknown to the battalion which had not held the same position previously, and that the orders to attack came so late that there was no time for systematic reconnaissance, also that the early part of the engagement had been undertaken in the dark. Those surviving members of the battalion who were not in the hands of the medical teams left Monchy-le-Preux and were then rested in nearby Arras for a mere 48 hours and then underwent a further ten days in the trenches before being relieved on 17 May when the battalion moved to Duisans. Both Second Lieutenant s Cockeram and Gunther received the Military Cross for their gallant conduct on 3/4 May 1917, but it is sad to have to add that Norman Gunther, who was an attached officer of the Royal East Kent Yeomanry was killed shortly afterwards, with the cruel irony of his death occurring within half a mile of Keeling Copse when gallantly defending a trench the Germans were attacking, although not strictly speaking a Buff, we have included a commemoration to the brave 19 year old subaltern on this roll of honour alongside the 396 members of the regiment, who have no known grave that are commemorated on the Arras Memorial, some of whom died with him. Second Lieutenant Cockeram MC later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an Observer, on one occasion whilst a member of 48 Squadron based at Bertangles, he and his pilot Captain H.C Sootheran flying a Bristol BF2b shot down an enemy aircraft, and despite numerous encounters with enemy aircraft and being subjected on numerous occasions to anti-aircraft fire both RFC officers thankfully survived the war. LEWIS, GEORGE DAVID. Serjeant, nd Dragoons Guards (Queens Bay s). Died 1 September Born Islington, London. Enlisted London. Resided Dover, Kent. Buried Verberie French National Cemetery, Oise, France. The Verberie French National Cemetery contains the graves of 3,221 French soldiers (of whom 2,339 are unidentified), 52 servicemen from the United Kingdom, and one Canadian cavalryman. LEWIS, JOHN NORTON. Private, L/

216 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 13 October Aged 31. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of William and Mary Ann Lewis of Dover, Kent. Husband of Daisy Gertrude Manser (formerly Lewis) of 40, St. James Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15 to 19, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census John was a Boiler Cleaner residing with his parents and 6 brothers and sisters at 37 Chapel Place, Dover, Kent, his father a 44 year old Dock Porter was Head of the house. John was killed in action at The Quarries near Hulluch, under heavy fire during a fresh British attack which was mounted during the Battle of Loos. The objective designated to the brigade (37th) split between the German positions of Gun Trench and The Quarries was subjected to a heavy artillery bombardment prior to the infantry battalions pressing home their attacks, following ranging shots being fired by the British gunners, who also had been designated set targets primarily bombarding the ensconced enemy defenders and the massive wire entanglements guarding the positions, before the infantry left the safety of their trenches the guns fired from exactly noon for an hour, following which until 1350 hours gas and smoke was used to create a smoke screen of approximately 1,200 yards for an hour, which was increased in density by the use of more smoke ten minutes before zero hour for the infantry assault. At first it appeared that all was going according to plan, as the 7th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment had managed to reach Gun Trench without to much trouble, and thankfully with less casualties than had been originally been envisaged, but on their left flank the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) were subjected to an immense amount of fire power from an enemy trench which was both unseen, and unknown prior to the attack getting underway, which had resulted in the trench not being shelled by the artillery before the infantry had attacked, with the catastrophic result that the German wire at that point remaining virtually untouched. After covering about one hundred yards the battalion was brought to a halt, but not before over four hundred officers and other ranks in the battalion became casualties within the short space of just a few tragic minutes. Of the thirteen officers which had led their men into the fray of the battalions first major engagement of the Great War, ten lost their lives, as did one hundred and seventy five other ranks amongst the battalion, some of whom later died of their wounds. LEWIS, JOHN WILLIAM. Private, th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 23 December1916. Aged 20. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of John A. Lewis. Buried Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe, Pas de Calais, France. Ref: II. K. 10. Also commemorated on the Duke of York s Royal Military School, Guston, Dover, Kent war memorial. Formerly Private The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). SDGW shows date of John s death as occurring on 23 March 1916 at which time his battalion was on the Ypres Salient, Belgium, and left for the Dranoutre area on 28 March 216

217 1916. But leading up to the date recorded for John s demise by the CWGC his battalion had been in the area around Templeux-le-Guérard and Ronssoy on the Somme, after which it spent time in their Divisional Reserve (24th Division) including the date John is shown as died. SDGW shows killed in action, however on countless occasions more detailed research has revealed several causes of death (on certificates etcetera) which do not remotely match the O/SDGW details, a good illustration being Harry Lovell who is also commemorated on the war memorial who is shown as died of wounds at home on SWDGW, buried on the Somme? As such it is possible John Lewis had been wounded whilst his battalion was on the Somme and was being evacuated back to England. Another cause for the confusion is that whilst recorded as being a member of the 8th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), John may have been serving with another unit at the time of his death and may possibly have been killed in action whilst so engaged. Whilst caution is obviously advised it would seem likely that the CWGC commemoration details are in fact correct appertaing to John s date of death. LEWRY, E.J. Only a single E Lewry is commemorated by the CWGC, but appears not to be an obvious good match in relation to Dover. Regrettably SDGW shows no place of residence, which might be particularly relevant to this casualty commemorated below. It should however be pointed out that an Edward J. Lewry residing at 66 Clarendon Street, Dover, Kent, but the son of Charles an d Eliza Lewry was noted on the 1901 census. LEWRY, ERNEST. Trooper, st Life Guards. Died 31 October Aged 21. Born Hurst, Sussex. Enlisted Brighton. Son of Alfred and Lucy Lewry of 1, St. George s Terrace, Hurst Wickham, Hassocks, Sussex. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 3. Also commemorated on Hurstpierpoint, Sussex civil war memorial, and is probably the casualty on St. Martins School, Dover, Kent Great War memorial plaque. Surgeon-Major R.M. Cowie made brief mention of Ernest s demise in his private diary when recording the events of the 31 October 1914, an extract of which says, Regiment in the trenches E. of WYTSCHAETE, 1st Life Guards Squadron on the right of the line, the machine gun holding the extreme of their flank at the Cross roads to MESSINES (S.) and OOSTAVERNE (E.), the trenches running along the Eastern or further side of St. ELOI road. There are a few casualties in the evening-trooper LEWRY being killed, IMPLETON and two others wounded. All day the high explosive shells were bursting over WYTSCHAETE, especially directed at the wood N.W. and the KEMMEL road. At nightfall incendiary shells came whizzbanging into the village. The Surgeon-Major goes on to record more of the day/nights events, and finishes by saying how very young many of the Germans were. The officer writing the official 1st Life Guards war diary for the day had apparently not been made fully of all (albeit light) casualty roll, as he recorded Killed-Nil. Wounded-3896 Private Simpson. The man referred to as wounded was Private W. Simpson of the 1st Dragoon Guards, one of several Dragoons, Dragoon Guards and Hussars attached. LILLEY, WILLIAM JOHN. Driver, T/

218 Army Service Corps attached to the 7th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. Died 22 September Aged 25. Born Colombo, Ceylon. Enlisted Sheffield, Yorkshire. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Lilley of Derby, Derbyshire. Husband of Mrs. C. M. Lilley of 10, River Street, River, Dover, Kent. Buried Bois Guillaume Communal Cemetery, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: I. A. 19A. William is also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul. LOCKE, GEORGE EDWARD. Rifleman, th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Irish Rifles). Died 7 April Aged 24. Son of Annie Lydia Locke of 6, Bulwark Street, Dover, Kent. Born Rye, Sussex. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: XI. C. 19. Formerly Private, 1822, 4th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). LORAM, ALLAN. Stoker 1st Class, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Cressy. Died 22 September Aged 37. Born Dover, Kent 5 September Son of Jesse and Mary Ann Loram of Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 5. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an 218

219 hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February LOVELL, F. HARRY Le MARCHANT. Gunner, 425. Royal Horse Artillery. (Nottinghamshire, Territorial Force). Died 11 November Born Guernsey, Channel Islands. Enlisted Nottingham, Nottinghamshire. Son of Harry and Ellen Lovell (nee Popplestone). Buried Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L`Abbe, Somme, France. Grave Ref: V. E. 17. SDGW entry shows died of wounds at home, which is obviously far from the truth as is clearly illustrated by Harry s place of burial. The 1881 census details appertaining to Harry are indicative of him having probably being destined to serve as an artilleryman from birth, as can be seen from the following census data, at which time he and his family resided:- Kent Artillery Militia, Hougham, Dover, Kent. Henry W. POPPLESTONE. Aged 55. Born Kingsbridge, Devon. (Head of house). Staff Sergeant, Kent Artillery Militia. Charlotte L. POPPLESTONE. Aged 56. Born Kenton, Devon. Henry W. POPPLESTONE. Aged 14. Born Dover, Kent. Ellen Ann LOVELL. Aged 25. Born Charlton, Woolwich, Kent. Harry LOVELL. Aged 33. Born Canterbury, Kent. Master Gunner, Kent Artillery Militia. (Son in Law). Harry Le M. LOVELL. Aged 2. Born Guernsey, Channel Islands. MACK, WILLIAM JAMES. Private, st General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps. Died 25 April Aged 35. Born Eastbury, Portsmouth, Hampshire. Enlisted Dover, Kent. 219

220 Son of the late John and Edith Mack of 9, De Burgh Street Dover, Kent. Husband of Florence Beatrice Mack (neé Castle) of 3, Granvill Cottages, Tower Hamlets Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Grave Ref: F MACKENZIE, CHARLES ALEXANDER CHANDOS. Captain, 20th Deccan Horse. (Indian Army). Died 21 December Son of Ashton B. Mackenzie of Godwyne House, 19, Godwyne Road, Dover, Kent. and the late Brigade Surgeon John Mackenzie, M.D. Commemorated on the Neuve-Chapelle Memorial, Pas de Calais Panel 7. Charles is shown as a Squadron Officer with the rank of Lieutenant in the 20th Deccan Horse on the 1911 Army List. At the time of the 1901 census the family resided at 15, Cambridge Terrace, Dover, Kent. In August 1914 an Indian Corps including both infantry and cavalry was sent to fight in Europe. It suffered 35,000 casualties before the infantry went to Mesopotamia in December The cavalry remained on the Western Front, with supporting labour units. On 7 October 1927, the Earl of Birkenhead, Secretary of State for India, unveiled the noble Memorial which has been erected by the Imperial War Graves Commission at Neuve Chapelle in France, to the memory of the Indian soldiers who fell on the Western Front in the Great War of It is a tribute of special significance in that to build it the Dominions combined with India and the Mother Country, just as in the building of memorials to English, Scots, and Irish, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, and Newfoundlanders, India took her part and paid her share of the cost. In a special sense, too, it marks the gratitude of the great French nation to defend whose soil from German invasion the supreme sacrifice of the Indian Army in France was primarily made. It marks French gratitude because the place where it is built is French soil and because France has received it into her keeping for evermore. For this occasion, unique in the long history of India, a contingent of Indian troops representative of the various units engaged, including Sikhs, Dogras, and Garhwalis was specially brought from India in order that they might share in the ceremony. MacWALTER, CHARLES CHRISTOPHER. Second Lieutenant. 1st Battalion, King s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). Died 1 July Born Canterbury, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 D, and also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Formerly Corporal, 8669, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). MAGUB, JOSEPH JARVIS. Assistant Steward. Mercantile Marine. S.S. Ancona (London). Died 27 May Aged 16. Son of Herbert and Ida Elizabeth Magub (nee Utting) of 71, Barton Road, Dover, Kent. 220

221 Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Joseph s 1,207 ton ship which was built in 1888 was owned by J. Hall & Co., London, and is not to be confused with the 8,188 ton Italian liner Ancona that was controversially torpedoed and sunk on 7 November 1915, by an Austrian submarine south of Sardinia, while on passage from Italy to New York, USA with the loss of at least 206 lives. MARBROOK, ALFRED RICHARD. Private, th Regiment, (First Eastern Rifles) South African Infantry. Died 24 March Age. 34. Born Eastry, Kent. Son of Abraham Butler Marbrook and Elizabeth Marbrook of 55, Bulwark Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panels Alfred s date of death is quite significant as only a month later on 24 April 1918, having suffered extremely heavy casualties resultant of the German Spring Offensive which began on 21 March 1918, the 1st, 2nd and 4th South African Infantry Regiments were amalgamated, becoming the South African (Composite) Regiment. They were later reformed by 1 September At the time of the 1901 census the Marbrook family resided at the Hope Inn, 15 Council House Street, Dover, Kent. Alfred s father, Abraham Marbrook being a Licensed Victualler. MARSH, ALBERT JAMES. Private, nd Battalion, Irish Guards. Died 13 April Born and enlisted Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland. Resided Dover, Kent. Buried Aval Wood Military Cemetery, Vieux-Berquin, Nord, France. Grave Ref: I. E. 8. MARSH, CHARLES HENRY. Private, G/376. 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 13 October1915. Aged 19. Born Charlton, Dover Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15 to 19. Charles was killed in action at The Quarries near Hulluch, under heavy fire during a fresh British attack which was mounted during the Battle of Loos. The objective designated to the brigade (37th) split between the German positions of Gun Trench and The Quarries was subjected to a heavy artillery bombardment prior to the infantry battalions pressing home their attacks, following ranging shots being fired by the British gunners, who also had been designated set targets primarily bombarding the ensconced enemy defenders and the massive wire entanglements guarding the positions, before the infantry left the safety of their trenches the guns fired from exactly noon for an hour, following which until 1350 hours gas and smoke was used to create a smoke screen of approximately 1,200 yards for an hour, which was increased in density by the use of more smoke ten minutes before zero hour for the infantry assault. At first it appeared that 221

222 all was going according to plan, as the 7th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment had managed to reach Gun Trench without to much trouble, and thankfully with less casualties than had been originally been envisaged, but on their left flank the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) were subjected to an immense amount of fire power from an enemy trench which was both unseen, and unknown prior to the attack getting underway, which had resulted in the trench not being shelled by the artillery before the infantry had attacked, with the catastrophic result that the German wire at that point remaining virtually untouched. After covering about one hundred yards the battalion was brought to a halt, but not before over four hundred officers and other ranks in the battalion became casualties within the short space of just a few tragic minutes. Of the thirteen officers which had led their men into the fray of the battalions first major engagement of the Great War, ten lost their lives, as did one hundred and seventy five other ranks amongst the battalion, some of whom later died of their wounds. MARSH, ERNEST AMBROSE. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Lonsdale) Border Regiment. Died 2 December Aged 25. Born and enlisted: Dover, Kent. Resided River, Dover Kent. Son of Mrs. Emily Jane Marsh of 4, South Road, River, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 85 to 86. Ernest is also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul. Formerly Private, G/86945, Middlesex Regiment. MARSH, GEORGE ARTHUR. Private, nd/8th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Worcestershire Regiment. Died 25 April Born Folkestone, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Barnsbury, London. Husband of Agnes Marsh (nee Knight) of 16, Lyon Street, Caledonian Road, London. Buried St. Venant-Robecq Road British Cemetery, Robecq, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: III. E. 17. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. MARSH, JOHN THOMAS. Rifleman, nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 8 January Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Wingham, Kent. Son of Mr. J. Marsh of Barnsole, Staple, Canterbury, Kent. Buried Fouquissart Military Cemetery, Laventie, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: C. 7. Brother of the next casualty briefly commemorated. MARSH, PERCY. Driver, Royal Field Artillery. Died 4 March Aged 27. Born Wingham, Kent. 222

223 Son of John and Fanny Marsh, of 2, Victoria Street, Union Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Buckland Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: D Served in Egypt and has a MIC entry. MARSHALL, HENRY GEORGE EDWARD. Leading Stoker, K/ Royal Navy H.M.S. Rhododendron. Died 5 May Aged 25. Born Dover, Kent 24 March 1894 Husband of Emily E. Marshall of 7, Market Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 29. Henry is also commemorated on the war memorial at St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent. His ship an Anchusa class sloop was one of eight of her class of convoy protection ships built to look like merchant ships and were used as Q-ships in the Great War. She was torpedoed by a German submarine in the North Sea on the day that Henry died. One of the eight ships still survives, originally named H.M.S. Saxifrage, and later renamed HMS President she is moored on the Thames in London. MARTELL, BRICE SELWYN. Serjeant, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 31 October Aged 21. Enlisted Brighton, Sussex. Resided Hastings, Sussex. Son of Herbert J. and Cordelia Martell of 32, Ashburnham Road, Hastings, Sussex. Buried Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. H. 22. Also commemorated St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly 665, (Sussex Territorial) Royal Garrison Artillery. MARTIN, GEORGE CHATWIN. Driver, st Battery, 118th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 3 June1916. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried Reninghelst New Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. D. 21. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. MARTIN, GEORGE STYLES, Lieutenant. (Acting Captain). 5th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Manchester Regiment, attached to the 18th (Service) Battalion (3rd City). Died 23 April Aged 26. Son of George Munson Martin and Annie M. Martin of 33, Bartholomew Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 7 and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census the Martin family was residing at 38 Albany Place, Dover, Kent, George senior was a Musician and the Head of the house. George was a pre war other rank member of the East 223

224 Kent Yeomanry, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Manchester Regiment in October MARTIN, JOHN , Gunner. 41st Anti-Aircraft Company, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 22 March Aged 26. Son of John and Harriett Martin of 28, Dickson Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: I. G. 23. MARTIN, JOSEPH, Private, th Protection Company. Royal Defence Corps. Died 19 November Aged 52. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried East Hill Cemetery, Dartford, Kent. Grave Ref: 143. Formerly Private, 20313, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). The Orchard Hospital at Long Reach, Dartford, Kent was taken over from the Metropolitan Asylum Board by the Government early in 1915, and on 24 May 15 opened as Military Hospital for the treatment of sick and wounded allied soldiers, primarily for those with various infectious diseases. In view of the cemetery location it would seem likely that Joseph died whilst a patient at The Orchard. MARTIN, RICHARD. Private, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 10 September Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Also commemorated at St. Martins School, Dover, Kent. In view of Richard s regimental number prefix it would appear that he was a regular soldier of his regiment, despite which no trace of a commemoration for him has been accessed from the CWGC. Various checks have made to match any CWGC entries with those of the SDGW data, due to the fact that sometimes discrepancies occur. All 2117 MARTIN, 34 MARTYN, 14 MARTINS and 1 MARTINNE surnames have been checked with nil results. Richard s MIC entry re rank, regimental number and his Christian and surnames match the SDGW entry, as does The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Great War Nominal Roll war deaths. As we have located several officers and other ranks that are not named on the latter roll, which appears to stop at the Armistice, as does the O/SDGW. Richard appears to be yet another casualty STILL not commemorated by the CWGC; as such we will be submitting his case for official state commemoration. MASTERS, N. D. Possibly Norman Douglas Masters of the Mercantile Marine, but although known to have died in the Great War, it has not been possible to date (June 2004), to establish a connection to the town of Dover, Kent. Regretably no Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemoration has been found for Norman, and as such it would appear that he is sadly numbered amongst the thousands of Commonwealth of both world wars who are still not commemorated, or their sacrifice remembered. 224

225 MATCHAM, JOHN RAY. Private, G/ st/8th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Middlesex Regiment. Died 16 August Aged 31. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of John and Eliza Matcham. Husband of Louise Edith Brown (formerly Matcham) of 9, Avenue Terrace, Barton Road, Dover Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 113 to 115. Formerly Private, G/15762, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). MATTHEWS, HARRY STANLEY. Private, st/6th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Royal Warwickshire Regiment Died 4 October Aged 18. Born St. Mary, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Matthews of 27, Albany Place, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 23 to 28. Formerly Private, 2594, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). At the time of the 1901 census Harry and his family were probably residing at 21 Chapel Place, Dover, Kent, his 29 year old father Charles a Stoker on a Mail Boat is shown as being Head of house. MAXTED, PERCY JOHN. Leading Stoker, K/5685(CH). Royal Navy. H.M.S. Arrogant. Died 14 October Aged 23. Born Dover, Kent 30 October Son of Mr. and the late Mrs. Maxted of Dover, Kent. Husband of Lilian Fullbrook (formerly Maxted) of 14, Paul s Place, Charlton, Dover, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: Z. N. 5. Percy s headstone shows that he was accidentally killed, purely speculation on the part of the transcriber, but in view of his date of death it might be that he was one of the casualties of a disaster which happened to crewmen of his ship (and others), that occurred in a machine shop at Sheerness Naval Dockyard, Kent. When time permits hopefully a proper check can be made to ascertain same, but it does seem too much of a coincidence in view of date etcetera. Percy s ship, a 5,750 ton Arrogant class cruiser was the first of four ships of her type to be constructed and was built at the Devonport Dockyard; she took three years to build being completed in1898. Prior to the onset of the Great War H.M.S. Arrogant had been reduced to a submarine depot ship at H.M.S. Mercury, spending most of the war from 1915 as a base ship for the Dover Patrol flying the flag of Rear Admiral Bacon. In 1921 H.M.S. Arrogant was sold for scrap. The only ship of her class to see active service was H.M.S. Vindictive, undoubtedly she was most famous for her role and association with Dover, as an assault ship during the Zeebrugge Raid on St. George s Day H.M.S. Gladiator which was one of the four Arrogant class cruisers was lost several years before the war, as on 24 April 1908 she was sunk in accidental collision with the liner St. Paul. 225

226 MAXTED, WILLIAM JOHN GEORGE RICHARD. Private, st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment. Died 15 November Aged 21. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of George S. and Kate Elizabeth Maxted of 47, Dour Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Hooge Crater Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: IV. J. 17. Formerly Private, 9688, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). McCARTHY, DANIEL JEREMIAH. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 5 April Aged 38. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Canning Town, Essex. Buried Hedauville Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Grave Ref: G. 32. McKAY, ALEXANDER. Private, nd Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). Died 30 July1916. Aged 19. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 57 to 59. McLOUGHLIN, FREDERICK. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (3rd Birmingham) Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Died 23 August Aged 19. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Mrs. E. R. McLoughlin of 28, Maxton Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated in Lebucquiere Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France. Special Memorial I. Also commemorated on St. Martins School, Dover, Kent Great War memorial plaque. McMAHON, JAMES PATRICK. Private, th General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps. Died 30 September Aged 23. Born Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of the late Mr. J. P. McMahon and Mrs. E. McMahon of Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey, Kent. Husband of Ethel Maud McMahon of 17, Union Row, Military Hill, Dover, Kent. Buried Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Grave Ref: O. 260 McNEIR, GEORGE ALFRED. M.M. Serjeant, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 1 December Aged 23. Born Jullundur, India. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Finniss Hill, Dover Kent. Son of Martin and Esther McNeir of 1, Invicta Cottages, Finniss Hill, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, Nord, France. Panel

227 McPHERSON, D. As commemorated on the war memorial is probably:- McPHERSON, DOUGLAS of whom no exact clear match appertaining to his service or demise has been achieved. The 1901 census for Dover and district shows a Douglas McPherson who was born in Edinburgh c1897, and was a brother of the following casualty. On the census they are both shown as residing at 43 Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent, with their 42 year old widowed mother Lydia, who was a native of Dover, Kent. McPHERSON, HUGH FARQUHAR. Private, st/15th Battalion, London Regiment (Prince of Wales s Own Civil Service Rifles). Died 7 June1917. Aged 24. Born Tulse Hill. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of the late James and Lydia McPherson. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 54. McTAGGART, ROBERT LIDDLE. Corporal, rd Home Counties Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 18 March Born Eastwood, Essex. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried in Lucknow Cantonment Military Cemetery, India. Commemorated on the Madras War Memorial, Chennai, India. Face 3. MEDHURST, FRANK. Rifleman, S/ th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 20 September Aged 30. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. W. Medhurst of 21, Ladywell Place, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 145 to 147 and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. MELLO, ARNOLD. Second Lieutenant. 1st/14th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Scottish). Died 17 November Aged 29. Son of Adolphe A. E. and Blanche Mello (neé Thomas) of 52A, Devonshire Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. Buried Lillers Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: V. A. 1. Formerly Private, 2400, London Regiment. Also commemorated on Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex civic war memorial, and at St. Mary Magdelene Catholic Church, Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. Arnold is the sole CWGC or O/SDGW, MELLO commemoration, and is amongst only five MIC entries with the surname. A brother of the next casualty briefly commemorated. MELLO, PETER P. F. Captain. Royal Navy. H.M. Transport A21. Son of Adolphe A. E. and Blanche Mello (neé Thomas) of 52A, Devonshire Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. 227

228 Commemorated on Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex civic war memorial, and also at the St. Mary Magdelene Catholic Church, Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. Peter is featured in the Illustrated London News, dated 27 October 1917, on the Officers on the Role of Honour, Small Portrait Photos of Each Man Killed in Action. As Captain Peter Mello R.N. of Rosebank, Sidley Bexhill on Sea. In need of more research. Peter is apparently unfortunately numbered amongst the thousands who are still not commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It would appear likely that he was the Captain of the 6443 ton H.M.A.T Marere (A21), a ship owned by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd of London, that was requisitioned as an Australian troopship. She was sunk by a German submarine by gunfire in the Mediterranean on 18 January 1916, at which time Peter would have been about 35 years of age. Unfortunately workload prevents more detailed research being entered into at this time (August 2003), but hopefully this can be rectified at some point in the future prior to actual website posting. MERCER, ERIC CAMERON. Second Lieutenant. 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Died Sunday 13 October Aged 19. Son of Colonel Charles Archibald Mercer and Helen E. Mercer. Buried Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension, Bailleul, Nord, France. Grave Ref: II. D. 4. Commanded by Major C.J. Griffin (later Brigadier-General), Eric s battalion was stationed the Citadel Barracks, Western Heights, Dover, Kent prior to the start of the Great War, an was part of the 12th Brigade, 4th Division. On 8 August 1914 the battalion entrained from Dover Priory railway station to Cromer, Norfolk. From Cromer the battalion moved to Norwich, then to the nearby village of Costessey for four days, before returning to Norwich on 17 August. Another train journey was undertaken by the battalion too return back to the south of England, but not back to Dover and its port, but to Southampton, from where the battalion embarked for Boulogne on 22 August aboard the 8,611 ton Donaldson Line Ltd ship SS Saturnia. The main body which arrived at Boulogne was comprised of 27 officers and 974 other ranks, in addition to which, the battalion transport comprised of 2 officers and 70 other ranks went from Dover to Le Harve. It has not been possible to ascertain in which party Eric had travelled to France but it was probably with the main force. Although Eric lost his life very early in the Great War he had nonetheless taken part in a significant major action fought by his battalion, it being the Battle of Le Cateau, which justifiably has been described as the last of the old style one day battles. Following the defeat of the British Expeditionary Force in its first battle of the Great War at Mons, the British fell back to the south pursued by the Germans. Just after dawn three days later, which was also the anniversary of the Battle of Crécy (26 August 1346), 68 year old General Alexander von Kluck s army caught General Horace Smith-Dorrien s tired II Corps at Le Cateau. Against the orders of Sir John French the Commander in Chief, General Smith-Dorrien decided to stay and to fight the pursuers, and after a mornings intense fighting the retreat continued. British casualties were approximately 8,000 men and 38 the loss of artillery pieces, German casualties are estimated at about 9,000 men. Having advanced to the village of Viesly north west of Le Cateau on 25 August, Eric s battalion was forced to withdraw during the same night to 228

229 positions just to the north-west of Ligny, and later took up positions on high ground between Haucourt and Wambaix, near a location called Longsart Farm. Early on the morning of 26 August the battalion was attacked by a vastly numerically superior enemy force, which led to 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers having to again fall back to positions on a ridge to the south-west of Haucourt. Major General J.C. Latter, C.B.E, M.C, recorded in the regimental war history, that 6 officers in the battalion fell at Le Cateau and that 3 were wounded, in addition to which a further 6 officers had initially been posted as missing. Other ranks casualties were not so clear, but 86 are shown as wounded, 402 missing, and an unknown number killed in action, of the 3 officers and 402 other ranks recoded on the casualty roll as missing, 3 officers and 143 other ranks subsequently later turned up. Checking SDGW showed 92 other ranks deaths in the battalion on 26 August Regretably more casualties beset the battalion throughout the remainder of August including deaths from woundings received at Le Cateau. September also resulted in more casualties, albeit much lighter than at Le Cateau, in addition to the successes of the numerically superior enemy, the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers also had good results, on one occasion a party of a dozen Uhlans were engaged, six of which were captured, one of whom had been a pre war omnibus driver in London. Several marches were undertaken by the battalion early in October 1914, until a welcome move was made on 11 October in lorries, to the village of Le Meux to the south-west of Compiegne, at the edge of Oise, from where the battalion went by train to Hazebrouck the following day, and arrived at 0300 hours in the morning. Later the same day the battalion marched to Rouge Croix via Borre, and during the night advanced on the village of Méteren. The majority of the Germans who had been at Méteren were sent to take part in the attacks at Borre and Hazebrouck, where they were driven back, and returned to Méteren on the same afternoon that the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers were assigned to attack the village. The attack carried out by Eric s battalion was a total success which led to the enemies total evacuation of the village, and at the cost of surprisingly small casualties to the battalion, but in addition to the deaths of Private s Charles Fowle and Edward Hold, Eric also fell during the action at Méteren. METCALFE, JOHN WILLIAM. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Aged 21. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Mary E. Maxted of 2, Alexandra Place, London Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2. At the action fought at Monchy-le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France on 3 May 1917 during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, the 6th Battalion suffered at least 376 casualties amongst its officers and other ranks they being a combination of killed, wounded and missing. The battalion having spent the preceding night waiting in shell holes for zero hour which had been set for 0345 hours, with A Company on the right flank, B Company on the left, with C Company supporting, and the officers and men of D Company behind those of B Company the battalion formed up ready to take part in the days attack. Exactly at the agreed time the British artillery commenced firing as a prelude too, and in support of the battalion, who as with the gunners also left their start area on time as ordered and set off into total darkness, as the battalion pressed on every effort was made to keep 229

230 communication with them, Second Lieutenant McAuley, the battalion signaling officer along with two of the battalion signalers and two orderlies, went forward to establish an advanced HQ in what was known as Devil's Trench, but he later returned at 0430 hours and reported that no communication had been possible. A fairly early indication however that all was apparently going well, was when two German prisoners were sent back down the line from the battalion, but at that time nothing definite could be ascertained, even later on when daylight came, gunfire and snipers made it hard to get any news of how matters were proceeding; but at dusk it was discovered that the battalion had already suffered a substantial number of casualties, and that despite the sacrifices being made by the battalion of all ranks the line in their front was practically as before. With the growing concern of the continuous loss of officers at the time which was so serious that Second Lieutenant s Seago and Sowter were sent for from the detail camp and, arriving about 2200 hours, and very quickly were sent forward to reorganize the remnants of the devastated battalion. Part of the objective allotted the battalion on the morning of 3 May 1917 had been a spot called Keeling Copse, and it was found after the battalion had taken stock of its significant losses, that Second Lieutenant s P. A Cockeram and Norman O.F Gunther with about 40 men and a Lewis gun had actually got there, only to then realize that they were completely isolated with the enemy infantry having reformed its line behind them, and both sides being their original trenches, the result being that three lines of Germans intervened between this handful of men and their comrades, nothing daunted however, they held their own all day during which time they accounted for many of the enemy soldiery surrounding them. Under the cover of darkness when night fell, and by then having expended every cartridge and bomb they possessed, they gallantly fought their way back again, breaking through one line after another, until at last the two subalterns and thirteen of the men with them were able to report themselves to battalion Head Quarters. The casualties in this terrible action were Second Lieutenant s John H Dinsmore and Harold V Hardey-Mason killed, and Captain John B Kitchin died of wounds; Capt McDermott and Second Lieutenant s Williams and H.G Nesbitt wounded; Second Lieutenant s Charles Warnington, Athol Kirkpatrick, H.W Evans and R.L.F Forster, Lieutenant s K.L James, Grant, King and Wills posted as missing of whom the first five were found to have been killed; 25 other ranks were also killed, plus 128 wounded and in addition to which 207 were initially reported as being missing, but ultimately many were later found to have lost their lives during and resulting from the attack of 2 and 3 May About 0200 hours on 4 May the remnant was relieved and got back, on the following day what remained of the battalion was reorganized into two companies each of which consisted of only two platoons, No 1 Company had Second Lieutenant Stevens in command, with Second Lieutenant s Sowter, Seago and Sankey under him; No 2 Company was commanded by Captain Carter, assisted by the intrepid Second Lieutenant s Gunther and Cockeram. Following a later debriefing meeting to see if lessons could be learned from the attack of 3/4 May by the battalion a few things became obvious, the main points raised being that it was a pity that the ground was quite unknown to the battalion which had not held the same position previously, and that the orders to attack came so late that there was no time for systematic reconnaissance, also that the early part of the engagement had been undertaken in the dark. Those surviving members of the battalion who were not in the hands of the medical teams left Monchy-le-Preux and were then rested in nearby Arras for a mere 48 hours and 230

231 then underwent a further ten days in the trenches before being relieved on 17 May when the battalion moved to Duisans. Both Second Lieutenant s Cockeram and Gunther received the Military Cross for their gallant conduct on 3/4 May 1917, but it is sad to have to add that Norman Gunther, who was an attached officer of the Royal East Kent Yeomanry was killed shortly afterwards, with the cruel irony of his death occurring within half a mile of Keeling Copse when gallantly defending a trench the Germans were attacking, although not strictly speaking a Buff, we have included a commemoration to the brave 19 year old subaltern on this roll of honour alongside the 396 members of the regiment, who have no known grave that are commemorated on the Arras Memorial, some of whom died with him. Second Lieutenant Cockeram MC later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an Observer, on one occasion whilst a member of 48 Squadron based at Bertangles, he and his pilot Captain H.C Sootheran flying a Bristol BF2b shot down an enemy aircraft, and despite numerous encounters with enemy aircraft and being subjected on numerous occasions to anti-aircraft fire both RFC officers thankfully survived the war. MICKLE, FREDERICK WILLIAM. Private, st Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died 14 July Aged 26. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Mickle of 8, Church Road, Maxton, Dover, Kent. Buried Woods Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. E. 23. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 4320, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). MIDDLETON, GUY JOHN. M.M. Serjeant, nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 21 July Aged 25. Born Deal, Kent. Enlisted Edinburgh. Son of the late James Middleton and Mrs Fanny Davidson, (formerly Middleton). Buried Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L'Abbe, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. C. 8. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Guy was a Serjeant in his battery communications section, on a number of occasions he had done vital work repairing broken telephone lines, very often exposed and under fire. It would appear that his recommendation for the award of the Military Medal was somewhat belated, when taking into account the number of times he had carried out his duties above and beyond what could be expected of him. Probably as has happened on numerous occasions with courageous and reliable service personnel, Guy had become the first choice to call upon for certain dangerous tasks. On 21 July 1916 Guy was in charge of a party repairing communication wires under fire, during a period of particularly heavy shelling near to Mametz Wood. He managed to keep the vital lines of communications open until he was wounded in both legs. Unfortunately the approval for his M.M. came about a week after his demise in the Casualty Clearing Station. Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L'Abbe, on the Somme where Guy is at rest is unusual. Burials in this cemetery were carried out under extreme pressure and many of the graves are either too close together to be marked individually, or they contain multiple burials. Some 231

232 headstones carry as many as three sets of casualty details, and in these cases, regimental badges have had to be omitted. Instead, these badges, 117 in all, have been carved on a cloister wall on the north side of the cemetery which was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. MILLINGTON, P.H.W. As commemorated on the Dover civic war memorial and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial is probably:- MILLINGTON, PERCY WILLIAM HERBERT. Private, st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 7 September1918. Aged 33. Born Graveney, Faversham, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Herbert James and Elizabeth Millington of 6, Church Place, Dover, Kent. Buried Valenciennes (St. Roch) Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: V. G. 7. Formerly Private, 5945, East Surry Regiment. MILLNE, CHARLES HENRY. Private, th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Cyclists). Died 24 December Enlisted Fulham. Resided Weybridge, Surrey. Buried St. Mary s New Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: J. F. 22. MILLS, AUBREY. Private, st/5th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 11 February Aged 27. Born Leeds, Yorkshire. Enlisted St. Pancras, Middlesex. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of James and Annie Mills of Leeds, Yorkshire. Husband of Matilda Jane Lilly (formerly Mills) of 6, South Road, Kingsdown, Deal, Kent. Buried Amara War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: XXI. M. 16. MILLS, JOHN ALLAN. Sapper, st/3rd Kent Field Company. Royal Engineers. Died 7 September Enlisted Gillingham, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Buried Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: IV. D. 13. Also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census, a 14 year old Temple Ewell native John Mills who was possibly the above casualty resided with his parents George and Mary Mills and his younger sister Jane, at Woodville Hall, Temple Ewell, Dover where it would seem likely that his father was employed as a Coachman. MILLS, ROBERT GEORGE. Private, th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. Died 2 December Aged 34. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. 232

233 Son of Mrs. P. Mills of 44, York Street, Dover, Kent. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref. M. W. 5. Amongst Robert s comrades in the 68th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps was Private, , Stanley Spencer, ( ), who in later years became Sir Stanley Spencer the famous war artist. MILLS, W A. No clear trace, but is almost certainly yet another casualty who has no form of official state commemoration. He has been added to our ever growing list of applications to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to redress the oversight by the IWGC eighty four years ago, ( ). Without a shadow of a doubt the highest concentration of non-commemorations appertaining to Kent war related deaths, occur amongst Stokers from the Great War era, with Pulmonary Tuberculosis as cause of death. MILLS, WALTER ALBERT. Leading Stoker, K/9158. Born Dover, Kent 2 September Walter enlisted for a 12 year engagement in the Royal Navy at Chatham, Kent on 3 October At his enlistment he stated his occupation as a Boiler Cleaner/Group 34 Stoker, as he was not yet eighteen years old at the time, it would seem likely that his sea service had been on a Dover based vessel, possibly on the cross channel route, and that his main function had been boiler cleaning. After completion of his training at the Chatham, Kent shore establishment H.M.S. Pembroke II. Walter was posted to the 15,802 ton Formidable class battleship H.M.S Irresistible on 25 February 1911; fortunately he was not on board when she was sunk after hitting a mine in the Dardanelles straits on 18 March 1915, as Walter left H.M.S Irresistible on 25 April 1911 and went back to H.M.S. Pembroke II for a few weeks before joining the brand new 3,850 ton Blond class scout cruiser H.M.S. Blond as a member of her first ships compliment, whilst serving on H.M.S. Blond Walter became a Stoker 1st Class on 16 November From 9 September he was on the strength of H.M.S. Pembroke II until going to a shore establishment based ship, the 1,760 ton H.M.S. Actaeon, which was previously H.M.S. Dido that had been launched at Portsmouth on 23 October The Naval Discipline Act required all shore establishments to have as adjunct a vessel afloat, and in Walter s case it was the destroyer H.M.S. Electra. H.M.S. Actaeon served as mine depot ship on the Forth, and was later merged into Sheerness, Kent, Royal Navy Torpedo School and was eventually scrapped in From 2 February to 11 April 1917 Walter was on the strength of H.M.S. Pembroke II, following which he was on H.M.S. Actaeon. On 1 June 1917 Walters rating was raised to that of Acting Leading Stoker, and on 18 June 1918 passed as an Engineer. Exactly a year after being rated Acting Leading Stoker, Walter became a Leading Stoker. 8 February 1919, Walter was back on the strength of H.M.S. Pembroke II until 22 April 1919, when he went to the 4050 ton Submarine Depot Ship, H.M.S. Thames, whilst a member of the ships crew he was paid his War Gratuity (List 24). On Christmas Eve 1919, Walter was back on the roll of H.M.S. Pembroke II, at which time he had probably already been diagnosed as having the disease which he eventually succumbed to, and was possibly the reason for leaving H.M.S. Thames. Invalided home on 10 March 1920 suffering from Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Walter was officially Medically Discharged from the Royal Navy on 11 June His Royal Navy Service Sheet shows that at the time of his enlistment Walter was five feet three and a half inches tall; of dark of complexion with brown hair and hazel eyes, and that he had a 233

234 flower scroll tattoo with the name Edith on his left forearm. Although our country has clearly and disgracefully failed to remember and properly honour Walter, and also a staggering number of Great War era Royal Navy Stokers. It would be nice to think that we have in fact located the correct casualty, who was quite properly commemorated on 5 November 1924 by the citizens of Dover, Kent, when his name was revealed at the unveiling of the Boroughs civic war memorial. MINTER, CHARLES HERBERT. Private, nd Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Died 19 July Aged 28. Born Eastry Dover, Kent. Son of Charles Daniel and Charlotte Emma Minter of Manner, Sutton Street, Colac, Victoria, Australia. Buried Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. K. 57. Also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Prior to enlisting in the army, Charles was employed as a Labourer; he enlisted on 1 July 1915, at which time he gave his address as that of his sister Constance Mary Louisa Minter of 142, Snargate Street, Dover, Kent. Charles was posted to A Company, 32nd Battalion, Australian Infantry, Australian Imperial Force in which he sailed from Adelaide, South Australia on 18 November 1915 onboard the 7,851 ton H.M.A.T. Geelong (A2) which was on loan from the P&O Steam Navigation Co, London. Unlike the majority of Australian troopships that were returned to their former owners following the Great War, the ship which had taken Charles back to Europe was lost on 1 January 1916 after she had collided with the SS Bonvilston in the Mediterranean and sank. The action fought where Charles died was just north of the German held village of Fromelles on the Aubers Ridge to the south of Armentieres, Nord, France, it was executed partly as a diversion to the larger battle taking place 50 miles or so to the south on the Somme, and at the same time taking a German held salient. It was and indeed still is significant as being the first occasion on which the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) saw action on the Western Front, regrettably it ended by being a decisive victory for the German army, during which thousands of Australian and British soldiers were killed, taken prisoner and/or wounded, without the Allies gaining any ground. The casualty returns for Charles battalion for the two day Battle of Fromelles on 19 and 20 July 1916 show 17 officers and 701 men either killed, wounded or missing in action. One of the officers of Charles battalion who was amongst the wounded was Captain Blair Wark who later (at Ypres) won the Distinguished Service Order for repelling three enemy counter attacks, in October 1918 the then Major Blair Wark was awarded the Victoria Cross. MINTER, EARNEST WILLIAM. Private, L/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 21 January Aged 32. Born Buckland, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Minter of 7, Herbert Street, Buckland, Dover, Kent. 234

235 Buried Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. E. 20. MITCHELL, DAVID HENRY. Lance Corporal, st Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 18 April Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried or commemorated Bradford (Scholemoor) Cemetery. Grave/Commemoration Ref: Screen Wall. III. C Military Hospitals were opened in Bradford in both world wars and many of the 138 Great War burials in Bradford (Scholemoor) Cemetery were from the 1,200 bed Horton, (Bradford) War Hospital. The burials are scattered throughout the cemetery and two screen walls record the names of those casualties whose graves could not be marked individually, in addition to which a single Special Memorial stone commemorates 4 of the burials in the cemetery, which also contains 97 scattered burials of the Second World War. A Cross of Sacrifice faces the main entrance. Bradford Crematorium stands within this cemetery and a screen wall in the garden of rest commemorates two casualties of the Great War and 45 from the Second whose remains were cremated. MOAT, ALBERT. E. Corporal, st Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 9 July1919. Aged 26. Born Sholden, Deal, Kent c1894. Son of the late William and Julia Moat of Sholden, Deal, Kent. Buried St. Peter Churchyard River, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: New Ground, at west end. At the time of the 1901 census the Moat family resided at Paddock Cottage, High Road, Sholden, Deal, Kent. Also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul, and St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. MORRIS, ERNEST WILLIAM. Corporal, S/ rd (Reserve) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 27 June Born Lewisham, Kent. Enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Resided Sydenham, Kent. Husband of F. Morris of 59, Porthcawe Road, Lower Sydenham, London. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: M. H. 13. When taking into account Ernest s rank, regimental number and battalion it would probably be correct to assume that he was on the Permanent Staff, possibly as an instructor at the Citadel, Western Heights, Dover, and also that he died whilst a patient at the Military Hospital. In view of the details above as extracted from SDGW re places of birth, enlistment and residence, it therefore came as something of a surprise to see that Ernest is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent, which possibly is indicative of his place of residence having been Dover, Kent as opposed to Sydenham, Kent where his widow resided following his demise. MORRIS, REGINALD ARTHUR. Private,

236 151st Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died 3 September Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 C and 12C. Formerly Private, 2517, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). MORRIS, WILLIAM. Rifleman, th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Irish Rifles). Died 6 December Aged 21. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Mrs. C. E. Morris of 5, Odo Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Buried Railway Dugouts Burial Ground, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: VI. P. 19. Formerly Private, 4267, 4th (T.F.) Battalion. The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). MORRIS, WILLIAM HENRY FRANCIS. Rifleman, th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Irish Rifles). Died 6 December Aged 21. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Mrs. C. E. Morris of 5, Odo Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Buried Railway Dugouts Burial Ground, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: VI. P. 19. Formerly Private, 4267, 4th (T.F.) Battalion. The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). MORRISON, A.H. Private. T/ th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 15 April 1916 Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq. Panel 6. Although clearly there should be a MIC entry for this casualty, but regrettably none was found. SDGW only records him with only his initials as does both the CWGC, and The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) regimental Nominal Roll of the Great War dead, all of which has resulted in the inability to add his Christian names at this brief commemoration. MORRISON, RUPERT GEORGE. Lieutenant. Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 24 May Aged 34. Born Dover, Kent. Son of Major A. and Mrs. Morrison. Husband of Mabel Morrison of Abingdon, High Park, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Buried Harlech (or Llandanwg) (St. Tanwg) Churchyard, Merionethshire, Wales. MORTON, HAROLD WILLIAM. Rifleman, S/ th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 5 January Aged 31. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Woolwich, Kent. 236

237 Son of the late George Maddison Morton and Mary Ann Morton. Husband of Mrs. H. R. Bradley (formerly Morton) of 1990, Haultain Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres), Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 46 and 48 and 50, and on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. MOSS, BERTIE. Private, L/ nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 11 April Aged 24. Born Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Enlisted Shorncliffe, Kent. Resided Nunhead, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres), Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 12. A brother of the next casualty commemorated below. MOSS, HAROLD MARSHALL. Driver, rd/3rd Home Counties Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 6 February Aged 23. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Jane Moss of Walden Road, Twyford Avenue, Portsmouth, Hampshire. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover Kent. Grave Ref: Ref: Z. L. 32. MOWLL, SYDNEY EDWARD. Private, th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment). Died 6 June Aged 25. Born Dover, Kent 30 December Enlisted Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 10 July Resided Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Son of Emily Maud Mowll of 5 St. John s Road, Dover, Kent Buried Railway Dugouts Burial Ground, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: VI. D. 20. Prior to enlisting Sydney worked as a Clerk for the Timothy Eaton Company Ltd in Winnipeg, and is commemorated on bronze memorial which was designed as a tribute to the 315 men of the Eaton company who died as a result of service in the Great War. 3,327 of Eaton s staff enlisted in the war. The original plaque was unveiled in Toronto on 15 November 1923 by Mrs. Timothy Eaton, and on 26 November 1923 an identical memorial was unveiled in the company s Winnipeg store. Sydney is also commemorated on page 139 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance. At the time of enlisting Sydney was a serving member of the 100th Winnipeg Militia and had previously served in the 34th Ford Gary Horse. Sydney is also commemorated on page 139 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance. MUDDLE, GEORGE WILLIAM ARTHUR. Lance Corporal, th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles). Died 15 September Aged 27. Born East Cliffe, Guston, Dover, Kent 5 October Enlisted London. Resided Dover, Kent. 237

238 Son of Mrs. Fanny E. Nowers of 55, Bakers Avenue, Hoe Street, Leyton, London. Buried Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval, Somme France. Grave Ref: VII. G. 32. Prior to the start of the Great War, George had been employed at the Post Office Cable Depot in Eastern Docks, Dover, Kent. MUTTON, ROBERT JAMES. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, (Empire) Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 9 May Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Buried Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, Pas de Calais. France. Grave Ref: VIII. Q. 32. Formerly Private, 14050, 28th Training Reserve Battalion. NASH, ARTHUR JAMES, Lance Corporal, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 1 August Aged 20. Born and resided Dover, Kent, Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of William and Mary Jane Nash of 24, Ladywell Place, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel and 14, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 3020, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). NASH, JOHN ROBERT. Private, M/ th (Corps Siege Park) Motor Transport Company, Army Service Corps. Attached to the VI Corps Heavy Artillery. Died 4 October Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Louverval Military Cemetery, Doignies, Nord, France. Grave Ref: A. 5. John s Motor Transport Company was formed on 30 August 1915, initially serving with the 31st Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery as a Brigade Ammunition Column (Motor Transport). Surplus to requirements post the Great War, the unit disbanded on 13 November NEILL, CHARLES S. Private, S/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 30 November Aged 22. Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. H. Neill of 9, Westbury Road, Dover, Kent. Born Lydd, Romney Marsh, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Hamburg Cemetery, Germany. Grave Ref: VI. C. 7. Also commemorated on St. Martins School, Dover, Kent Great War memorial plaque. SDGW records date of death as occurring on 1 November As Charles s battalion did not cross the German frontier as part of the Army of Occupation until 2 December. Irrespective of true date of Charles demise it would seem likely that he was a former prisoner of war. In 1923 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries, and Hamburg, which is located within the large civil cemetery that is known 238

239 locally as Ohlsdorf Cemetery was one of those selected, after which burials were brought into the cemetery from 120 different burial grounds which were scattered throughout Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Oldenburg, Hanover, Saxony, Brunswick and Westphalia. NEWLAND, FREDERICK THOMAS. Private, G/237. 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 13 October Aged 21. Son of the late Thomas and Sarah Newland. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15 to 19. Frederick was killed in action at The Quarries near Hulluch, under heavy fire during a fresh British attack which was mounted during the Battle of Loos. The objective designated to the brigade (37th) split between the German positions of Gun Trench and The Quarries was subjected to a heavy artillery bombardment prior to the infantry battalions pressing home their attacks, following ranging shots being fired by the British gunners, who also had been designated set targets primarily bombarding the ensconced enemy defenders and the massive wire entanglements guarding the positions, before the infantry left the safety of their trenches the guns fired from exactly noon for an hour, following which until 1350 hours gas and smoke was used to create a smoke screen of approximately 1,200 yards for an hour, which was increased in density by the use of more smoke ten minutes before zero hour for the infantry assault. At first it appeared that all was going according to plan, as the 7th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment had managed to reach Gun Trench without to much trouble, and thankfully with less casualties than had been originally been envisaged, but on their left flank the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) were subjected to an immense amount of fire power from an enemy trench which was both unseen, and unknown prior to the attack getting underway, which had resulted in the trench not being shelled by the artillery before the infantry had attacked, with the catastrophic result that the German wire at that point remaining virtually untouched. After covering about one hundred yards the battalion was brought to a halt, but not before over four hundred officers and other ranks in the battalion became casualties within the short space of just a few tragic minutes. Of the thirteen officers which had led their men into the fray of the battalions first major engagement of the Great War, ten lost their lives, as did one hundred and seventy five other ranks amongst the battalion, some of whom later died of their wounds. NEWMAN, JOHN WILLIAM. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 7 October1916. Aged 35. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent Son of George Newman of 42, Snargate Street, Dover, Kent.. Buried Bancourt British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: V. I. 5. John was probably amongst the 8 officers and 121 other ranks who lost their lives in the 6th Battalion that day during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges, the total casualty roll for the day numbers 368, which included the battalion Medical Officer, Captain Wilfred Pagen R.A.M.C, who is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. What follows is 239

240 basically the battalion War Diary entry for the day:- Quiet morning. At 1.30 p m the enemy opened heavy machine gun fire and shrapnel barrage on the front line. At 1.45 p m the attack commenced. Very heavy M.G. fire was opened, which held up C Company on the right. A and B companies reached the 1st objective (Rainbow Trench) with fairly heavy casualties but on advancing from 1st to 2nd objectives were completely held up with M.G. fire. Twenty men of C Company succeeded in getting into the German trench, with troops from the 61st Brigade, and advanced with them. The 1st objective was held until 12 midnight when the Battalion was relieved by the 6th Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). NEWMAN, PERCY CHESTER, Lance Corporal, G/ D Company, 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 2 May Aged 27. Born St. Mary s, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Fred and Annie Newman. Husband of Daisy May Simmonds (formerly Newman) of The Gothic Inn, Snargate Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2. Although Percy has a Home Counties Regiments battalion regimental number, he had previously been a member of the Dover, Kent, H Company, 1/4 (Territorial Force) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). His civilian occupation was a Shipping Clerk. NEWMAN, REGINALD HENRY. Rifleman, th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles). Died 25 April Aged 29. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of William Ingram Newman and Sophia Catherine Newman of 1, Queen Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II. D. 75. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent, and on the former Congregational Church, Dover, Kent war memorial. At the time of the 1901 census William and Sophia resided with their seven children including Reginald (the youngest) at 1 Queen Street, Dover, Kent. William aged 52 was Head of the house, and a self employed Fishmonger. NEWTON, ALBERT WILLIAM. Serjeant, CH/ st Royal Marine Battalion, (188th Brigade), 63rd Royal Naval Division. Died 3 September Aged 24. Son of Frederick Richard Newton of 123, Reginald Road, Eastney, Portsmouth, Hampshire. Buried Queant Road Cemetery, Buissy, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: V. F. 29. Serjeant Newton above is one of only two casualties commemorated by the CWGC with matching initials and Christian names, the other being a soldier with birth, enlistment and place of residence all in East London who may of course be the man on the war 240

241 memorial. Of the two choices, Serjeant Newton is possibly a more likely casualty bearing in mind he has a Chatham number, which obviously is not solid evidence of a Kent connection, but had he been a native or resident of Eastney he would probably have had a Portsmouth number. Other options of course being that the A.W. Newton on the war memorial was not commemorated by the CWGC, or died of war related injuries or illness/s post NICHOLAS, H.C. As commemorated on the war memorial is almost certainly:- NICHOLASS, HENRY CHARLES. Gunner st/2nd Kent Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Died 27 May Aged 23. Son of Henry Richard and Louisa Jane Nicholass of 16, Peter Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Kirkee, India Memorial. Face A. Unfortunately there is no SDGW data appertaining to Henry, but his MIC entry shows his surname spelt NICHOLAS, which matches the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, as such his CWGC commemoration surname spelling is possibly slightly erroneous. NICHOLASS, H. Only three casualties with the surname and first initial H are commemorated by the CWGC, one of whom was the last casualty commemorated above. Another being a native of Leytonstone, London who resided in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and died whilst serving in the A.I.F, as such probably the following casualty is the man commemorated on the war memorial. Unfortunately no place of residence was recorded by SDGW which might be relevant in this case as it might have been at Dover:- NICHOLASS, HENRY JOHN. Driver, C Battery, 52nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 3 August Born Thornton Heath, Surrey. Enlisted Whitehall, London, S.W. Buried Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. K. 9. NIMMO, ALFRED CHARLES. Leading Stoker, K/4760. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Princess Irene. Died 27 May Aged 25. Born Headcorn, Kent 30 September Son of Alfred Charles and Mary Nimmo of 166, Union Road Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 11. Only one person, David Willis a Chatham based Dockyard worker onboard survived the tragic loss of Alfred s 5,900 ton minelayer, which was a comparatively new vessel having been launched on 20 October At approximately 1115 hours on the day he died, Alfred s ship was anchored on No.28 buoy off Port Victoria Pier in Salt Pan Reach, Isle of Grain, Kent when she suddenly suffered a tremendous internal explosion. In addition to her crew approximately 160 Royal Naval and civilian personnel were on board the Princess Irene, most are commemorated on the same memorial as Alfred, in addition to which there is a memorial to those lost which is located opposite Sheerness Railway Station, Isle of Sheppey, Kent. those whose bodies were recovered were laid to rest in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent. For a more detailed comprehensive 241

242 account of the disaster, the book Blown to Eternity - The Princess Irene story (Ferry Publications), written by the Kent author John Hendy is the one to read. NORMAN, E. J. Although unfortunately neither is an irrefutable and perfectly clear match the following are the best of the possible casualties traced. The first casualty is commemorated by the CWGC as G. E. J. Norman, but SDGW, MIC and the Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) regimental Nominal Roll, and other data accessed all show either E.J Norman or the Christian names EDWARD JAMES, as such probably the additional G is erroneous on his CWGC commemoration. Possibly Edward s aunt had submitted his name for inclusion on the town civic war memorial. It is probably of significance that his name is not amongst those commemorated on the civic war memorial at Margate, Isle of Thanet, Kent where he had enlisted. NORMAN, EDWARD JAMES. Serjeant, st Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 27 September Born Folkestone, Kent. Enlisted Margate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Nephew of Mrs. M. A. Blackburn of 144, Mayfield Avenue, Dover, Kent. Buried Gouzeaucourt New British Cemetery, Nord, France, Grave Ref: V. B. 2. Formerly G/27661, Middlesex Regiment. An alternate, albeit tenuous matching casualty who is possibly the E.J. NORMAN commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, was the following officer:- NORMAN, EDWARD JOHN. Second Lieutenant. 156th Company, Royal Engineers. Died 30 March Aged 32. Son of Mary Norman of Deal, Kent, and the late E. W. Norman. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panel 10. NORRIS, FRANK JOHN, Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Born 30 April Aged 34. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Edward and Elizabeth Norris of Dover, Kent. Husband of Mercy Matilda Norris of 130, Heathfield Avenue, Dover, Kent. Buried Feuchy British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II. A. 13. A brother of the following casualty, please note both dates of death. NORRIS, HERBERT E. Private, GS/ th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 3 May Enlisted London. Resided Marylebone. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 3. Formerly Private, 23260, East Surrey Regiment. NOWERS, LESLIE FRED FILER. Private, M2/ st Motor Transport Company, Army Service Corps. 242

243 Died at sea 27 June Aged 20. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Frederick George and Laura D. Nowers of 30, Frith Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, Hampshire. Leslie s unit was formed on 2 December 1916 for service in Mesopotamia, but served in Salonika, primarily as a Motor Transport Supply Column with the Serbian army. Surplus to requirements post Great War, the 881st Motor Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps was disbanded on 16 May On the Dover civic war memorial Leslie s initials are shown as being L.F.P. but all other data checked shows L.F.F. However SDGW records him as being LESLIE FRED FILES NOWERS. O DELL, GEORGE ALEXANDER. Corporal, nd/7th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Died 1 June Aged 36. Born Kasauli, India, Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. E. Chittenden of Dover, Kent. Buried Aire Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: III. B. 3. OLIVER, CHARLES FREDERICK. Private, nd/5th Battalion, (Territorial Force) East Lancashire Regiment. Died 9 October Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Husband of Mrs. E. S. Oliver of 32, Minerva Avenue, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 77 to 79 and 163A. Formerly Private, 33580, East Surrey Regiment. O LONE, ROBERT JAMES. Captain. 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. Died 11 November Aged 31. Son of John and Mary O Lone of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Husband of Gladys Louise O Lone of 11, Grove Avenue, Twickenham, Middlesex. Buried Tancrez Farm Cemetery, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. G. 14. Formerly Colour Serjeant, 6724, Royal Irish Rifles, and had been Mentioned in Despatches. OSBORN, GEORGE ASHBY CHADWICK. Captain. 7th (Service) Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment. Died Tuesday 24 April Born Hartlepool c1888. Commemorated on the Doiran Memorial, Greece. The following is (verbatim) the 7th (Service) Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment war dairy entry for Tuesday 24 April 1917 whilst in the Dorian sector of Greece. 6pm. Weather fine. Strength. 29 Officers 893 OR. Detached 7 Officers 81 OR.1 OR wounded. A Coy Pte WOODWARD W.R. ( )3 OR struck off strength, 3 OR rejoined from 243

244 detachment. Observation. Night party of enemy about 30 strong seen ascending N. slope of PETIT COURONNE enemy replied to our barrage at once with field guns, putting barrage on our front line and then short sniping. Trench Mortar barrage in PATTY RAVINE enemy again bombarded our front line. Day. Our bombardment continued throughout the day. OSBORN, GORDON CHADWICK. Second Lieutenant. Royal Engineers. Died 18 April Aged 21. Born Romney Marsh, Kent c1894. Son of Colonel George Osborn (Royal Artillery) of Lavington, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Bedford House Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: Enclosure No.2 IV. A. 60. OSBORNE, ARCHIBALD EDWARD. Captain. 5th (Weald of Kent) Battalion, (Territorial Force), The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Attached to the 10th (Service) Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. Died 21 March Aged 27. Son of William Edward and Katherine Osborne of 13, Hope Park, Bromley, Kent, who had formerly resided at Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2. Archibald had been Gazetted from the Honourable Artillery Company, and had been awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm (France). For the sake of family historians or other interested parties who might be conducting more in-depth and detailed research into Archibald s life and death, it should perhaps be noted that on some data accessed is shown as being an officer in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, attached to the Worcestershire Regiment at the time of his death. Archibald is commemorated on the Great War regimental Nominal Roll of the war dead of The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), and is commemorated as same on the Arras Memorial. Archibald was a Buffs officer. OSBORNE, ALBERT GEORGE. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Died 2 October Aged 18. Born Malta. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Walter John and Ada Ozanne Osborne of 2, Denison Villa, Underdown Road, Dover, Kent Buried Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Grave Ref: IV. G. 9. OVENDEN, HERBERT STEPHEN, Lieutenant (Quartermaster). Army Service Corps. Died 3 September1916. Aged 44. Born Dover, Kent. Son of William and Charlotte E. Ovenden of Dover; Kent. Husband of Esther Mabel Ovenden of 13, Queen Bertha Road, Ramsgate, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: Q. J. R. 244

245 At the time of the 1881 census the Ovenden family was residing at 10 South Road, Charlton, Dover, Kent:- William OVENDEN. Aged 36. Born Dover, Kent. Cabinet Maker (Master). Charlotte E. OVENDEN. Aged 32. Born Dover, Kent. William J. OVENDEN. Aged 13. Born Dover, Kent. Herbert S. OVENDEN. Aged 8. Born Dover, Kent. Arthur H. OVENDEN. Aged 7. Born Dover, Kent. Rosa A. OVENDEN. Aged 4. Born Dover, Kent. Charlotte L. OVENDEN. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Everill M. OVENDEN. Aged 11 months. Born Dover, Kent. PACKER, BERTRAM CHARLES. Rifleman, King s Royal Rifle Corps posted to the 2nd/15th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Prince of Wales s Own Civil Service Rifles). Died 5 November Born Faversham, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Buried Cement House Cemetery, Langemark-Poelkapelle, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: XIX. A. 48. Formerly Private TR/10/31799, 32nd Training Reserve Battalion and TR/13/58703, 20th Training Reserve Battalion. A brother of the next casualty briefly commemorated. PACKER, ERNEST WALTER. Bombardier, D Battery, 62nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 29 July1916. Aged 20. Born Dover, Kent. (Please see below). Enlisted and resided Maidstone, Kent. Son of Edward Maurice Packer and the late Ann Packer of 39, Eton Road, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales. Buried Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Mametz, Somme, France. Grave Ref: X. E. 3. MIC entry shows Ernest s rank as a Serjeant. There also appears to be an error on Ernest s SDGW entry regarding his place of birth, on the 1901 census entry for the family at which time they resided at Preston-next-Faversham, Kent, Ernest s place of birth is shown as Ospringe, Faversham, and is probably actually correct. PAIN, ALFRED THOMAS. Serjeant, th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Aged 25. Born Teynham, Sittingbourne, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Stephen and Susan E. Pain of 149, London Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Vis-En-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, Pas de Calais, Grave Ref: X. E. 11. At the action fought at Monchy-le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France on 3 May 1917 during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, the 6th Battalion suffered at least 376 casualties amongst its officers and other ranks they being a combination of killed, wounded and missing. The battalion having spent the preceding night waiting in shell holes for zero hour which had been set for 0345 hours, with A Company on the right flank, B Company on the left, with C Company supporting, and the officers and men of D Company behind those 245

246 of B Company the battalion formed up ready to take part in the days attack. Exactly at the agreed time the British artillery commenced firing as a prelude too, and in support of the battalion, who as with the gunners also left their start area on time as ordered and set off into total darkness, as the battalion pressed on every effort was made to keep communication with them, Second Lieutenant McAuley, the battalion signaling officer along with two of the battalion signalers and two orderlies, went forward to establish an advanced HQ in what was known as Devil's Trench, but he later returned at 0430 hours and reported that no communication had been possible. A fairly early indication however that all was apparently going well, was when two German prisoners were sent back down the line from the battalion, but at that time nothing definite could be ascertained, even later on when daylight came, gunfire and snipers made it hard to get any news of how matters were proceeding; but at dusk it was discovered that the battalion had already suffered a substantial number of casualties, and that despite the sacrifices being made by the battalion of all ranks the line in their front was practically as before. With the growing concern of the continuous loss of officers at the time which was so serious that Second Lieutenant s Seago and Sowter were sent for from the detail camp and, arriving about 2200 hours, and very quickly were sent forward to reorganize the remnants of the devastated battalion. Part of the objective allotted the battalion on the morning of 3 May 1917 had been a spot called Keeling Copse, and it was found after the battalion had taken stock of its significant losses, that Second Lieutenant s P. A Cockeram and Norman O.F Gunther with about 40 men and a Lewis gun had actually got there, only to then realize that they were completely isolated with the enemy infantry having reformed its line behind them, and both sides being their original trenches, the result being that three lines of Germans intervened between this handful of men and their comrades, nothing daunted however, they held their own all day during which time they accounted for many of the enemy soldiery surrounding them. Under the cover of darkness when night fell, and by then having expended every cartridge and bomb they possessed, they gallantly fought their way back again, breaking through one line after another, until at last the two subalterns and thirteen of the men with them were able to report themselves to battalion Head Quarters. The casualties in this terrible action were Second Lieutenant s John H Dinsmore and Harold V Hardey-Mason killed, and Captain John B Kitchin died of wounds; Capt McDermott and Second Lieutenant s Williams and H.G Nesbitt wounded; Second Lieutenant s Charles Warnington, Athol Kirkpatrick, H.W Evans and R.L.F Forster, Lieutenant s K.L James, Grant, King and Wills posted as missing of whom the first five were found to have been killed; 25 other ranks were also killed, plus 128 wounded and in addition to which 207 were initially reported as being missing, but ultimately many were later found to have lost their lives during and resulting from the attack of 2 and 3 May About 0200 hours on 4 May the remnant was relieved and got back, on the following day what remained of the battalion was reorganized into two companies each of which consisted of only two platoons, No 1 Company had Second Lieutenant Stevens in command, with Second Lieutenant s Sowter, Seago and Sankey under him; No 2 Company was commanded by Captain Carter, assisted by the intrepid Second Lieutenant s Gunther and Cockeram. Following a later debriefing meeting to see if lessons could be learned from the attack of 3/4 May by the battalion a few things became obvious, the main points raised being that it was a pity that the ground was quite unknown to the battalion which had not held the same position 246

247 previously, and that the orders to attack came so late that there was no time for systematic reconnaissance, also that the early part of the engagement had been undertaken in the dark. Those surviving members of the battalion who were not in the hands of the medical teams left Monchy-le-Preux and were then rested in nearby Arras for a mere 48 hours and then underwent a further ten days in the trenches before being relieved on 17 May when the battalion moved to Duisans. Both Second Lieutenant s Cockeram and Gunther received the Military Cross for their gallant conduct on 3/4 May 1917, but it is sad to have to add that Norman Gunther, who was an attached officer of the Royal East Kent Yeomanry was killed shortly afterwards, with the cruel irony of his death occurring within half a mile of Keeling Copse when gallantly defending a trench the Germans were attacking, although not strictly speaking a Buff, we have included a commemoration to the brave 19 year old subaltern on this roll of honour alongside the 396 members of the regiment, who have no known grave that are commemorated on the Arras Memorial, some of whom died with him. Second Lieutenant Cockeram MC later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an Observer, on one occasion whilst a member of 48 Squadron based at Bertangles, he and his pilot Captain H.C Sootheran flying a Bristol BF2b shot down an enemy aircraft, and despite numerous encounters with enemy aircraft and being subjected on numerous occasions to anti-aircraft fire both RFC officers thankfully survived the war. PALMER, GEORGE THOMAS. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 19 August Born Alkham, Dover Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 D. PALMER, STEPHEN JOHN ALEXANDER. S/7023, Lance Serjeant. 7th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 16 July Aged 20. Born River, Dover Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Harriett Palmer of 204, Union Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel and 14. Formerly Private, 10174, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). PALMER, THOMAS WILLIAM. Rifleman, S/ th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 15 September Aged 20. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted London. Son of Mr. and Mrs. William. T. Palmer of 26, Lansdown Road, Canterbury, Kent. Buried Guards Cemetery, Lesboeufs, Somme, France. Grave Ref: VI. R. 4. Thomas is also commemorated on Canterbury City, Kent civic war memorial, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census the Palmer family was residing at 3 Caroline Road, Dover, Kent. William a 33 year old native of Sevenoaks, Kent, was employed as a Railway Porter, and was the Head of the house. 247

248 PARKER, ALFRED GEORGE. Private, th Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Killed in action Albert, Somme, France 5 April Aged 25. Born Poplar, East London. Enlisted Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia. Normally resided at Annandale, Sydney, New South Wales, Son of Alfred James Parker, of the Dolphin Inn, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Somme, France, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent, also on Panel 140 of the Australian National War Memorial Canberra, Australia Capital Territories, Australia. After leaving the National School, Dover, Kent, Alfred was employed as a Ships Steward before he emigrated to Australia at the age of 18, where he found employment as a Labourer. He enlisted in the 45th (New South Wales) Battalion, Australian Infantry, Australia Imperial Force on 14 June 1916, and after training sailed for Europe onboard the 10,624 ton ship SS Port Nicholson which departed from Sydney on 8 November SS Port Nicholson which was used as an Australian troop transporter was formerly the SS Makarini owned by G.D.Tyser & Co, (London); she was mined and sunk approximately 15 nautical miles off Dunkirk, France on15 January1917. The Australian 4th Division of which Alfred s battalion was a part was initially stationed on the Suez Canal, Egypt. In June 1916 it moved to France, taking over part of the sector near Armentieres, Nord. Its stay there was brief and soon it was accompanying the First and Second Divisions to the Somme sector. In August 1916 it relieved the Second Division on the Pozières Heights and repulsed a major German counterattack. It then drove north to the outskirts of Mouquet Farm. A second tour of the Somme at Mouquet Farm followed in September and a third at Flers in October. On 11 April 1917 the Fourth Division assaulted the Hindenburg Line in the First Battle of Bullecourt, but the battle was a disaster and 1170 Australian prisoners were taken by the Germans. In June it participated in the Battle of Messines, and in September the division took part in the Battle of Polygon Wood. In March 1918 the Fourth Division was rushed to the Somme region to help stem the German Spring Offensive. There it repulsed the advancing Germans in hard fought battles at Hebuterne and Dernancourt. In April its 13th Infantry Brigade was involved in the counterattack at Villers-Bretonneux. The Fourth Division went on to fight in the Battle of Hamel, Battle of Epehy (with distinction), Battle of Amiens and the Hindenburg Line, finally reaching the town of Bellenglise. PARKER, D. As he is also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Fortunately the casualty commemorated below is also remembered on the Buckland, Dover, Kent, Wesleyan Chapel, Great War tribute, with the name by which he was known also shown, it being David. Possibly he is also the casualty commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial is the former Dover, Kent resident briefly commemorated below, whose mother resided in the town in 1915:- PARKER, HENRY EDWARD (David). Private, th Battalion, (The Black Devils) Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment). Died 26 September Aged

249 Born London 25 October Enlisted Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 22 July Son of the late Henry David and Emily Parker. Commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France, and on page 145 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance. At the time of Henry s enlistment he gave his occupation as Book Keeper, and named his mother, Mrs Emily Parker of Connaught Cottage, Frith Road, Dover, Kent, England as his Next of Kin. The 8th Canadian Infantry Battalion was organized at Valcartier under Camp Order 241 of 2 September 1914, and was composed of recruits from Winnipeg and from the 96th Lake Superior Regiment of the Active Militia. The battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel L.J. Lipsett, a very competent officer who later became a Major- General, and the commander of the Canadian Army s Third Division. The battalion embarked at Quebec on 1 October 1914 aboard the 18,520 ton H.M.T. Franconia arriving at Plymouth on 17 October 1914, at which time its strength was 47 officers and 1106 other ranks. From Plymouth, the battalion moved to Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire to undergo battle training, which as it unfortunately turned out was undertaken during a notably wet winter. Training completed the battalion sailed for France where it disembarked on 13 February 1915, becoming part of the 1st Canadian Division, 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, and was later reinforced by the 18th Canadian Reserve Battalion. On 14 April 1915, the battalion moved into the Ypres Salient where it formed a part of the 2nd Brigade. At approximately 0400 hours on the morning of Saturday 24 April 1915, a bluegreen-yellowish cloud was seen rolling over No Man s Land towards the battalion trenches. It was the second enemy gas attack, to which about half the battalion succumbed to the poisonous noxious fumes. The battalion on the left was obliged to retire and Lieutenant Colonel Lipsett s soldiers found themselves in real danger of being surrounded. But it stoically held on, and while supporting battalions were preparing new defenses in the rear, the men of the regiment kept up a withering fire on the enemy, drove off an attack on its front and withstood fearful enfilade fire from left and right, and this from an enemy force five times its size. Thus began a tradition of Henry s battalion of never losing a trench to the enemy, it apparently being a tradition never to be broken quite literally throughout the Great War s duration. PARKER, GEORGE WILLIAM GARDINER. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 July1916. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 D, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Unlike the bulk of the British infantry battalions that were on the Somme battlefields during the first two days of July 1916, the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) had a casualty report for both days which showed nil entries. What might at first glance appear extremely good fortune or call it what you will, is in fact easily explained, the reason being is that the battalion was one of those which were held back in reserve positions. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme 1916, the battalion was initially just outside the village of Laviéville to the west of the town of Albert, from where it later the same day marched through Millencourt. It was into trenches facing Ovillers that the battalion was ordered on 2 July, along with the rest of the 37th Brigade, 249

250 12th (Eastern) Division to which it belonged. The move was made in preparation for the 12th (Eastern) Division to relieve the 8th Division that had suffered heavy casualties during the first two days at Ovillers. It was noticed during the research for this brief tribute to George, that the Official History of The Great War records 5,121 officers and other ranks as casualties to the 8th Division prior to its relief by the 12th (Eastern) Division. It was also noted that regrettably the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) had a casualty report for the 3 July1916 at Ovillers. It would seem that most of the initial casualties of all categories to the battalion that day. occurred when the soldiers had actually reached the German barbed wire entanglements. A Company had been the first of the battalions soldiers to leave the trenches at 0330 hours, they followed in the wake of the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), and the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). The later platoons of A Company and the members of C Company fared less well than those who had set off first, as the latter waves were hit and suffered heavy casualties during the advance. Some other ranks who succeeding in getting into the enemy trenches were hastily gathered by Lieutenant Thomas C. Farmer who had previously served as a Private in the 13th Battalion, London Regiment, who quickly organised those who had crossed over to the German trenches, into bombing parties, primarily engaged in bombing enemy dug-outs. Due to being vastly outnumbered and as the result of not getting any fresh supplies of hand-grenades, and running low on ammunition, Thomas Farmer was forced to order his other ranks with him to retire. Eyewitnesses made comments along the lines that when organising the bombing parties, carrying out the attacks, and the later retirement, the young officer had done so almost as if he had been taking part on an exercise. For his gallantry and outstanding leadership, Lieutenant Thomas C. Farmer was subsequently awarded the Military Cross. By the end of the third day of the Battle of the Somme 1916, the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) had lost three officers and seventy other ranks, in addition to eight other officers being wounded, as were at least 193 other ranks. PARSONS, RAYMOND STRICKER. R.N. Lieutenant Commander. Royal Navy. Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Division. Died 4 June Aged 35. Born Dover, Kent 6 December Son of Doctor Charles Parsons of 13, Park Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Brother of Mr. H.B. Parsons of Manor House, Boughton Aluph, Ashford, Kent. Commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey. Panel 1 and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Raymond came from a Dover, Kent, family of brothers that paid a high price whilst serving in the British armed forces during both the Great War and the Second Boer War. Lieutenant Francis Newton Parsons V.C, of the 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment was killed in action on 11 March 1900 during the Battle of Driefontein, South Africa. Francis lost his life less than a month after going under fire to the aid of one of his men, a Private Ferguson, for which he was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross. (For more comprehensive details see V.C. section on this website). Doctor, Constanacy Charles Parsons M.R.C.S, L.R.C.P, died in South Africa on 3 December 1900 whilst attached to the 21st Army Field Hospital. Both of the brothers are commemorated on the impressive 250

251 Dover, Kent, Boer War Memorial, which is located in St. Mary the Virgin parish church, Cannon Street, Dover, Kent. Lieutenant Commander Guy Fowell Parsons R.N. of H.M.S. Nigella died on 6 March Another brother Lieutenant Commander Godfrey Crail Parsons R.N. also served in and fortunately survived the Great War. At the time of the 1881 census the Parsons family resided at 2 St. James Street, Dover, Kent. PARSONS, STANLEY JAMES. Serjeant, th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Died 24 December Aged 19. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted London. Resided Sevenoaks, Kent. Son of William and Harriett Parsons of 10, Bartholomew Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II. A. 4. Stanley was a brother of the next casualty commemorated. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. PARSONS, WILLIAM CHARLES. Private, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 20 October Aged 27. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Buckland, Dover, Kent. Son of William and Harriett Parsons of 10, Bartholomew Street Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 2. PATTISON, EDWARD STEPHEN. Leading Seaman, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Pembroke. Died 14 March Aged 39. Born Buckland, Dover, Kent 22 December Son of Frederick and Ellen Pattison of Dover, Kent. Husband of Marion Pattison of 96, Norwich Road, Ipswich, Suffolk. Buried St. James s Cemetery Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: L. V. 15. Served in the Dardanelles onboard H.M.S. Implacable. Awarded Africa General Service Medal with Somaliland Clasp. At the time of the 1881 census Edward and his family were residing at 18 Prospect Place, Buckland, Dover, Kent, on which his father is shown as being a Labourer:- Frederic PATTISON. Aged 27. Born Elham, Kent. Labourer. Ellen PATTISON. Aged 25. Born Dover, Kent. Ellen R. PATTISON. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Edward PATTISON. Aged 4. Born Dover, Kent. Annie H. PATTISON. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. Frederick PATTISON. Aged 3 months. Born Dover, Kent. PEARCE, GEORGE THOMAS. Lance Serjeant, S/172. 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 4 October Aged 46. Husband of Ellen J. Pearce of 9, Union Row, Military Hill, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Mary s New Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: E. J

252 Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. PERRY-AYSCOUGH, HENRY GEORGE CHARLIE. Captain. 4th Battalion, Connaught Rangers attached to the Royal Irish Rifles. Died 25 September Aged 40. Born at the Vicarage, Brabourne, Ashford, Kent 11 November Son of the late Reverend George Booth Perry-Ayscough M.A., F.R.G.S., and the Honourable Emma Sophia Perry-Ayscough (neé Parnell). Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 42. Also commemorated on a private memorial plaque located in Brabourne, Ashford, Kent parish church, where his father, a native of Aylburton, Gloucestershire was the Vicar for a number of years, and was also the Vicar of the adjoining parish of Monks Horton, having previously been the incumbent at Appledore, Kent. Henry was educated at Dover College, Kent, prior to going up to Oxford University where he was awarded a Half Blue in Hockey. He saw war service in Nigeria with the West African Frontier Force and had also served in the South African Campaign (Second Boer War). Having been one of the twelve officers who were Commissioned into the South Cork Light Infantry Militia in In December 1899 the South Cork Light Infantry Militia was embodied for garrison duty at Dover, Kent for the duration of the Second Boer War, but on arrival at Dover volunteered for active service in South Africa. This offer was accepted and they duly arrived at Cape Town, South Africa on 19 March 1900, at the start of their first (and last) overseas deployment. The duties which were undertaken by Henry and his soldiers in South Africa included escorting supply convoys, guarding prisoners, and general garrison duties, during the course of which 3 were killed in action, 6 wounded, and 10 died from disease. Following the Second Boer War, the South Cork Light Infantry Militia returned to Cork in March 1902 and was disembodied. Henry then left the army, and became a Director with the Imperial Chinese Post Office, and in 1912 was promoted to Deputy Postmaster. Published in 1914 by John Land-The Bodley Head, the book With the Russians in Mongolia was co-authored by Henry and Captain R.B. Otter Barry, and is probably what Henry is best remembered for. His parents married on 17 May 1866, his mother being the daughter of Sir Henry William Parnell, 3rd Baron Congleton and Lady Sophia Parnell (nee Bligh). Henry s father died on 31 August 1885 and his mother on 26 November About a year after her husbands demise, Henry s mother moved to reside in Dover, Kent, and the 1891 census shows her living (on her own means) at 94 Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent. Henry was killed by German machine gun fire when his battalion advanced on the enemy from a forward fire trench. ODGW shows Henry as being a member of the Royal Munster Fusiliers. PETTET, WILLIAM. Private, TF/ nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died 25 October Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Buried Vadencourt British Cemetery, Maissemy, Aisne, France. Grave Ref: II. A. 35. Formerly Private, , The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). PETTICREW, ALEXANDER. Private,

253 2nd Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Died 11 July Aged 19. Born Shankhill, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Enlisted Belfast, Northern Ireland Husband of May McCarthy (formerly Petticrew) of 2, Chapel Court, Snargate Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 4 D and 5 B. PHILLIPS, OWEN. Able Seaman, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Bulwark. Died Thursday 26 November Aged 30. Born Loughborough, Leicestershire 5 November Husband of Alice Louisa Gregory (formerly Phillips) of 33, Wyndham Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Panel 2. Commissioned on 11 March 1902, Owens s 15,000 ton battleship, which was one of the ships forming the 5th Battle Squadron had been moored for several days to the No.17 buoy in Kethole Reach on the River Medway, Kent, about 4 miles to the west of Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey. Several members of the ships company who had been given 24 hour leave passes had returned to her by 0700 hours on the morning of 26 November 1914, which meant that she was fully manned after that time. At 0750 hours a massive internal explosion ripped the battleship apart and numerous eyewitnesses stated under oath that H.M.S. Bulwark had been literally lifted out of the water and fell back. The same eyewitnesses (service and civilian)had also made mention that there had been what they described, as a thick cloud of grey smoke and further smaller explosions. When the smoke eventually cleared, the H.M.S. Bulwark had sunk without trace. From the ships complement of 750, only 14 sailors survived, two of whom Private, PO/15744, Gilbert L. Guy, Royal Marine Light Infantry, and Able Seaman, , Walter A. Crow from Portsmouth, Hampshire subsequently died of their injuries on the night of 27/28 November, at the Chatham, Kent Naval Hospital, virtually all of the remaining survivors were seriously injured. On his return from sick-leave Cooks Mate, William Frederick Cooper had the unpleasant task of trying to identify 30 of the bodies of his late shipmates, of their number he successfully identified 14 who now have their graves in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent. From the date of the tragedy and through December 1914 and January 1915 several more bodies of H.M.S. Bulwark s crew were washed up at several locations along the north Kent shoreline. Of those later recovered many fortunately were identified, but inevitably some were not. Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham has 82 graves to unknown ratings from the Great War, they all contain the bodies of crew members from Owens s ship. Twelve lie in individual graves and 70 are in a large communal grave with those from the H.M.S. Irene disaster, also off Sheerness the following year. Of those identified, 67 are buried in Woodlands Cemetery. PHIPPS, CHARLES. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 1 July Aged 30. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Sittingbourne, Kent. Resided Milton Regis, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and face 5 D. 253

254 Please note that this Charles Phipps is not to be confused with the next soldier of (the same regiment) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), and Dover native who is briefly commemorated below. At the time of the 1901 census the Phipps family including Charles and his brother Frederick commemorated below, was residing at 8 Mill Lane, Dover, Kent, where their 37 year old Dover native father who was employed as a Labourer was the Head of the house. PHIPPS, CHARLES. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 13 March Born Charlton, Dover Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Sanctuary Wood, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: II. M. 1. PHIPPS, EDWARD ARTHUR. Private, A Company, 7th (Service) Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment. Died 3 August Aged 29. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 37. Please note the regimental numbers of Edward and James Phipps who probably enlisted together. Commemorated as E PHIPPS on the Dover civic war memorial. PHIPPS, EDWIN WILFRED. Private, G/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 25 September Aged 19. Born Maidstone, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Phipps of 3, Eastholm Mansions, Highbury Road, Westonsuper-Mare, Somerset. Buried Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: VI. G. 65. Also commemorated on Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex civic war memorial and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. PHIPPS, FREDERICK EDWARD. Lance Corporal, nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 5 April Aged 31. Born St. Mary s, Dover Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Buried St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: A Also commemorated on St. Martins School, Dover, Kent Great War commemoration plaque. Please note census details at Frederick s brothers commemoration, he being the first of the two Charles Phipps above. PHIPPS, JAMES WILLIAM. Private, nd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment. Died 21 August Aged 35. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 92 to 93 and 162A. 254

255 Commemorated as J PHIPPS on the Dover civic war memorial. PHIPPS, W.R. Possibly the casualty commemorated below, despite having a different surname to as on CWGC data etcetera. Purely speculation but wonder if his mother had remarried which has led to the clash of surnames and confusion, and for the bulk of his short lifetime the soldier might have been known by his step-fathers surname to all and sundry. It should be mentioned that this scenario has occurred several times during military researches when trying to help relatives of the fallen over the years, and of course when transcribing details for various regiments, authors or websites and the like:- PHIPPS, WILLIAM ROACH? ROACH, WILLIAM. Driver, T4/ th Horse Transport Company, Army Service Corps. Died at sea 27 March Aged 30. Born, Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs Sarah Phipps of 31, Tower Hamlets Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatby Memorial, Egypt. PIDDINGTON, WILLIAM THOMAS. Serjeant, CH/812. Royal Marine Light Infantry. Royal Marine Depot, Deal, Kent. Died 5 February Age 54. Born Woolwich, Kent. Son of William and Susannah Piddington of Woolwich, Kent. Husband of M. A. E. Piddington of 26, Marine Parade, Dover, Kent. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover Kent. Grave Ref: W. K. 9. At the time of the 1881 census, William was serving as a 20 year old unmarried Musician in the Royal Marine Light Infantry, based at the Royal Marine Barracks, Chatham, Kent. On the 1901 census William is shown as being a Military Bandmaster, at which time he resided at 4 Beresford Terrace, Elms Vale Road, Dover, Kent. Having already served for thirty and a half years, William was recalled as a Royal Marine reservist at the onset of hostilities. William underwent an operation at St Bartholomew s Hospital, London in late January 1915, which was initially thought to have not only been successful, but would in the fullness of time lead to his full recovery. Regretably due it would seem to unforeseen complications William relapsed, and died in the early hours of 5 February1915. PIERCE, ALFRED CHARLES HENRY. Private, A Company, 1st Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Died 5 October Aged 28. Son of the late Alfred James Pierce of 1, Edgar Crescent, Buckland, Dover, Kent and the late Eliza Betsey Pierce. Buried Buckland Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: His brother Samuel also fell whilst serving in the same regiment, and is also commemorated on the same panel of the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. PIERCE, ARTHUR EDMUND. Private, TF/ nd/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 19 December Aged

256 Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided River, Dover, Kent. Son of William and Annie Peirce of Brook Villa, River, Dover, Kent. Buried Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Grave Ref: B. 4. Arthur is also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul. PIERCE, SAMUEL. Private, nd Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Died 26 August Aged 24. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of the late Alfred James Pierce of 1, Edgar Crescent, Buckland, Dover, Kent and the late Eliza Betsey Pierce. Buried Amara War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: V. D. 14. PIGGOTT, H. Although there is no clear match for this casualty, the CWGC records eleven possible men comprised of nine British soldiers, one Australian soldier and a Royal Marine. On this occasion the CWGC and SDGW details match and in so doing appear to rule out all nine British soldiers. The Australian casualty has all data relating to that country, as such the man commemorated on the war memorial is possibly:- PIGGOTT, H.F.F. Private, CH/ Royal Marine Light Infantry, H.M.S. Crescent. Died 11 April Buried Dunfermline Cemetery, Fifeshire, Scotland. Grave Ref: ED H.M.S. Crescent was a 7,700 ton Edgar class cruiser which had been in the Portsmouth Division of the Home Fleet, 4th Cruiser Squadron until 1913; she was broken up in PIGGOTT, HENRY WILLIAM. Private, G/5853. D Company, 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 19 April Aged 23. Born Winchelsea, Sussex. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. Sarah Piggott of 11, Ladywell Place, Dover, Kent. Buried La Brique Military Cemetery No.2, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. U. 16. At the time of the 1901 census the Piggott family was residing at 5 New Street, Dover, Kent:- Joseph PIGGOTT. Aged 38. Born Hoxton, London. Dock Labourer. Sarah PIGGOTT. Aged 30. Born Winchelsea, Sussex. Henry PIGGOTT. Aged 9. Born Winchelsea, Sussex. Reginald PIGGOTT. Aged 6. Born Winchelsea, Sussex. Edith PIGGOTT. Aged 4. Born Eastbourne, Sussex. Nellie PIGGOTT. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. PILCHER, CHARLES WALTER. Lance Corporal, th (Service) Battalion, Essex Regiment. Died 26 April Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Hastings, Sussex. Resided St. Leonards, Sussex. 256

257 Buried Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: IV. B. 6. PILCHER, GEORGE H. Private, G/861. 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 8 May Born River, Dover Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. J. Pilcher of 77, Snargate Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. O. 4. PINK, DONALD STUART. Corporal, G/ th (Service) Battalion, (Kent County) Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 2 June Aged 20. Born Ayr, Scotland. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Ernest and Edith Morrison Pink of 26, Fisher Street, Maidstone, Kent. Buried Bailleul Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: II. B Also commemorated on St. Martins School, Dover, Kent civic war memorial. PIPER, THOMAS.WILLIAM HARTLEY. Gunner, nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 5 September Aged 24. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of William and Mary Ann Piper of 62, North Road, Hythe, Kent. Commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq. Panel 3 or 60. Formerly Gunner, 1382, Royal Field Artillery. PODEVIN, GEORGE SIBBIT. Captain. Special List attached to the Southern Nigeria Regiment. Died 2 December Aged 40. Born Dover, Kent Son of Joseph G. and Catherine Podevin. At the time of the 1881 census the Podevin family and household staff resided at 16 Guildford Terrace, Charlton, Dover, Kent, albeit with surname shown as being PODWIN. Joseph G. PODWIN. Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent. Secretary Yacht Club Catherine PODWIN. Aged 24. Born Dover, Kent. George S. PODWIN. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Richard I. PODWIN. Aged 1. Born Dover, Kent. Margaret C. PODWIN. Aged 3 months. Born Dover, Kent. Emma J. HOGBEN. Aged 27. Born Whitstable, Kent. Cook. Eliza A. HOLLIS. Aged 19. Born Sittingbourne, Kent. Nurse. Agnes E. C. WOOD. Aged 17. Born Whitstable, Kent. Housemaid. Although some documentation states that George was killed, the information is possibly erroneous as the following extract under the deaths section of the South Africa Magazine dated 21 December 1918, states:- On December 2, George Sibbit PODEVIN, of pneumonia after influenza, 2nd District Commissioner, and for the last three years 257

258 Political Officer at Bamenda, Cameroons, beloved and only surviving son of the late J. G. PODEVIN and Mrs. PODEVIN, 16, Pembridge Square, London. In view of the South Africa Magazine being so specific, it is probably correct. There are only two casualties commemorated by the CWGC with the surname PODEVIN, one of whom died in the Great War, and is buried in the Podevin family plot at Charlton Cemetery, Dover, Kent. It would seem at first glance that the Kent (probably Dover) native Private CHARLES PODEVIN of the 43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment) was related to the above GEORGE SIBBIT PODEVIN. It was also noted when checking Canadian data that he is commemorated on page 486 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance, and that his mothers Christian name was Catherine, it being the same as the mother on the census, which of course means that George S. and Charles PODEVIN might have actually have been brothers. Checking other web-sites and publications such as Trade Directories has revealed that the Podevin family was quite prominent in Dover, Kent throughout the 1800 s. Pigots Directory of Kent 1840 shows an Ann and Joseph Podevin as the proprietors of the Kings Head Hotel, Clarence Place, South Pier, Dover. George had served in the South African Constabulary between 1901 and 1908, and was an Acting District Commissioner at Ogoja, Nigeria between May and August 1910, later holding the same position at Obudu, Nigeria, prior to being promoted and becoming the first District Officer at Bamenda Division, Cameroons. British civil administration in the Grassfields was established in 1916 by George, from the former German military station in Bamenda, he set out to rally chiefs and to reconfirm the status quo of the German administration. As early as 1916, taxes were increased and customary courts, which would be instrumental in the tax-collection envisioned, revived. In the period , on the whole, there was something of a power vacuum in the Bamenda Division. The lack of a defined colonial policy was exacerbated by the geographical isolation from Lagos and the coastal towns and by staffing problems. As a somewhat impoverished appendage of Nigeria, Cameroon probably never attracted a particularly outstanding group of administrators, and was constantly understaffed. The main problem, however, seems to have been a persistent lack of coherent policy, and may well have been attributed to the political uncertainties following the cessation of the Great War. In July 1917 George inaugurated an Instructional Court in Bamenda, which was an assembly of Chiefs from surrounding communities who were summoned to be instructed in the new native court ordinance and to go on to form the new courts. The membership of the court consisted of 27 Chiefs, with the Fon of Bafut appointed as president and that of Bali Kumbat as vicepresident. If the court were to prove successful then other courts would be established in other parts of the Division. George had served with his regiment as a Transport Officer in the Cameroons during the Great War. PORT, ALBERT GODDARD. Able Seaman. Mercantile Marine. S.S. Achille Adam (London). Died 24 March1917. Aged 24. Born Dover, Kent. Son of the late William and Sarah Port. Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London. Albert was amongst six lost when his 460 ton ship built in 1886, was captured by the German coastal minelayer submarine UC-66 commanded by Herbert Pustkuchen off the 258

259 French coast at a position approximately 30 nautical miles due south of Beachy Head, Sussex, and was sunk by bombs. Four of those lost are commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. It would appear that the deaths of the crew were due to exposure as opposed to the actual sinking of the ship. It is thought that the UC-66 was probably later lost with all the submarines twenty three crew, on 12 June 1917, having been forced to dive by H.M.T. Sea King. After being depth charged, it is suspected that the submarine finally blew up from an internal explosion of her own mines still on board whilst submerged. PORT, CHARLES WILLIAM. M.M. Serjeant, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 8 June Aged 34. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Tower Hamlets, Dover Kent. Husband of A. S. Port of 63, Penfold Road, Folkestone. Kent. Buried Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: VI. E. 75. POTT, DANIEL RICHARD-BARWICK. Shoeing Smith, nd Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Died 19 October Aged 23. Born Dover, Kent 8 July Enlisted (army) and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Daniel and Emma Pott of 80, Glenfield Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Quetta Government Cemetery, Pakistan. Grave Ref: XXXI Commemorated on the Delhi Memorial (India Gate). Face 1. Formerly enlisted as a boy in the Royal Navy, Official Number: J/ POTTER, ERNEST EDWARD. Serjeant, th (Service) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders. Died 8 April Born Hougham, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Aldershot, Hampshire. Buried Faubourg D`Amiens Cemetery, Arras, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II. P. 11. Also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. POTTER, MAURICE WILLIAM. Stoker 1st Class, K387S2. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Pembroke. Died 8 March Aged 28. Born Dover, Kent 19 May Son of John Henry and Fanny Potter of 4, Marine Place, Dover, Kent. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: N. V. 5. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. POTTER, S.T. No clear trace. POWELL, ROBERT GEORGE. Bombardier, th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 19 August Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. 259

260 Buried Jerusalem War Cemetery, Israel. Grave Ref: O. 59. Also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. SDGW records Robert s death as occurring on 19 August In view of his place of burial, the later date is probably correct, as the 195th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery was part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force of , and attached to Chaytor s Force that was commanded by Major General Sir Edward Chaytor. Although the cemetery where Robert is buried was not commenced until after the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917, initially with 270 burials, but casualties were re-interred later in the cemetery from the battlefields and smaller cemeteries in the neighbourhood. PRESCOTT, R No clear trace. PRESCOTT, RICHARD HENRY. Corporal, L/ th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 7 July Born Charlton, Dover Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of the late Richard John and Mary Ann Prescott of 1 Tower Hill, Dover, Kent. Brother of Miss Annie Grace Prescott of 12, Black Lion Lane, Hammersmith, London. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 8 C 9 A or 16 A. Formerly Private, 11024, 3rd (King s Own) Hussars. PRIEST, ALFRED. Rifleman, st Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 14 May Aged 29. Born London. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of the late Alfred Priest and of Ellen Priest. Husband of Susanah Ethel Priest of 7, The Grove, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel and 50, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Prior to being called up as an army Reservist, Alfred had been employed as a Goods Foreman with the South Eastern and Chatham Railway, and is also commemorated on the company war memorial located at the former Dover Marine Station, a brief transcription of which can be found on this website. PULLEN, EDWARD RICHARD HOLTUN. Rifleman, B/ th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 23 March Aged 43. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted London. Resided Walworth, Surrey. Son of John Pullen of 12, Sturry Road, Canterbury, Kent. Husband of Ellen Pullen of 162, Amelia Street, Walworth Road, London. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panel 81 to 84. Formerly Private, S/2/SR/03984, Royal Army Service Corps. It would seem likely that at the time of Edwards s death his mother had probably died, as at the time of the 1901 census the Pullen family was residing at 25 Ladywell Place, Dover, Kent, with Edwards s parents shown as being John and Emily Pullen. 260

261 PURSER, FREDERICK CHARLES. Corporal, th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 5 April Aged 27. Born Buckland, Dover Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Purser. Buried Gezaincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. J. 15. Frederick s parents names were Joseph and Sarah, both were alive at the time of the 1901 census, at which time the family resided at 6 Moneta Cottages, Union Road, Dover, Kent. RAWLINGS, GEORGE. Corporal, G/ st Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 25 September Born Bow, London. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 13 to 15, and on the Christ Church, Dover, Kent memorial. RAYSBROOK, E.A. Is probably the following Dover casualty:- RAYBROOK, ERNEST. Stoker 1st Class, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Russell. Died 28 April Aged 33. Born Dover, Kent 22 August Buried Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery. Grave Ref: Protestant 316. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. The grave location within the cemetery is somewhat apt as at his enlistment Ernest stated his religious denomination as Church of England, and gave his civilian occupation as a Builders Labourer. H.M.S. Russell a 14,000 Duncan class battleship was mined off the coast of Malta the day before Ernest died, it would appear that he succumbed to his injuries the day after the explosion and was amongst in excess of 100 of the ships company who died. READER, F. Based on the various county of Kent connections the following casualty is the best match so far obtained, regrettably no place of residence is shown in/on SDGW:- READER, FRANK. Serjeant, st/3rd Kent Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died at sea 28 October Born and enlisted Tonbridge, Kent. Commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey. Panel 23 to 25 or 325 to 328. READER, PERCIVAL STANLEY. 16, Private. D Squadron, 7th (The Princess Royal s) Dragoon Guards. Died 21 December Aged 27. Born Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of William Nicholas Reader and Clara Jane Reader of 13, Buckland Avenue, Dover, Kent. 261

262 Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 1, and on the 7th (The Princess Royal s) Dragoon Guards, Great War Regimental Memorial in Norwich Cathedral, Norfolk. On the night of 20/21 December 1914 whilst at Gorre, Pas de Calais, France the 7th (The Princess Royal s) Dragoon Guards suffered several casualties, comprised of an officer and three other ranks killed, two officers and twenty four other ranks wounded, and nine other ranks posted as missing, Percival being one of the nine missing having been wounded, he was a brother of the following casualty, and possibly also a brother of the last casualty commemorated. READER, REGINALD EDWARD. Rifleman, S/ st Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 17 May Aged 31. Born Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Enlisted Brighton, Sussex. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of William Nicolas and Clara Jane Reader. Husband of Phoebe Clara Reader (neé Sharp) of 11, Western Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Buried Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: XVIII. N. 23. Formerly Rifleman, R/30199, King s Royal Rifle Corps, during which time Reginald was attached to the Royal Flying Corps. Reginald is also commemorated on a Great War memorial plaque located in the church of St. John the Evangelist, Burgess Hill, Sussex, where Reginald and his wife Phoebe had been members of the congregation when residents of Burgess Hill. He is also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. REDGATE, GEORGE WILLIAMS , Artificer Engineer. Royal Navy. H.M.S. Racoon. Died 9 January Aged 42. Born Dover, Kent 23 September Son of John and Mary Ann Redgate. Husband of Helena Redgate of 1, Ella Road, Crouch Hill, London. Buried St Peter & St Paul churchyard, River, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: New ground, 285 (at west end). George is also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul near his grave. At the time of the 1881 census the Redgate family was residing at 3 Elizabeth Street, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent:- John REDGATE. Aged 44. Born Poland, (British Subject). Engineer Pattern Maker Mary Ann REDGATE. Aged 45. Born London, Middlesex. John REDGATE. Aged 15. Born London, Middlesex. Teacher Emily REDGATE. Aged 13. Born Southwark, Surrey. Mary A. REDGATE. Aged 12. Born Southwark, Surrey. George REDGATE. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Christine REDGATE. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Gertrude REDGATE. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. 262

263 Henry CRISP. Aged 38. Born Cosgrove, Northamptonshire. Engineer. (Lodger). William H. PRICE. Aged 18. Born Dover, Kent. Engine Fitter. (Lodger). Built by Cammell Laird shipbuilders in 1910, H.M.S. Racoon was a 950 ton Beagle class destroyer. At the time of her loss she was commanded by 37 year old Glaswegian, Lieutenant George L.M. Napier, R.N. During the early hours of 9 January 1918 the destroyer was en-route from Liverpool to Lough Swilly to take up anti-submarine, and convoy duties in the Atlantic Northern Approaches. In heavy sea conditions and while experiencing snow blizzards, she struck rocks at the Garvan Isles, and sank with the loss of all 91 hands onboard off Malin Head, Donegal, Ireland. REEDER, ROBERT. Captain (and Flight Commander). Royal Flying Corps, and 10th Battalion, Manchester Regiment (Territorial Force). Died 6 January Aged 24. Son of Captain R. J. Reeder (Royal Engineers) and Lilian Maud Reeder of 19A, Emmanuel Road, Balham, London. Buried Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension No.1, Somme, France. Grave Ref: IV. A. 12. REEVE, W, D'ARCY. Best match is the following casualty:- REEVE, CHARLES D'ARCY EDMUND WENTWORTH. Captain. Royal Flying Corps. Died 18 July Aged 21. Born Owsden, Suffolk. Son of Mr. Charles Sydney Wentworth Reeve and Beatrice Reeve of Thorpe Satchville, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire and Livermere Park, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Buried Great Livermere (St. Peter) Churchyard, Suffolk. Grave Ref: North of Church. Formerly Second Lieutenant/Temporary Captain, Suffolk Regiment. Charles was a former student of Wye Agricultural College near Ashford, Kent, where he is numbered amongst the 127 Great War fallen who are commemorated at the College. Charles is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Charles was a brother of career soldier, Major-General John Talbot Wentworth Reeve, C.B, C.B.E, D.S.O. ( ), who served during the Great War in the Rifle Brigade and the Machine Gun Corps. REEVES, EDWARD. Gunner, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 17 September Aged 33. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. G. R. Reeves of Dover, Kent. Husband of Mrs. H. E. S. Reeves of 2, Victoria Dwellings, Dover, Kent. Edward is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Buried Heath Cemetery, Harbonnières, Somme, France. Grave Ref: IX. C. 7. REEVES, MICHAEL BRIDGELAND. Private,

264 2nd Regiment, South African Infantry. Died 15 December Aged 43. Born South Mimms, Middlesex c1875. Son of Mrs. Mary Thornton Reeves of London. Husband of Minnie Reeves of 25, Leathern Road, Durban, South Africa. Buried Fins New British Cemetery, Sorel-Le-Grand, Somme, France. Grave Ref: III. B. 19. At the time of the 1881 census the family was residing at 25 White Lion Street, London, Middlesex:- C.R. REEVES. Aged 33. Born Sutton, Kent. Dairyman Mary T. REEVES. Aged 36. Born Netteswell, Essex. Gertrude M. REEVES. Aged 11. Born Otham, Kent. Leslie T.F. REEVES. Aged 10. Born Epping, Essex. Hugh REEVES. Aged 9. Born Epping, Essex. Michael B. REEVES. Aged 6. Born South Mims, Middlesex. B.E.M. REEVES. Aged 3. Born Spitalfields, Middlesex. W.K. REEVES. Aged 1. Born Spitalfields, Middlesex. By the time of the 1901 census, elements of the family (including Michael) resided at 13 Barton Gardens, Dover, Kent. REID, ALBERT VICTOR. Gunner, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 27 March Aged 19. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Reid of 181, London Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: P. VII. F. 2A. Formerly Gunner, , Royal Garrison Artillery. (Kent Territorials). RICH, FREDERICK. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, (Lambeth) The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 3 October Born Shorncliffe, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. B. 28. Formerly Private, 30601, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Also commemorated on St. Martins School, Dover, Kent civic war memorial. RICHARDS, EDWIN JAMES. Private, Machine Gun Corps. (Infantry). Died 23 April Born Temple Ewell, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Brother of Mr. F. C. Richards of 4, Cecil Cottages, Westbere, Sturry, Canterbury. Kent. Buried Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: IX. A. 20. Formerly Private, 8424, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Also commemorated on Temple Ewell, Dover, Kent civic war memorial. 264

265 RICHARDSON, CHARLES WILLIAM. Gunner, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 29 November Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. I. 13. RICHARDSON, EDWARD. Lance Corporal, th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Died 14 April Aged 19. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Annie Richardson of 8, West Mount Terrace, Priory Hill, Dover, Kent. and the late Francis Fox Richardson. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panel 28 or 29. Whilst located at a position near the village of Mesnil-Martinsart on the banks of the river Ancre on the Somme, and probably as the direct result of the officer casualties to Edward s battalion, as was the case in virtually every other British Empire battalion on the Western Front, since the commencement of the German Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918, on 9 April 1918 Captain R.B. Knight assumed command of the battalion. The following day a pair of Subalterns joined on the battalion on their first appointment, they being Second Lieutenant s W. Mathieson and W.F.Turney, whose first move to the front occurred only the next day when the battalion went into the line south of Mesnil- Martinsart and relieved the 2nd Battalion, Royal Marine Light Infantry. Whilst at the front line position, on 12 April, 21 year old Second Lieutenant Charles Lovatt M.C., who was on attachment from the Northumberland Fusiliers was killed and Captain H.P. McConway and Second Lieutenant H. Reeve were wounded. Whilst all the action was going on, Captain T.C. Bell, Lieutenant s R.B. Peddie and R.M. Simpson, Second Lieutenant s W.G. Birnie and A.C. Barton joined the officer strength of Edward s battalion. The following day 3 other ranks deaths occurred, and Edward was numbered amongst the 10 other rank deaths to his battalion on 14 April Despite the carnage all around, including deaths, woundings and changes of positioning and the like, the battalion diarist to his credit still managed to record the notifications of Military Medals to five members of the battalion. Although it would seem none of those awarded the M.M. had any Dover, Kent connection, in view of the fact that the diarist had taken the trouble entering them, combined with the fact Edward would doubtless of known them, and may indeed have been friends with same or been involved in the actions for which the recipients had gained recognition, they have also been added here:- Private, 23352, Bunyan G, Bar to M.M., and first award to Serjeant, 6663 Marks W.G. Lance Corporal, 14124, Batchelor W. Lance Corporal,12123 Le Gros P. Private, Auburn W.E. Regrettably, on 28 August 1918, the then Serjeant William Batchelor M.M. was killed in action. RICHARDSON, RICHARD JOHN. Private, st/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 21 September

266 Born Guston, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Grave Ref: D. 17. RICHARDSON, WALTER ALLAN. Corporal, nd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. Died 30 October Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Waterside, Londonderry, Ireland. Eldest son of Pipe-Major and Mrs Richardson of 16 Selbourne Terrace, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 19 or 33. RICHES, WILLIAM. VICTOR. Private, st Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. Died 16 September Aged 25. Son of James Riches of 57, Crabble Hill, Dover, Kent. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Crabble Hill, Dover, Kent. Buried A.I.F. Burial Ground, Flers, Somme, France. Grave Ref: III. A. 29. RIGDEN, GEORGE. Lance Corporal, L/ nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 2 December Aged 20. Born Buckland, Dover Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mrs. M. Rigden of 28, Limekiln Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Buckland Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: F. 34. ROBERTS, A H. As commemorated on both the Dover, Kent civic war memorial and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent, was possibly:- ROBERTS, ARTHUR BERTRAM HOWARD. M.M. Private, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 2 December Aged 24. Born Athlone, County Roscommon, Ireland. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Arthur John Howard Roberts, and the late Edith Roberts. Commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Nord, France. Panel 3. Arthur was one of three brothers who served during the Great War; their father was Q.M.S., A.J.H. Roberts, of the 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). On both the Dover, Kent war memorials (if commemorated), Arthur is shown with his middle initial missing. On The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Great War deaths Nominal Roll and on the record of the regiments recipients of the Military Medal, Arthur is shown devoid of his last initial. An alternative commemoration appears to be the following soldier who matches exactly the Dover, Kent civic war memorial inscription, and who is buried in Dover. As it has not been possible to distinguish which of the two casualties is the soldier who is actually commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, both have been added to the roll of tributes/commemorations on this website, of those who lost their lives during or resultant of both world wars, who clearly should all be properly honoured on the Borough civic war memorial. 266

267 ROBERTS, ARTHUR HAROLD. Private, M2/ No. 1 Reserve M.T. Depot, Army Service Corps. Died 5 May Born and resided Alton, Hampshire. Enlisted Grove Park. Buried St. Mary s New Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: F. L. 5. ROBERTS, Isaac. Pioneer, Royal Engineers. Died 9 May Aged 54. Husband of Elizabeth Roberts of 4, Albany Flats, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Mary s New Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: C. I. 9. In view of Isaac s age when he died and where he is buried, it was surprising to find a matching MIC entry for him. ROBINSON, CHARLES EUGENE BARNES. Major. 117th Mahrattas, (Indian Army). Died 27 September1915. Aged 43. Commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq. Panel 50. On the 1915 Army List Charles is shown as a Double Company Commander. Brief mention should be made of Charles s regiment during the Great War notably in Mesopotamia where he is buried. The true fighting qualities of the Marathas were discovered during the long drawn out Mesopotamia campaign. Three Mahratta battalions the 103rd, 114th and 117th distinguished themselves during the ferocious battles that took place throughout the campaign. At times losing half of their officers and other ranks in casualties, but never lost an inch of ground or failed to capture the objectives which had been assigned to them. The conduct and exceptional bravery of the 114th Mahrattas in the Battle of Sharquat resulted in them being award 28 gallantry awards, the highest earned by any unit for a single action. ROBINSON, H P. No clear trace. ROGERS, GEORGE. Private, S/418. 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 24 May Born Paris, France. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 12 or 14, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. George was a recalled reservist who had previously served with his regiment in India. ROUSE, ALBERT CHARLES. D.C.M. Lieutenant. Mentioned in Despatches. Worcestershire Regiment, attached to the 32nd Signal Company Royal Engineers. Died 20 March Aged 26. Son of Charles and Caroline Rouse of Maidstone, Kent. Husband of Annie Rouse (neé Small) of 30, York Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Millencourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Grave Ref: A

268 Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Serjeant, 23419, Royal Engineers Signal Company, in which he was serving when awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, and Mentioned in Despatches. RUSSELL, HARRY. Lance Corporal, D Company, 4th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died 29 June1918. Aged 20. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of William John and Ellen Annie Russell of 80, Oswald Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Couin New British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: E. 7. SABEY, FRANK. Private, st/14th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Scottish). Died 25 September Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted London. Son of Brunel and Helen Sabey. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 132, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial, Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census, 6 year old Frank resided with his parents at 4 St. Margaret s Place, Dover, Kent. SAIT, ALBERT GORDON REED. Lance Corporal, nd Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Died 28 August Aged 27. Born Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Sait of Clarendon Place, Dover, Kent. Buried Reninghelst New Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: V. B. 8. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. SAMBROOK, CECIL DAVID JOHN. Private, C/4519. King s Royal Rifle Corps. It has not been possible to access any other form of commemoration for this casualty other than Dover, Kent civic war memorial. He was probably former Private Cecil D. J. Sambrook (as shown above) and is almost certainly the man shown on the 1901 census for Dover, Kent who was born c1885. At the time of the census he was residing with his parents John and Elizabeth Sambrook at Pier Cottage, Strond Street, Dover, Kent, and was employed as an Assistant Stores Keeper. As Cecil is probably the casualty commemorated on the Dover civic war memorial, it is likely that his death was Great War related occurring between 1921 and before the final compilation of the names of the dead for inclusion on the war memorial. It would of course explain the reason for being unable to ascertain any commemoration details via the CWGC website. In much the same way that SDGW for the most part stops at 11 November 1918, and is probably why Cecil has no entry in/on same. Whilst normally erring on the side of caution, on this occasion feel with a fair degree of certainty that the casualty is the above former soldier as above who also has a matching MIC entry as set out above. 268

269 SAMWAYS, ALBERT HENRY. Stoker 1st Class, K/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Invincible. Died 31 May Aged 26. Born Wareham, Dorsetshire 18 March Son of Mr. and Mrs. Samways of Wareham, Dorset. Husband of Alice Stockney (formerly Samways) of 67, Bulwark Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Panel 19. Also commemorated on Wareham, Dorset civic war memorial, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Albert lost his life along with 1,015 others aboard the 20,135 ton battlecruiser H.M.S. Invincible, her Captain Arthur Lindsay Cay RN was amongst those lost and is also commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. Various commentators and authors have made similar observations and comments regarding the loss of Albert s ship describing the salvos fired by the German Kaiserliche Marine battlecruiser s SMS Derfflinger and SMS Lützow as being lucky shots. Before she exploded H.M.S. Invincible had inflicted serious damaged on the 30,700 ton SMS Lützow to such an extent that she was scuttled, but not before firing a salvo at her attacker in unison with SMS Derfflinger. Albert s ship received a direct hit from SMS Lützow to Q gun-turret which blew part of it, including the roof over the side of the ship; another struck her below the water-line which exploded in her magazine which broke the ship in two. Only 6 are recorded as having survived the loss of H.M.S. Invincible on 31 May SANDHAM, LEISTER HENRY. Lance Corporal, C Company, 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. Died 25 September Aged 31. Born Portsea, Hampshire. Enlisted Portsmouth, Hampshire. Resided Dover, Kent Husband of Ellen Sandham of 21, Kitchener Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: III. A. 1A. SARSONS, JAMES ALEXANDER GEORGE. Private, th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died 25 September1917. Aged 34. Son of Mrs. Helen Sarsons. Born St. Andrews, Middlesex. Enlisted Aldershot, Hampshire. Resided Dover, Kent. Buried Westouter Churchyard and Extension, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: II. C. 14. F Formerly Private, 5474, Dragoon Guards. James MIC Machine Gun Corps entry shows (Cavalry) as opposed to his CWGC commemoration as above (Infantry). SAUNDERS, G. Although there is only a single commemoration matching this casualty as commemorated, two Dover natives were revealed during the research process of the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. The first was accessed sometime in the spring of 2003, and the other on Boxing Day, the latter being purely the result of a chance remark. Both 269

270 casualties have been entered below although it is obviously not clear which man is actually commemorated on the Dover civic war memorial, although both clearly should have been. The men concerned are set out in the reverse order to which they came to light, simply because one was a member of the Royal Navy (senior service). Rest assured however no disrespect for either of the following men or their families is intended or inferred by the sequence as set out below. SAUNDERS, GEORGE. Air Mechanic 1st Class, F/ Royal Naval Air Service. H.M.S. City of Oxford. Died 12 April Aged 22. Born Dover, Kent 19 December Son of Mr. J. B. Saunders of 284, London Road, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Mary s New Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: D At the time of the 1901 census a 7 year old George Saunders was residing at 4 Cowgate Hill, Dover, Kent with his parents John B Saunders and Alice Saunders. In view of date matches regarding birth, census, death, and fathers initials and name, it would appear that the 7 year old George Saunders on the census entry is also the 22 year old who died on 12 April SAUNDERS, GEORGE. Private, nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Died 19 December Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Deal, Kent. Commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 2 or 3, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. In addition to the 1901 census entry which appears to be the last casualty briefly commemorated above, another George Saunders, aged 1 at the time of the same census was residing at the Lord Roberts, 75 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent, with his parents George and Kathleen Saunders. Unfortunately no family details were added to the I/CWGC commemoration details of this soldier. Based on the above details, it might be that he had enlisted under age? SAUNDERS, JOHN BAKER. Private, 3/ st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment. Died 8 May Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 36 or 55, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Probably John is the 12 year old boy shown as John B Saunders on the 1901 census, at which time he was residing with his 46 year old widowed (Dressmaker) mother Fanny Saunders at St. Georges Cottage, 27 Caroline Place, Dover, Kent. In addition to John, his mother had two other children living at home at the time of the census. SAUNDERS, LEONARD THEODORE. Private, th Mobile Dental Unit, Royal Army Medical Corps. Died 12 December Aged

271 Son of Alfred and Ann S. Saunders of 34, Primrose Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Kortrijk (St. Jan) Communal Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: B. 2. SAUNDERS, WILLIAM CHARLES RICHARD. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 26 September1915. Aged 23. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Eliza and the late William Saunders. Husband of Rose Brown (formerly Saunders) of 17, Woodstock Road, Bedford Park, Chiswick, London. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15 to 19. SAVAGE, FREDERICK. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 19 March Aged 28. Born Temple Ewell, Dover Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided River, Dover Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Savage of 4, Dublin Cottages, River, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15 to 19. Frederick is also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul.. SAYER, JAMES BENJAMIN. Private, nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Quebec Regiment). Died 9 October Aged 28. Born London 5 November Enlisted Montréal, Quebec, Canada 18 July Resided at 563 University Street, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. Son of Mrs. Emma Sayer of 6 Dour Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Queant Communal Cemetery British Extension, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: D. 19. James is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial, Dover, Kent, and on page 497 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance. Before emigrating to Canada, where he was employed as a Chauffer, James had served for a 3 year term in the 4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), probably in H Company which was based at Dover. In Canada James continued his part-time military commitments and served in a Militia unit of the 5th Regiment, Royal Highlanders of Canada. SCARLETT, EDWARD. Engine Room Artificer 1st Class, Royal Navy. H.M. Submarine E24. Died 27 March Aged 33. Born Dover, Kent 22 July Son of the late Edward and Maria Scarlett of Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 17. On the morning of 21 March 1916 the submarine E24 which was commanded by Lieutenant-Commander George W.E. Naper R.N, on which Edward and another Dovorian, former boy sailor Charles Hood were serving, sailed from Harwich, Essex for 271

272 mine-laying operations at Heligoland Bight. On the morning of 27 April 1916 whilst on surface passage in the North Sea off Heligoland, the submarine hit a mine and sank. In 1973 most of the hull of H.M. Submarine E24 was accidentally salvaged, and a year later in July 1974 what then remained of the wreck was raised from the seabed. From the wreck of the submarine the remains of 25 unidentified submariners were removed, which were interred in Hamburg Cemetery, Germany. Edward s submarine was the first of the E class to be built specifically for minelaying operations; she was launched by Vickers shipbuilders at Barrow in Furness on 9 December 1915 and completed on 10 January Pre 1974 various commentators had given two totally different reasons for the loss of the E24, the first being the mined version, and the other as having been torpedoed by an enemy vessel. When various military and civilian naval experts viewed the 1916 inflicted damage to the recovered E24, all independently agreed that her loss was as the result of having been mined. SCOTT, A. No clear trace. Probably the casualty commemorated on the Dover civic war memorial, who is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial. Had a death which was Great War related occurring between 31 August 1921 and before the final compilation of the names of the dead for inclusion on the civic war memorial, it would of course explain the reason for being unable to ascertain any commemoration details via the CWGC website. SCOTT, D. No clear trace. Please see the above comments which also apply to this casualty. SCUTT, SYDNEY FRANK. Lance Corporal, G/ th Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 11 October1918. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Charles Savage Scutt and Ellen Scutt of 2, Stanhope Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 3, and on the former Congregational Church, Dover, Kent, war memorial. At the time of the 1901 census the Scutt family was residing at 14 Queen Street, Dover, Kent. Dover native Charles Scutt, a 37 year old Police Serjeant was the Head of the house and had 8 children at the time. SEDGEWICK, C. As commemorated on the war memorial is probably:- SEDGWICK, CHARLES FREDERICK. Private, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 15 September Born St. Mary s, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 D. At the time of the 1901 census, a five year old Charles Sedgwick was residing with his parents Joseph and Georgina Sedgwick at Chapel Court, Chapel Place, Dover, Kent. The Battle of the Somme 1916 was a month old before the 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) arrived at the village of Amplier to the south east of Doullens on 8 August 1916, having travelled from Poperinghe on the Ypres Salient, Belgium. When the 272

273 battalion arrived on the Somme, it was commanded by Major Herbert Walter Green of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, who was a native of Watford, Hertfordshire, and a former officer (Captain) in the West African Field Force. On being placed in command of the battalion he was made a Temporary Lieutenant Colonel. It was sad to note during researches for this brief tribute to Charles, that his Commanding Officer later became a Brevet Lieutenant Colonel and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, but had been mortally wounded whilst attached to The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment), and died on New Years Eve 1918, aged 40. After marching and camping at Puchevillers and Acheux, the battalion first went into front line trenches on the Somme to the south of Beaumont Hamel on 9 August. Several more moves were made by the battalion over the six weeks leading up to the events of 15 September 1916, which on that date was an attack mounted on an enemy position named the Quadrilateral, which was a strong defensive construction situated near Bouteaux Wood The 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) advanced at 0635 hours in support of the 8th (Service) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, which advanced a quarter of an hour before Charles s battalion, and was commanded by Colonel Lord Henry Scott. Both of the battalions which were in the 16th Brigade, 6th Division were checked during the attack by heavy German machine gun fire and suffered many casualties. An unfortunate sequence of events had added to the casualty rolls of both battalions for the day. At 0600 hours heavy artillery opened slow barrage on a line from Morval Les Boeufs. At Zero Hour (0620 hours) an intense artillery barrage opened, which was fell short where three of the Bedfordshire Regiments companies were drawn up for the attack in shell holes. This mistake caused many casualties. To add to the chaos, Tanks which had been assigned to take part in the attack failed to materialize, and the position which was being assaulted was not heavily shelled prior to the attack. Although later re-enforced by the 2nd Battalion, York & Lancaster Regiment, which was also a battalion of the 16th Brigade, 6th Division, it was clear that the situation was getting worse as time wore on, and the other battalion in the brigade, it being the 1st Battalion, King s Shropshire Light Infantry which was held in reserve was not called forward. The 16th Brigade Commander ordered his battalions to withdraw to their original trenches to be held, and await further orders. During the night of 15/16 September the 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was withdrawn to a trench complex running to the south east of the village of Guillemont where it allowed for a roll call to be taken. Many officers and other ranks were unable to answer the call as three officers and one hundred and twenty three other ranks had lost their lives on 15 September In addition to those lost fourteen officers, and one hundred and eighty three other ranks were wounded, some of whom later succumbed to their woundings. SEDGWICK, EDWARD. Corporal, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 23 April Son of Walter and Ethel Sedgwick of 21, Albany Place, Dover, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: I. H. 24. Petty Officer Stoker Walter Sedgwick who shares Edward s grave was a brother; both are also commemorated on the St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Inexplicably, Walter who died on 13 December 1918, aged 38 is not commemorated with his brother or the other Sedgwick s on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, despite being 273

274 a native of the town, as he was born in Dover on 24 April 1880, his parents still resided there, and he is at rest with his brother in one of the Dover cemeteries, unbelievable! SEDGEWICK, ERNEST CHARLES. Private, L/ nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 28 September Born Buckland, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15 or 19, and also commemorated on St. Martins School, Dover, Kent civic war memorial. SEDGWICK, FREDERICK. Petty Officer Stoker, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Tirade (G80). Died 10 November Aged 39. Born Charlton, Dover, Kent 6 November Husband of S. Sedgwick of 8, Percival Terrace, Folkestone Road, Dover Kent. Buried Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent. Grave Ref: Naval At the time of the 1881 census the Sedgwick family were residing at 1 Edred Road, Charlton, Dover, Kent:- John E. SEDGWICK. Aged 37. Born Whitstable, Kent. Shipwright. Rosetta SEDGWICK. Aged 27. Born London, Middlesex. Anna SEDGWICK. Aged 9. Born Dover, Kent. John E. SEDGWICK. Aged 8. Born Dover, Kent. Arthur SEDGWICK. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Grace SEDGWICK. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Frederick SEDGWICK. Aged 1. Born Dover, Kent. Frederick s ship which had a crew of 82 was a modified 1,173 ton R class destroyer which served as part of the Grand Fleet and Harwich Force; she survived the Great War and was sold for scrap in November SERGEANT, FREDERICK WILLIAM BARTEN. Trooper, Household Battalion. Died 11 October Aged 31. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted London. Husband of Bertha Agnes Sergeant of 5, Salisbury Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 3. The altar rails in Holy Trinity Parish and Garrison Church, Trinity Place, Windsor, Berkshire were put up in memory of those of the Household Battalion who fell in the Great War, and were unveiled on 6 October 1921 by Lieutenant Colonel W. Porter, M.V.O. Due to the confusion which Frederick s unit very often generates, which relatives of its former members, or others face when trying to glean information about same, it seemed prudent to add very abridged details here. The Household Battalion was formed on 1 September 1916 at Knightsbridge Barracks, London, as an infantry battalion with its personnel drawn from the Household Cavalry Reserve Regiments. On 9 November 1916 the Household Battalion landed in France, and on 17 November 1916 it was attached to the 10th Brigade, 4th Division. After spending all of its time on the Western 274

275 Front, it was disbanded in France on 10 February Following the disbandment drafts of both officers and other ranks were sent to various other units, but primarily to the Household Cavalry and regiments of the five Foot Guards. As if to help compound the confusion for relatives or other interested parties was the Reserve Household Battalion, which was formed about September 1916, this battalion was stationed at Windsor until being disbanded early in 1918, prior to which it constantly supplied drafts to the Household Battalion in France. Having been asked for help at various times by a number of people and organizations regarding commemoration of a member of Frederick s unit it has become patently clear over recent years, following the introduction of the excellent and timesaving C.D., Soldiers Died in the Great War on which the Household Battalion is shown as being: - Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line. Including Yeomanry and Imperial Camel Corps. A gentleman residing in Surrey who made contact a few years ago requesting help/information, was horrified to learn that the information which he had paid to a professional full time researcher some time earlier turned out to be erroneous, and having from that time proudly told all and sundry that his grandfather had served during the Great War in the Household Battalion of the Imperial Camel Corps. SERGEANT, HARRY VENNER. Serjeant, D Coy. 1st/15th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Prince of Wales s Own Civil Service Rifles). Died 13 October1915. Aged 27. Born Charlton, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Somerset House. Resided Fulham. Son of Frederick John and Mary Ann Barten Sergeant of 20, Park Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Dud Corner Cemetery, Loos, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: V. G. 10. SHARMAN, HARRY. Serjeant, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 21 July1916. Aged 38. Born and resided Colchester, Essex. Enlisted Warley, Essex. Husband of Emma Annie Sharman of 57, Oswald Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L`Abbe, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. C. 13. Also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. In view of SDGW details re place of and residence, probably Harry s is the Sharman family that are shown on the 1881 census residing at The Heath, Weeley, Essex which is equidistant of Colchester and Clacton on Sea, Essex:- John SHARMAN. Aged 40. Born Essex. Agricultural Labourer. Eliza SHARMAN. Aged 29. Born Weeley, Essex. Emily SHARMAN. Aged 9. Born Little Clacton, Essex. Jane SHARMAN. Aged 9. Born Little Clacton, Essex. Annie SHARMAN. Aged 5. Born Weeley, Essex. Harry SHARMAN. Aged 3. Born Weeley, Essex. Minnie SHARMAN. Aged 1. Born Weeley, Essex. SHARP, EDWARD SYDNEY HENRY. Rifleman, th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade. 275

276 Died 27 June Aged 19. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Alice Annie Sharp of 5, Sidney Terrace, Malvern Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Mendinghem Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: 2. E. 30. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census Edward was residing with his 34 year old mother and her six other siblings, at 35 Albany Place, Dover, Kent. Edward was a brother of the Second World War, heroic Dovorian member of the French Resistance, William Sharp ( ), who has a road in Calais named in his honour and rememberance. SHARP, ERNEST ALFRED. Private, nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Died 22 April Aged 20. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Sharp of 1, Alfred Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 45 or 46. Formerly Private, 18876, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). At the time of the 1901 census the family was residing at the above address, with 40 year old Dover native Thomas W. Sharp as the Head of the house. SHARP, STANLEY ERNEST, Second Lieutenant. Somerset Light Infantry. Died 20 October Commemorated on the Tehran Memorial, Iran. Central Column, Panel 2. Formerly Lance Corporal, (The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), and Lance Corporal 563 Somerset Light Infantry. SHEPPARD. FREDERICK ALBERT STANLEY. Painter 1st Class, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Invincible. Died 31 May Aged 30. Born Dover, Kent 13 October Husband of Ellen Louisa Sheppard of 7, Lubeck Street, Battersea, London. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Panel 20. At the time of the1901 census, Frederick was probably the boy residing with his parents at 14 Perceval Street, Dover, Kent. If it is him, it would appear that he was following in his fathers footsteps later in life in view of his trade. On the census Frederick s father Albert Sheppard is recorded as being a House Painter. SHERREN, ARTHUR OSWALD. Captain. 4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) (The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 August Aged 38. Born Lambeth, Surrey. c1880. Son of the late Frederick G. and Ellie K. Sherren. Husband of Bessie Jane Sherren (nee Payne) of 118, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel

277 Formerly Corporal, H Company, 4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) (The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). At the time of the 1881 census the Sherren family was residing at Milkwood Villa, 132 Lowden Road, Lambeth, Surrey:- Frederick G. SHERREN. Aged 31. Born Weymouth, Dorsetshire. Excise Branch Officer, Inland Revenue (CS Officer). Emma K. SHERREN. Aged 31. Born Hackney, Middlesex. Mary C. SHERREN. Aged 9. Born Weymouth, Dorset. Alice SHERREN. Aged 6. Born Limington, Somerset. Arthur SHERREN. Aged 1. Born Lambeth, Surrey. Henry J. COURTNEY. Aged 36. Born Sonton, Hampshire. Commercial Clerk (East India Mess Officers). Boarder. Sarah J. SPITTS. Aged 25. Born Netherton, Worcestershire. General Servant Domestic. Prior to the Great War, Arthur was an active and enthusiastic member of both the Dover Rifle Club, and the Dover, Kent based H Company, 4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) (The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). His name features several times on the regimental shooting records, and was a proficient and talented marksman with several types of small arms weapons. Having been commisioned and remaining in his Dover based unit, by the time of the start of the Great War he was the Commanding Officer, remaining with the same battalion, in 1915 he was appointed the Adjutant of the battalion. The following is an extract from the Dover Express:- It is with deep regret that we have to record the death of Captain A. O. Sherren, of the Buffs, who was killed by a shell on August 3rd. Captain A. O. Sherren, when the war broke out, was in command of the Dover Company of the 4th Buffs. He was 37 years of age, and was educated at Dover College, and afterwards became a pupil of Mr H. E. Stilgoe, the Borough Engineer and Surveyor, and afterwards he was Assistant Engineer and Surveyor of Dover till 1906, when he was appointed Surveyor to the Cheriton District Council. He was one of the earliest members of the Dover Rifle Club, and subsequently joined the Territorials, and rose to the rank of corporal. Offered a commission in his Battalion, he accepted it, and before very long he attained the rank of captain, and was placed in command of the Dover Company. After the war broke out he was engaged in coast defence work, and was a Director of Coast Defences, ranking as a major, and was at Lowestoft during the bombardment. He went to France in April last. An officer has written to Mrs Sherren as follows: - It was while in command of my Company that your husband's portion of the line was subjected to the heaviest shelling from the enemy. He went out to see exactly what the situation was, when he was suddenly struck by a piece of shell. His death was instantaneous and in consequence there was no pain. We buried him as best we could where he fell. Your husband was one of the most popular and dearest officers in the Battalion. No one had anything but the very best opinion of him. The greatest sympathy will be extended to Mrs Sherren and her three children who are left. Mrs Sherren was a daughter of the late Captain Payne, formerly Commandant of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway Marine Service. Previous to the war Captain Sherren, by being frequently attached to Regular Battalions at Shorncliffe, had made himself a very efficient soldier, and he was also a fine rifle shot, and a very good revolver shot, and on more than one occasion won the Battalion championship. At the Cheriton Urban District Council meeting last week, 277

278 the Chairman alluded to the deeply regretted news of the death in action, on August 3rd, of Captain A. O. Sherren, the Surveyor and Sanitary Inspector to the Council. He remarked that Captain Sherren had held that office under the Council since 1906, and during the whole period of his employment up tot he outbreak of war, had filled his position with an efficiency which left nothing to be desired; and the work which he performed, no matter how arduous, was always carried out willingly and conscientiously, and to the entire satisfaction, not only of the Council, but of the general public. The speaker added that, personally, he entertained for Captain Sherren feelings of admiration and personal regard, and on hearing the news, he felt that he had lost a personal friend, as well as the Council being deprived of the services of a valuable official. He moved that a letter be sent expressing the heartfelt sympathy of the members of the Council with Mrs Sherren, and members of the deceased officer s family. Mr Foster, Mr Quested, and Mr G J Taylor, also, in paying warm tributes to Captain Sherren, voiced the esteem and regard in which he was universally held; and the motion, which was seconded by Councillor Kindness, was carried unanimously in silence. SHERREN, HUGH GODWIN. Major. Royal Army Medical Corps. Died 28 February 1920 Aged 37. Born Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. Frederick G. and Mrs. Ellie K. Sherren of 31, Grange Road, Ramsgate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Buried Haidar Pasha Cemetery, Istanbul, Turkey. Grave Ref: I. J. 10. Due to his date of death, there is of course no ODGW entry appertaining to Hugh who was the brother of the last casualty commemorated above. Having been Mentioned in Despatches during the Great War, Hugh died of Typhus. Thanks are due to R.L. Barrett- Cross M.R.S.H. for kindly furnishing the additional information appertaining to Hugh, re cause of death etcetera. SHILLITO, WILLIAM HARRY. Lance Corporal, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 11 July1917. Aged 20. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. D. H. Shillito of 26, Balfour Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2. SDGW commemorates William with his surname spelt SHILLITS, bur all other data accessed shows it as spelt on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, and as set out above. SHINGLETON, ARTHUR ROBERT. Driver, rd Home Counties Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 12 February Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Riverhead, Sevenoaks, (St. Mary) Churchyard, Kent, South Part of Cemetery. SHOTT, HENRY HAMMOND. D.S.O, Captain. 1st Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. 278

279 Died 26 August Aged 38. Son of Nils Shott of Dover, Kent. Husband of Hazel Morris Shott of 245, North Broadway, Yonkers, New York, U.S.A. Buried Maroilles Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. The battalion War Diary entry (verbatim) for 26 August 1914 is as under:- Troops delayed entering billets owing to a false alarm that the Germans were entering the Town - "C" Company was despatched to take over Bridge over R SARNE from cavalry at end of Town. At 8pm battalion was ordered to march out and assist this company to take the bridge from which the cavalry had been driven. Bridge taken about 1.30am after a night attack by C, D and B Coys. 1/KRR relieved the Battalion and 6th Brigade marched out at 3am. Arrived at VENEROLLES at 7.30pm and bivouaced on hill south of village along WASSIGNY road. Casualties. Major AS Turner, Capt H Shott missing. Lt. VS Hopkins slightly wounded. 61 other ranks killed, wounded or missing. SIDDERS, HARRY FREDERICK. Driver, th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Died 28 July Aged 34. Son of Henry and Hannah Mary C. Sidders of 10, Edgar Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Kirkee, India Memorial. Face 2. Also commemorated on the St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Brother of the next casualty commemorated. SIDDERS, JOHN JAMES. M.M. Private, th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. Died 4 October Aged 23. Born Hougham, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Margate, Kent. Son of Henry and Hannah Mary E. Sidders of 10, Edgar Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Dartmoor Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. B. 3. Also commemorated on the St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. John arrived in France with the 37th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps on 1 June He was awarded the Military Medal while serving with the 37th Field Ambulance. (London Gazette entry dated 23 August 1916). A total of four other ranks were killed by shellfire in the 37th Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C. on the day that John died, in addition to which five other ranks woundings occurred. Presumably John was numbered amongst the four deaths, but more checks need to be carried out in order to confirm same. Another Kent casualty who served in the same Field Ambulance with John was also decorated for bravery, he being Corporal Sidney A. Smith, D.C.M. who died 29 November Born Faversham. Enlisted Canterbury. Buried Tincourt New British Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave III. A.16. Sidney is commemorated on Hernehill, Faversham, Kent civic war memorial. SIFFLEET, ALFRED LIONEL. Serjeant, th Battalion, Tank Corps. Died 2 September Aged 36. Enlisted Broad Oak, Sussex. 279

280 Son of Mrs. Goodwin (formerly Siffleet) and the late Alfred Lionel Siffleet. Husband of Florence Alice Siffleet of 12, St. George s Road, Eastbourne, Sussex. Buried Mory-Abbey Military Cemetery, Mory, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: III. F. 5. Also commemorated on Eythorne, Dover, Kent civic war memorial. Formerly 1720, Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles, and had also served at Gallipoli. SIMMONDS, GEORGE HENRY. Private, M2/ Army Service Corps, Motor Transport Company attached to the General Head Quarters, Signal Company, Royal Engineers. Died 31 October1918. Aged 32. Born Loudwater, Buckinghamshire. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Husband of D. L. Simmonds of 21, Buckland Avenue, Dover, Kent. Buried Staglieno Cemetery, Genoa, Italy. Grave Ref: I. D. 21. SIMMONS, CHARLES DOUGLAS. D.S.O. R.N.R. Lieutenant Commander. Royal Naval Reserve. H.M.S. Otranto. Died 6 October Aged 37. Son of Charles and Mary Simmons of Dover, Kent. Husband of Marjorie Simmons of 17, Worbeck Road, Anerley, London. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 30. The 12,124 ton Otranto was originally built as a passenger liner in 1909 for the Orient Steam Navigation Company, but was requisitioned by the Admiralty as an auxiliary cruiser and troop ship in 1914 and armed her with four 4.7 inch guns. In October 1918 the then H.M.S. Otranto was part of a convoy which was transporting American soldiers to the ports of Glasgow and Liverpool, when during a heavy storm on 6 October she was involved in a collision with HMS Kashmir, which was another passenger liner that has also been converted to a troop ship. H.M.S. Otranto was badly damaged in the collision one of the results being that her engines stopped, which rendered the ship unable to be maneuvered by the crew. With in excess of 1000 soldiers on board in addition to the crew H.M.S. Otranto drifted towards the cliffs of Machir Bay, off the North coast of Islay, Scotland, continual SOS signals were given on the orders of Captain Ernest. G.W. Davidson RN. Fortunately the SOS signals were picked up by the Moon class destroyer H.M.S. Mounsey commanded Lieutenant F. W. Craven RN who made straight for the floundering H.M.S. Otranto to render assistance. Due to the weather conditions which prevailed the only viable option for saving the stranded soldiers and crew was for HMS Mounsey to try and get alongside the much larger H.M.S. Otranto and transfer those in peril. By incredible feats of seamanship the destroyers crew managed to evacuate several hundred soldiers and crewman during several repeated daring attempts while using the lifeboats of H.M.S. Otranto as fenders. Despite the heroic undertakings of Lieutenant Craven and his crew, 431 people died in the disaster and only 16 managed to swim to the shore once H.M.S. Otranto sank after the destroyer had left for Belfast. Captain Davidson and 74 sailors and marines are buried in Kilchoman Military Cemetery, Isle of Skye, Argylshire, of which 43 are unidentified. In the South part of the cemetery were buried the recovered bodies of the American soldiers on board, but all have since been removed and reinterred. At the subsequent Admiralty board of enquiry, blame was apportioned 280

281 equally between the two ships Captains for what was the worst British convoy disaster of the Great War. For his heroism and saving the lives of so many American service personnel, Lieutenant F. W. Craven R.N. was later awarded the American Navy Cross. SIMMONS H. No clear trace, but is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. There was a 17 year old Harold Simmons who was a Clerk that was residing at 13 Eastlemount Road, Dover, Kent with his step-father Henry Comper at the time of the 1901 census. SIMMONS, JOHN HENRY THOMAS. Bandsman, Northumberland Fusiliers. Died 20 June1920. Aged 32. Son of Mrs. F. Kenworthy. Husband of Mrs. F. Simmons of 183, Clarendon Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: 3. H. 31. SIMPSON, DOUGLAS PERCY THOMAS. Private, G/ A Company, 10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion. The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 13 August Aged 43. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Husband of Emily Simpson of 118, Clarendon Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Pont-Du-Hem Military Cemetery, La Gorgue, Nord, France. Grave Ref: IV. E. 26. Douglas was amongst the drafts of officers and other ranks that had been posted to A Company after 1 March A Yeomanry veteran of the Palestine campaign, Douglas fell at Merville, Nord, France. On the 1881 census, Douglas is shown as being a visitor at 3 Arthur Place, St. James, Dover, Kent, which would appear to have been the home of the Prescott family who may have been related to him. SKIGGS, VICTOR JOHN. Private, st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 12 July Aged 21. Born Landow, Hertfordshire. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Skiggs of 88, Union Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery, British Extension, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: V. F. 10. SMART, G.H. Just two casualties with exact matching initials and surname are commemorated by the CWGC, both of whom were soldiers. Fortunately O/SDGW shows only the same pair of men. One of those being a Serjeant, who was born, enlisted and resided at Melrose, Roxburgh, Scotland. Although the other casualty has no obvious Dover data attached to any databases etcetera checked, it seems that he is probably the person commemorated on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial, he being:- SMART, GEORGE HENRY. Captain. 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales s Own), attached to The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Died 22 December

282 Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 9. SMITH, ARTHUR PHILIP. Petty Officer Stoker, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Aboukir. Died 22 September Aged 28. Born Dover, Kent 19 June Son of John Taylor Smith. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 4. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists 282

283 or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February SMITH, C. It has not been possible so far to obtain a good Dover match for this casualty, but it seemed prudent to add that the following family that was found whilst accessing the 1901 census, as the Charles entered on it might be the casualty commemorated on both the civic war memorial and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent, Or of course he might be Charles Smith the next casualty below. It should also be pointed out that one of the pair of casualties commemorated with this initial and surname is on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial addenda panel. William STAMMERS. Aged 48. Born Wilbey, Suffolk. Boot/Shoe Maker Jemima STAMMERS. Aged 32. Born South Africa. (British Subject). The following three are shown as being the sons of the above; as such it would seem likely that their mother had probably re-married. John SMITH. Aged 18. Born Dover, Kent. William SMITH. Aged 15. Born Dover, Kent. Charles SMITH. Aged 13. Born Dover, Kent. SMITH, CHARLES. Private, th (Service) Battalion, (Frontiersmen) Royal Fusiliers. Died 18 October Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Dar Es Salaam War Cemetery, Tanzania, East Africa. Grave Ref: Collective Grave 6. G It is unfortunate that as with many other casualties researched, no family details or even age were added to Charles s commemoration details after the cessation of hostilities, as a Dover native Charles Frederick Smith aged 10, residing at 24 Golden Cross Passage, Dover, Kent was noted on the 1901 census. His parents were 40 year old Frank Smith and 36 year old Georgina Smith. Charles died shortly before his battalion left East Africa towards the end of 18 October 1917, having arrived at Mombasa on 4 May In view of the theatre of war Charles died in, it seemed a bit odd that he is at rest in a collective grave, but checking the CWGC cemetery details showed that it was created in 1968 when the 660 Great War graves at Dar Es Salaam (Ocean Road) Cemetery had to be moved to facilitate the construction of a new road. As the burials in the former African Christian, Non-Christian and Mohammedan plots had not been marked individually, they were reburied in collective graves, each marked by a screen wall memorial. (Memorial Gardens B, C and D ). During the early 1970s, a further 1,000 graves were brought into this site from cemeteries all over Tanzania, where maintenance could no longer be assured. SMITH, F.W. Although unfortunately not an exact match this casualty. It should however be pointed out that a 12 year old Frederick William Smith was noted when trawling the 1901 census for Dover, Kent and district. Frederick resided with his parents at 12 Caroline Place, Dover, Kent, however no matching commemoration data has been thus far accessed appertaining to Frederick. 283

284 SMITH, GEORGE ARTHUR. M.M. Serjeant, th Siege Battery. Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 19 April Aged 21. Eldest son of George and Louise Smith of 295, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Born Prospect, Bermuda. Enlisted Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Buried Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref XXIX. G. 5A. SMITH, JOHN WILLIAM. Private, PW/ st (Service) Battalion, (Islington) Middlesex Regiment. Died 9 April1917. Born Sandhurst, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval, Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 12 D and 13 B. SMITH, THOMAS JOSEPH. Private, GS/371. 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died 9 May Aged 26. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Peter and Susannah Smith of 10, Woolcomber Lane, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 20 or 21. SMITH, W.T. Two Dover, Kent casualties have so far been accessed that match this persons surname and both initials. Both have been entered below, because it has been impossible to establish which of the men is actually the one commemorated on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial. For exactly the same reasons both have been entered on the roll of Dover, Kent, non-commemorations on this website. SMITH, WILLIAM THOMAS. Private, L/ nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Aged 22. Born Abbey Street, Faversham, Kent 15 November Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of William and Sarah Jane Smith (neé) Keigwin. Brother of Mrs. Eliza Ann Page of 39, Marine Parade, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 12 or 14. SMITH, WILLIAM TRAYTON. Serjeant, L/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 13 October Aged 27. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Son of Aaron Smith of 58, Odo Road., Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15. William was killed in action at The Quarries near Hulluch, under heavy fire during a fresh British attack which was mounted during the Battle of Loos. The objective designated to the brigade (37th) split between the German positions of Gun Trench and 284

285 The Quarries was subjected to a heavy artillery bombardment prior to the infantry battalions pressing home their attacks, following ranging shots being fired by the British gunners, who also had been designated set targets primarily bombarding the ensconced enemy defenders and the massive wire entanglements guarding the positions, before the infantry left the safety of their trenches the guns fired from exactly noon for an hour, following which until 1350 hours gas and smoke was used to create a smoke screen of approximately 1,200 yards for an hour, which was increased in density by the use of more smoke ten minutes before zero hour for the infantry assault. At first it appeared that all was going according to plan, as the 7th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment had managed to reach Gun Trench without to much trouble, and thankfully with less casualties than had been originally been envisaged, but on their left flank the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) were subjected to an immense amount of fire power from an enemy trench which was both unseen, and unknown prior to the attack getting underway, which had resulted in the trench not being shelled by the artillery before the infantry had attacked, with the catastrophic result that the German wire at that point remaining virtually untouched. After covering about one hundred yards the battalion was brought to a halt, but not before over four hundred officers and other ranks in the battalion became casualties within the short space of just a few tragic minutes. Of the thirteen officers which had led their men into the fray of the battalions first major engagement of the Great War, ten lost their lives, as did one hundred and seventy five other ranks amongst the battalion, some of whom later died of their wounds. SNELLING, ALBERT HENRY. Gunner, D Battery, 122nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 29 April Aged 24. Enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Snelling of 1, West Mount, Priory Hill, Dover, Kent. Buried Esquelbecq Military Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: 2. A. 28. SOLE, EDWARD WILLIAM. Pioneer Serjeant, st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 20 October Aged 24. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Edward William and Sarah Ann Sole of 57, Longfield Road, Dover, Kent. Husband of Harriet S. Culley (formerly Sole) of 16, George Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 8, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. On the church memorial he is shown with his initials reversed, a brother of William Henry David Sole who also fell and is commemorated below. At the time of the 1901 census the Sole family was residing at 29 Chapel Place, Dover, Kent, Edward a native of Halling, Kent was a Painter and Glazier, and Head of the house. SOLE, F.H. As commemorated on the war memorial is probably the following Dovorian who is recorded on several African Campaign medal rolls:- SOLE, HENRY FREDERICK. Private,

286 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Died 20 May Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: M. H. 27. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Henry was an experienced soldier who had previously seen a lot of action during his years spent serving with the British army in Africa, including Matabeleland 1893, Mashonaland 1897, the Second Boer War , and the Natal Zulu Rising SOLE, WILLIAM HENRY DAVID. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Aged 20. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Edward William and Sarah Ann Sole of 57, Longfield Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. William was a brother of Edward William sole who also fell and is commemorated above. At the time of the 1901 census the Sole family was residing at 29 Chapel Place, Dover, Kent, Edward a native of Halling, Kent was a Painter and Glazier, and Head of the house. At the action fought at Monchy-le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France on 3 May 1917 during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, the 6th Battalion suffered at least 376 casualties amongst its officers and other ranks they being a combination of killed, wounded and missing. The battalion having spent the preceding night waiting in shell holes for zero hour which had been set for 0345 hours, with A Company on the right flank, B Company on the left, with C Company supporting, and the officers and men of D Company behind those of B Company the battalion formed up ready to take part in the days attack. Exactly at the agreed time the British artillery commenced firing as a prelude too, and in support of the battalion, who as with the gunners also left their start area on time as ordered and set off into total darkness, as the battalion pressed on every effort was made to keep communication with them, Second Lieutenant McAuley, the battalion signaling officer along with two of the battalion signalers and two orderlies, went forward to establish an advanced HQ in what was known as Devil's Trench, but he later returned at 0430 hours and reported that no communication had been possible. A fairly early indication however that all was apparently going well, was when two German prisoners were sent back down the line from the battalion, but at that time nothing definite could be ascertained, even later on when daylight came, gunfire and snipers made it hard to get any news of how matters were proceeding; but at dusk it was discovered that the battalion had already suffered a substantial number of casualties, and that despite the sacrifices being made by the battalion of all ranks the line in their front was practically as before. With the growing concern of the continuous loss of officers at the time which was so serious that Second Lieutenant s Seago and Sowter were sent for from the detail camp and, arriving about 2200 hours, and very quickly were sent forward to reorganize the remnants of the devastated battalion. Part of the objective allotted the battalion on the morning of 3 May 1917 had been a spot called Keeling Copse, and it was found after the battalion had taken stock of its significant losses, that Second Lieutenant s P. A Cockeram and Norman O.F Gunther with about 40 men and a Lewis gun had actually got 286

287 there, only to then realize that they were completely isolated with the enemy infantry having reformed its line behind them, and both sides being their original trenches, the result being that three lines of Germans intervened between this handful of men and their comrades, nothing daunted however, they held their own all day during which time they accounted for many of the enemy soldiery surrounding them. Under the cover of darkness when night fell, and by then having expended every cartridge and bomb they possessed, they gallantly fought their way back again, breaking through one line after another, until at last the two subalterns and thirteen of the men with them were able to report themselves to battalion Head Quarters. The casualties in this terrible action were Second Lieutenant s John H Dinsmore and Harold V Hardey-Mason killed, and Captain John B Kitchin died of wounds; Capt McDermott and Second Lieutenant s Williams and H.G Nesbitt wounded; Second Lieutenant s Charles Warnington, Athol Kirkpatrick, H.W Evans and R.L.F Forster, Lieutenant s K.L James, Grant, King and Wills posted as missing of whom the first five were found to have been killed; 25 other ranks were also killed, plus 128 wounded and in addition to which 207 were initially reported as being missing, but ultimately many were later found to have lost their lives during and resulting from the attack of 2 and 3 May About 0200 hours on 4 May the remnant was relieved and got back, on the following day what remained of the battalion was reorganized into two companies each of which consisted of only two platoons, No 1 Company had Second Lieutenant Stevens in command, with Second Lieutenant s Sowter, Seago and Sankey under him; No 2 Company was commanded by Captain Carter, assisted by the intrepid Second Lieutenant s Gunther and Cockeram. Following a later debriefing meeting to see if lessons could be learned from the attack of 3/4 May by the battalion a few things became obvious, the main points raised being that it was a pity that the ground was quite unknown to the battalion which had not held the same position previously, and that the orders to attack came so late that there was no time for systematic reconnaissance, also that the early part of the engagement had been undertaken in the dark. Those surviving members of the battalion who were not in the hands of the medical teams left Monchy-le-Preux and were then rested in nearby Arras for a mere 48 hours and then underwent a further ten days in the trenches before being relieved on 17 May when the battalion moved to Duisans. Both Second Lieutenant s Cockeram and Gunther received the Military Cross for their gallant conduct on 3/4 May 1917, but it is sad to have to add that Norman Gunther, who was an attached officer of the Royal East Kent Yeomanry was killed shortly afterwards, with the cruel irony of his death occurring within half a mile of Keeling Copse when gallantly defending a trench the Germans were attacking, although not strictly speaking a Buff, we have included a commemoration to the brave 19 year old subaltern on this roll of honour alongside the 396 members of the regiment, who have no known grave that are commemorated on the Arras Memorial, some of whom died with him. Second Lieutenant Cockeram MC later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an Observer, on one occasion whilst a member of 48 Squadron based at Bertangles, he and his pilot Captain H.C Sootheran flying a Bristol BF2b shot down an enemy aircraft, and despite numerous encounters with enemy aircraft and being subjected on numerous occasions to anti-aircraft fire both RFC officers thankfully survived the war. 287

288 SOLLEY, E.W. No trace. It is possibly of significance that this casualty is commemorated on the addenda panel on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial, and might be indicative of being a war related death which occurred post the collection of original names, which would also be past the cut-off date for a Great War commemorative death by the then Imperial War Graves Commission. SOUTHEN, WILLIAM RICHARD. Cook s Mate, M/5222 H.M. Torpedo Boat No. 11. Died 7 March Aged 24. Born Folkestone, Kent 31 January Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 18. H.M.TB 11 was originally the 225 ton Cricket Class coastal destroyer H.M.S. Mayfly that was built at the Yarrow shipyard on the Clyde in At the time of her loss she was in company with the destroyer H.M.S. Coquette when they ran into a minefield laid by a German submarine off the Sunk Head Buoy in the North Sea. H.M.TB 11 closed to render assistance to H.M.S. Coquette, but struck a mine herself and broke up and sank very quickly with the loss of 3 officers and 21 ratings. It perhaps should be noted that in some publications etcetera, His Majesties Torpedo Boat 11, she is referred to as still being H.M.S. Mayfly at the time of her loss. The minefield that the two British ships ran into had been laid by the UC-I coastal minelayers class German submarine, UC-10 which was commanded by Alfred Nitzsche. The submarine was torpedoed and sunk on 21 August 1916 by H.M. Submarine E54 commanded by Lieutenant Commander R.H.T. Raikes, off the Schouwen Bank with the loss of all 18 hands onboard including her commander Werner Albrecht, who had been in command since 27 June The commander of the E54 later became Admiral Sir Robert Henry Taunton Raikes K.C.B, C.B, C.V.O, D.S.O. SPAIN, ALFRED. Able Seaman, (RFR./CH/B/8641) Royal Navy, H.M.S. Mars. Died 25 August Born Dover, Kent 11 December Buried River, Dover Kent, St. Peter Churchyard. Old ground. Built at Birkenhead and completed in June 1897, Alfred s 15,630 ton Majestic class battleship was one nine ships in her class and was initially one of the largest Royal Naval Great War battleships. Early in the war she served in the 9th Battle Squadron for defence of the English North Sea coast. Oddly, in February 1915 H.M.S. Mars was paid off into the reserve fleet and disarmed with her big guns being refitted on two of the Monitors they being the Earl of Peterborough and Sir Thomas Pickton. In September 1915 she served in the Dardanelles as a troop ship before once more (between February and September 1916) being placed on the reserve. She then became a Depot Ship at Invergordon, Scotland in September 1916 and was eventually sold for scrap in SPAIN, EDWARD SYDNEY STEPHEN. Leading Seaman, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Pathfinder. Died 5 September Aged 25. Born Dover, Kent 16 February

289 Son of Edward George Spain of 63, Mayfield Avenue, Buckland, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 1. H.M.S. Pathfinder a 2,900 ton Pathfinder Scout Class cruiser was the leader of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla based at Rosyth, Scotland, she was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off St. Abbs Head, Berwickshire, Scotland, by the German submarine U-21, which was commanded by Leutnant zur See Otto Hersing. Short of coal she was only making 5 knots at the time of her loss, she has the unenviable distinction of being the first Royal Navy warship to be sunk by a U-boat of the German Navy during the Great War, and the first ship ever to be sunk by a torpedo alone. H.M.S. Pathfinder was struck by the torpedo in one of her magazines, which exploded causing the ship to sink within a few minutes with the loss of 259 men there was only 11 survivors of the sinking. Having sunk 36 ships for a total of 78,712 tons (warships excluded), on 22 February 1919 the U-21 sunk as the result of an accident in position 54.19N, 03.42W while on passage to surrender to the allied powers. SPAIN, THOMAS EDWARD. Sapper, Royal Engineers, Inland Water Transport. Died 31 October Aged 30. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Thomas Jarvis Spain and Hannah Jane Spain of Dover, Kent. Husband of Lizzie Spain of Limekiln Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Aire Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. E. 7. SPENDIFF, WILLIAM GEORGE. Private, th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 24 August Born Deal, Kent. Enlisted Harringay, Middlesex. Resided Wood Green, London N22. Buried Meaulte Military Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave Ref: F. 13. SPENDIFF, WALTER SYDNEY GAUNTLETT. Private, rd Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Killed in action Messines Ridge, Belgium 20 April1917. Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent c1888. Enlisted Angaston, Adelaide, South Australia 29 March Resided Waikerie, South Australia. Son of Mrs. Emma Jane Spendiff of 87, South Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent and the late George Spendiff. Brother of R. Spendiff of Berri, Murray River, South Australia. Brother of Mrs Olive A..M.. Standen of 87, South Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Brother of Mrs J. Wilson of 28, Odo Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Buried Berks Cemetery Extension, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. J. 24. In addition to being commemorated in the town of his birth, Walter is also jointly commemorated with his fellow citizens of Waikerie who also lost their lives during the Great War by an impressive memorial building located on White Street, Waikerie, the foundation stone having been laid by General Sir William Birdwood, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., K.C.S.I., C.I.E., D.S.O, in March Walter is also commemorated on the Australian National War Memorial. Panel 137. At the time of the 1901 census the 289

290 Spendiff family resided at 1a, Douglas Road, Dover, Kent, and George Spendiff was recorded as being a Plasterer. Educated at St.Bartholomew s School, Dover, Walter emigrated to Australia at the age of 24 and gained employment as a Blacksmiths Striker, probably at Waikerie, where he was an active member of the local Methodist church. After enlisting in the Australian army Walter initially served in the 32nd Battalion, Australian Infantry, Australian Imperial Force, and left from Adelaide with the battalion on 27 June 1916 aboard the 7,430 ton H.M.A.T Malakuta (A57), the ship was formerly owned by T & J Brocklebank Ltd, of Liverpool and was returned to the company on 24 January Unfortunately it has thus far not been possible to ascertain when Walter was transferred to the 43rd Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F. The 3rd Division was raised in Australia early in The 43rd Battalion was South Australia s contribution to the strength of the division. Along with the 41st, 42nd, and 44th Battalions, plus support troops, it formed the 11th Brigade. The battalion embarked in June 1916 and, after landing briefly in Egypt, went on to Britain for further training. The battalion arrived on the Western Front in late December. The 43rd Battalion spent 1917 bogged in bloody trench warfare in Flanders. In June the battalion took part in the battle of Messines and in October the Third Battle of Ypres. The battalion spent much of 1918 fighting in the Somme valley. In April they helped stop the German Spring offensive at Villers-Bretonneux. In July the battalion was part of General Monash s attack at Hamel. In August and September the battalion helped drive the Germans back to the Hindenburg Line. The 43rd joined the advance that followed the 2nd Division's victory at Mont St Quentin and it was during this operation that Temporary Corporal Lawrence Weathers earned the battalion s only Victoria Cross. Corporal Weathers was mortally wounded in the battalion s next battle. The battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel John Farrell wrote:- He died at the Regimental Aid Post, and lies buried on the battlefield. The same shell killed his uncle, Lance-Corporal J.J. Weathers. SPINNER, WILLIAM GEORGE. M.M. Battery Quartermaster Serjeant, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 12 November Aged 24. Son of Charles and Mary Spinner of Dover, Kent. Husband of Minnie E. Spinner of 8, Springfield Road, Dover, Kent. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref. G. K. 25. Also commemorated on the war memorial window in the Primitive Methodists Chapel, Dover, Kent. William was awarded the Military Medal whilst a Serjeant in SPITTLE, REGINALD GEORGE. Private, st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Died 2 February Aged 20. Born and resided Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Enlisted Hounslow, Middlesex. Buried Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres, Nord, France. Grave Ref: IX. B. 97. SQUIBB, HARRY. M.S.M. Regimental Serjeant Major, nd Brigade H.Q, Royal Field Artillery. Died 22 November Aged

291 Born and enlisted Dorchester, Dorset. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Charles and Francis Squibb of Broadmayne, Dorset. Husband of Margaret Squibb of 3, Williams Cottages, Danson Lane, Welling, Kent. Buried Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: IX. E. 9. Harry had served in the South African Campaign (Second Boer War), and had been awarded the army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal. During his time spent at Dover, Harry his family had resided at 46 Dour Street. SQUIRE, BASIL BRETT. Captain. 460th (Howitzer) Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 23 April Aged 20. Son of Basil Brett Squire and Edith Jane Squire of 56, Leyburne Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Tilloy British Cemetery, Tilloy-lès-Mofflaines, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: IV. B. 17. At the time of the 1901 census the Squire family was residing at 1, Leyburne Road, Dover, Kent, with 32 year Wivenhoe, Essex native Basil Brett Squire (senior), who was a Brewer shown as being the Head of the house. STAGEMAN, JOHN. Gunner, rd Battery, 31st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 5 June Aged 30. Born St. George s, Whitechapel, Essex. Enlisted Stratford, Essex. Son of John and Clara Stageman of London. Husband of Ada Annie Stageman (neé King) of 47, Royal Albert Buildings, Whitechapel, London. Buried Salonika (Lembet Road) Military Cemetery, Greece. Grave Ref: 143. John s Medal Index Card entry records his regimental number as being STAMP, CHARLES. Lance Corporal, th (Service) Battalion, (1st Public Works Pioneers) Middlesex Regiment. Died 11 May Aged 27. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Resided North Woolwich. Son of Mrs. Martha Stamp of 15, Odo Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent, and the late Frederick Stamp. Buried Cambrin Churchyard Extension, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: M. 47. At the time of the 1910 census the Stamp family was residing at 28 Tower Hill, Dover, Kent, with Martha Stamp a 47 year old widow shown as being the Head of the House. It would seem likely that Martha had not been a widow for very long as her youngest child Ellen was only 3 years old when recorded on the census in April On the 1881 census Martha and her husband Frederick are shown as residing with their three oldest children Fanny, James and Frederick Stamp at 4 Cornwall Road, Lambeth, Surrey. Of the children noted on the 1881 census, only Frederick was still residing with his mother on the 1901 census. On the day that Charles lost his life, his battalion was engaged on trench construction, during which time it was subjected to enemy shelling, despite which, Charles was the only death recorded in his battalion on 11 May 1916, when a shell quite literally hit him whilst in one of the trenches being constructed. 291

292 STANBRIDGE, ROBERT MARK. Private, nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Died 26 March Aged 25. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of John William and Ada Mary Stanbridge of 10, De Burgh Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panel 54 to 56 and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, , Royal Army Service Corps. STANLEY, LESLIE GEORGE. Lance Corporal, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 23 October Aged 20. Born Christchurch, Dover Kent. Enlisted and resided Canterbury, Kent. Son of David and Elizabeth Stanley of 3, Saxon Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 2, and on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. STATHAM, HUGH KINGTON LLEWELYN. Lieutenant. 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment, attached to the 1st Battalion. Died 6 September Aged 31. Born Cheddar, Somerset 3 November Enlisted Valcartier, Québec, Canada 14 September 1914, as Private in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force. Resided Thetis Island, British Colombia, Canada where Hugh was a Rancher. Son of the Reverend Samuel Percy Hammond and Meta Statham (neé Llewellyn). Husband of Margaret Renee Statham of Jubilee Hospital, Victoria, British Columbia. Buried Coxyde Military Cemetery, Koksijde, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. F. 10. Although not much of Hugh s service documentation has been sighted it would appear that he was transferred to the British army and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Dorsetshire Regiment and later promoted to Lieutenant as was noted at his MIC entry. His CWGC commemoration shows his lower rank and we have taking the liberty of entering the higher (correct) rank at this brief commemoration to him. Thetis Island where Hugh and his wife resided lies nestled amongst the idyllic Southern Gulf Islands in the Gulf of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, it is named after the British 36 gun frigate H.M.S. Thetis that was on the Pacific station from 1851 to 1853 and surveyed the area. Pioneers first preempted land on Thetis in Mention perhaps should also be made of Hugh s father, a former Chaplain to H.M. Forces who at the time of the 1901 census was the incumbent at St Mary in Castro, Dover, Kent, and was a noted scholar. Samuel P. S. H. Statham was the author of several historical publications, including the history of his family which was published about 1925, and entitled The Descent of the Family of Statham. The book traces Samuel s lineage back to a Knight called Simon de Stathum, who was known to be living in the mid 13th century. Probably of more interest to Dovorian s is a book written by the Reverend Statham, that pre dates the family history publication by about a quarter of a century, it being The History of the Castle, Town and Port of Dover which was published in London in

293 STEPHENSON, PHILIP SYDNEY. Private, st Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) Died 27 August Aged 36. Born Buckland, Dover Kent. Enlisted Clapham, London, S.W. Resided Tooting, S.W. Son of Phyllis and the late Harker George Stephenson, of Dover, Kent. Buried La Neuville British Cemetery, Corbie, Somme. France. Grave Ref: II. B. 1. At the time of the 1881 census the Stephenson family was residing at 8 London Road, Buckland Terrace, Buckland, Dover, Kent:- Hooker STEPHENSON. Aged 42. Born Dublin, Ireland. Commissariat Clerk. Phillis STEPHENSON. Aged 40. Born Whitstable, Kent. Francis H. STEPHENSON. Aged12. Born Canterbury, Kent. Frances M. STEPHENSON. Aged10. Born Dover, Kent. Mabel STEPHENSON. Aged 7. Born Dover, Kent. Hilda STEPHENSON. Aged 4. Born Dover, Kent. Phillip S. STEPHENSON. Aged 7 months. Born Dover, Kent. STEVENS, ALEXANDER. ROBERT. Rifleman, th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Prince of Wales s Own Civil Service Rifles). Died 4 June Aged 24. Enlisted Somerset House. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Robert and Annie Stevens of Dover, Kent. Buried Le Treport Military Cemetery, Seine-Maritime, France. Plot 1. Row N. Grave 7. Alexander was a brother of Harry Stephens who served in the Canadian Army and is also commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. Somerset House, London, where Alexander had enlisted, is the location of his regiments war memorial to its fallen of the Great War. Some of the wording upon which says:- In memory of the 1240 members who fell while serving with the regiment in the Great War. Until the 1980 s ceremonies of rememberance were regularly carried out at the war memorial. STEVENS, EDWARD PERCY. Gunner, A Battery, 222nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died19 July Aged 35. Husband of Emma J. Stevens of 29, Old Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Basra War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: V. X. 6. Regretably Edward was not commemorated in the 222nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Book of Rememberance. Edward appears to be one of only very few omissions from the book, it being a welcome change to scores of other similar unit forms of tributes to the fallen. STEVENS, GORHAM VINTON. Lieutenant. 1st/5th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 18 January Aged

294 Son of the Reverend Lorenzo Gorham Stevens and Susan Lynde Stevens (nee Waddell), of Acadia Valley, Alberta, Canada. Buried Chocques Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: V. B. 4. A former Dover College pupil, Gorham had initially served as Private, 4777 in the London Regiment before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Lincolnshire Regiment, in which he was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant. STEVENS, HARRY. Private, rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment). Died 2 May 1915 (please see below). Born Spa, Belgium 20 May Enlisted Valcartier, Québec, Canada 20 May Resided at 153 Balsam Avenue, Barrie Beach, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Son of Robert and Annie Stevens of Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel , and on page 37 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance. Harry was an active member of the Beech Avenue Methodist Church, Barrie Beach, Toronto, where he was the Secretary of the Epworth League, and the Brotherhood. His photograph and obituary details which appeared in the Toronto Star newspaper, dated 10 June 1915, states that Harry was a prolific letter writer, and heads the brief article as He Wrote 50 Letters Home, with the sub-heading, But no word of Harry Stevens has come since May 1. The letters referred to appear to have been sent to Harry s mother, or possibly to Mrs A H Peacock, who Harry gave as being his Next of Kin at the time of his enlistment. Mrs Peacock also resided at 153 Balsam Avenue, Barrie Beach, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, it being the same address as Harry s place of residence. It should be pointed out that Harry s Attestation Papers, shows his place of residence spelt Barry Beach, but a fellow amateur military researcher, Alan Gooby in Canada, has suggested that it should probably read Barrie Beach. Occupation at Harry s attestation was given as being a Lithographer, and that he had previously served for two years in the Queen s Own Rifles of Canada, which was somewhat apt in view of his place or residence, as prior to January 1882, that regiment was The Queen s Own Rifles of Toronto. Alan Gooby also pointed out that the date of Harry s death, as commemorated by the CWGC is erroneous, and that it should be 20/21 April STEWART, ARTHUR WALLACE. Lance Corporal, 26/637. 4th Battalion, 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade. Died 27 October Son of Charles and Lucy Stewart of Castle Hill Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Vertigneul Churchyard, Romeries, Nord, France. Grave Ref: 17. also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Although no indication is given above that Arthur s father had pre deceased him, it seems prudent to mention that on the 1901 census a 13 year old Arthur Stewart is recorded as residing at 28 Liverpool Street, Dover, Kent, and that his 48 year old widowed mother Lucy Stewart was the Head of the house. Mention should also be made that the total number of New Zealand troops and nurses 294

295 who volunteered to serve overseas in the Great War excluding those in British and other Dominion forces was in excess of 100,000, from a population of just under a million. Forty-two per cent of men of military age served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Arthur s battalion was formed in New Zealand during September 1915, and went to Egypt in March 1916 and joined the 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade, (Earl of Liverpool s Own). Arthur s battalion was commanded by Harold Eric Barrowclough, who with the advent of the Second World War was promoted to Brigadier commanding the 6th New Zealand Brigade in the Middle East, later becoming G.O.C. of the 3rd New Zealand Division and, still later, of the New Zealand Pacific Forces. He was awarded a D.S.O. and Bar, Military Cross, and the United States Legion of Merit. He was appointed Chief Justice of New Zealand in 1953, and became a member of the Privy Council in 1954, in which year he was made a K.C.M.G. STEWART, WILLIAM HENRY. Stoker 1st Class, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Pathfinder. Died 5 September Aged 25. Born Dover, Kent 9 October (CWGC shows Native of Folkestone). Son of John Alexander and Catherine Stewart of 62, Bulwark Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 5. A brother of the next casualty. H.M.S. Pathfinder a 2,900 ton Pathfinder Scout Class cruiser was the leader of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla based at Rosyth, Scotland, she was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off St. Abbs Head, Berwickshire, Scotland, by the German U-boat U-21 which was commanded by Leutnant zur See, Otto Hersing. Short of coal she was only making 5 knots at the time of her loss, H.M.S. Pathfinder has the unenviable distinction of being the first Royal Navy warship to be sunk by a U-boat of the Imperial German Navy during the Great War, and the first ship ever to be sunk by a torpedo alone. H.M.S. Pathfinder was struck by the torpedo in one of her magazines, which exploded, causing the ship to sink within a few minutes with the loss of 259 men, regrettably there were only 11 survivors of the sinking. Having sunk 36 ships for a total of 78,712 tons (warships excluded), on 22 February 1919 the U-21 sunk as the result of an accident, whilst on passage to surrender to the allied powers. STEWART, JOHN ALEXANDER. Stoker 1st Class, K/ Royal Navy, H.M. Submarine. L10. Died 4 October Aged 26. Born Folkestone, Kent 18 December Son of John Alexander Stewart of 62, Bulwark Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 29. H.M. Submarine L10 which was commanded by 30 year old Lieutenant Commander Alfred E Whithouse RN had surfaced in the Heligoland Bight, when engaged on a mission to intercept an enemy fast raiding party, which was comprised of a number of destroyers and motor torpedo boats. One of the destroyers had detonated a mine prior to the submarine s arrival and the other German destroyers hove to in order to render assistance to the damaged vessel, but in so doing, it left all of them comparatively easy targets for Royal Navy ships to engage, a fact not wasted on the L10 s commander who maneuvered the submarine into an advantageous position and then fired a torpedo at the 295

296 German destroyer S33 which immediately began to sink. Unfortunately, as the torpedo was fired buoyancy was lost and the submarine rose suddenly to the surface and was instantly spotted by the V28 and V29. Although the L10 s crew managed to execute a maneuver allowing her to turn in an effort to facilitate an escape, the submarine was not fast enough to escape her pursuers and was rapidly chased down and sunk by gunfire with the loss of all hands, off the north coast of Terschelling, West Frisian Islands. STILWEL, MONTAGUE JAMES. Lieutenant. 4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 30 June Aged 22. Son of J. E. and Annie Stilwell of Duncan, British Columbia, Canada. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Buried Bouzincourt Ridge Cemetery, Albert, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. I. 9. Depending on which data is checked; the officer above has his surname spelt in a variety of ways. STITSON, FRANK. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 27 March Aged 36. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Husband of Elizabeth Ann Stitson of 21, Sidney Street, Folkestone, Kent. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panel 16, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent.. Please see Frank s more detailed commemoration at The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) section on this website. STOKES, CHARLES. Private, B Company, 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. Died 3 February Aged 23. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Stokes of 16, North Street, Dover, Kent. Born Maxton, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 21 or 31, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Brother of Horace Stokes who also fell and is commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, and briefly below. STOKES, FREDERICK JAMES. Private, PW/ th (Service) Battalion, (1st Football) Middlesex Regiment. Died 27 December1917. Aged 29. Born River, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Kearsney, Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Stokes. Husband of Alice Stokes. Buried Grevillers British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: X. C. 5. Formerly Private, G/9943, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). SDGW shows Christian names as FREDERICK JOHN. STOKES, HORACE. Private,

297 2nd/7th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Died 17 April Aged 23. Son of Henry and Annie Stokes of 16, North Street, Dover, Kent. Born Hougham, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: P. IX. P. 4A. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, , Royal Army Ordnance Corps. STOKES, LEONARD LINDSAY. Private, G/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 15 September Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Margate, Kent. Buried Guillemont Road Cemetery, Guillemont, Somme, France. Grave Ref: IX. N. 4. Also commemorated on St. Martins School, Dover, Kent Great War memorial plaque. STRAND, HUBERT F. Rifleman, st/18th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Irish Rifles). Died 3 October Aged 29. Born and resided Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Son of Mrs. Rosina Strand. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 13C. Formerly Private, 3500, 4th Battalion, (T.F.). The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). STREAT, CYRIL.WILLIAM. M.M. Private, L/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 21 March Born Putney, Surrey. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Buried Ribemont Communal Cemetery Extension, Aisne, France. Grave Ref: British B. 18. On the day of Cyril s death, the part played by his battalion it being the first day of the 1918 German Spring Offensive, was not only heroic but quite literally lifesaving. As the numerically superior German army pressed home their attacks, the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was the only unit of the British 3rd Corps that held its ground in the forward zone of the battle area when it was attacked north of Travecy. In making the determined stand in the face of overwhelming odds, it enabled other units in the area to successfully fall back, regroup and reorganize behind the more easily defendable positions behind the Crozat Canal near Vendeuil to the south of Saint- Quentin. On 21 March 1917 the battalion was defending a front of almost five miles in conjunction with two other 18th (Eastern) Division infantry battalions, namely the 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), and the 8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. As the day wore on the Germans captured Vendeuil, but the soldiers garrisoning the old French fort to the west of Vendeuil managed to held on to their position, the 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) tenaciously held on to the village of Moy, until an enemy break through to north. Some units managed to fight on until about 1630 hours, with the 8th 297

298 (Service) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment Berks holding Alaincourt. Unfortunately the supporting Divisional Field Artillery was overrun in the fog, and captured as German Storm Troopers managed to slip past the defended posts. STUBBS, WILLIAM CHARLES. Serjeant, th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards. Died 20 October Born Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Gillingham, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 3-5. STURGES, A. Best match for this casualty for this casualty appears to be:- STURGES, ARTHUR. Private, nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. Died 13 October Born London. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Folkestone, Kent. Commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 6. Although Arthur has been commemorated here as being the best match, it should be noted that he is also commemorated in St. Johns parish church, Folkestone, Kent but not on the town civic war memorial, as such it might be that he had actually resided somewhere between the towns of Dover and Folkestone, Kent. SUMNER, DAVID CHARLES. D.C.M. Company Serjeant Major, nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. Died 8 May Aged 28. Husband of R. E. Sumner of 33, Hardwicke Road, Maxton, Dover, Kent. Born Ash, Surrey, Enlisted Aldershot, Hampshire. Resided Dover, Kent. Buried Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: V. C. 24. In addition to being the recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, which was awarded for his bravery during the Battle of Loos, and Gazetted on 14 January 1916, David had also been awarded the Médaille Militaire (Military Medal) by France. It should be noted that the Médaille Militaire was one of rarest French decorations to be bestowed upon foreigners during the Great War, in contrast to other medals such as the Croix de Guerre. David Sumner was one of only eight recipients of the medal serving in his regiment throughout the Great War years, it was Gazetted on 24 February Major-General Sir Henry Horne, Commanding the 2nd Division wrote to David via the Adjutant s Office of the 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, the following:- Your Commanding Officer and Brigade Commander have informed me that you have distinguished yourself by conspicuous bravery in the field on 26th September I have read their reports, and although promotion and decorations cannot be given in every case I should like you to know that your gallant action is recognised, and how greatly it is appreciated. The event referred to by Major-General Horne, took place during an advance on enemy trenches when all of David s battalion officers became casualties, and on his own initiative David took command of the battalion until the next morning, when the it was relieved. On 20 December 1915, the 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment left the 2nd Division, and became a battalion in the 33rd Division for the rest of the war. 298

299 It would be remiss not to make mention of the fact that Major-General Henry Sinclair Horne, was later elevated to the peerage and became the 1st (and last) Baron Horne of Stirkoke, for his wartime contributions he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. Having retired from the army in 1926, whilst he was shooting on his Stirkoke estate in August 1929, he suddenly died of unknown causes and was buried on his family plot. As he had no issue, upon his death, his titles became extinct. SWABY, CHARLES. Leading Stoker, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Formidable. Died 1 January Aged 33. Born Dymchurch, Romney Marsh, Kent 27 February Son of Mr. and Mrs. Swaby of 6, Sydney Terrace, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 11. Charles s 15,250 tons pre-dreadnought Battleship, was sunk by two torpedoes from the German submarine U-24 commanded by Rudolf Schneider, when she was about 20 miles off Start Point, Devon at 0200 hours. The first torpedo hit the number one boiler port side; a second explosion caused the ship to list heavily to starboard. Huge waves thirty feet high lashed the stricken ship, with strong winds, rain and hail, sinking it in less than two hours. Captain Arthur. N Loxley RN, his second-in-command, Commander Charles F. Ballard RN, and the signaler stayed at their posts throughout, sending flares and rockets off at regular intervals. There was no panic, the men waiting calmly for the lifeboats to be lowered. Someone played ragtime on the piano, others sang. The Chaplain risked his life going below to find cigarettes. Suddenly the ship gave a tremendous lurch, the Captain shouted Lads, this is the last, all hands for themselves, and may God bless you and guide you to safety. He then walked to the forebridge, lit a cigarette and, with his terrier Bruce on duty at his side, calmly waited for the end, in true Royal Naval tradition. Only 199 men were saved out of the ships complement of about 750, H.M.S. Formidable was on exercises at the time of her loss and was the first British battleship to be sunk in the Great War. SYMES, PERCY. Private, G/ st Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 23 April1917. Born Hythe, Kent. Enlisted London. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2. TAYLOR, JACK. Private, G/ th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 18 August Aged 22. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. F. Taylor of 66, St. James s Street, Dover, Kent and the late Mrs. F. Taylor. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 D. TERRY, HARRY. Petty Officer 1st Class, Sailmaker, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Cressy. 299

300 Died 22 September Aged 38. Born Charlton, Dover, Kent 11 November Son of Henry and Isabel Terry of Dover, Kent. Husband of Blanche Terry of 40, Marine Parade, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 3, and on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1881 census the Terry family was residing at 12 Biggen Court, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent:- Henry J. TERRY. Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent. Coachman. Isabel L. TERRY. Aged 29. Born Kensington. William H. TERRY. Aged 7. Born Dover, Kent. Harry TERRY. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Alice L. TERRY. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. George A. TERRY. Aged11 months. Born Dover, Kent. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. 300

301 The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February TERRY, SAMUEL JAMES. Corporal, L/ nd Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 7 November Aged 24. Born Christchurch, Kent. Enlisted Dover Castle, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. (Christchurch as above is probably Dover, Kent). Son of Mrs. R. Terry of 21, Minerva Avenue, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel and 14. Stationed in South Africa at the onset of the Great War, as a regular soldier Samuel would almost certainly been amongst those of his battalion who left from Table Bay onboard the Union Castle Line requisition ship H.M.T. Kenilworth Castle on 27 August 1914 making for Southampton, where the ship arrived on 19 September After a fortnight spent at Lyndhurst in the New Forest, Hampshire, the battalion was back in Southampton from where A and B Companies departed for Zeebrugge onboard the 12,552 ton White Star Line ship, SS Cymric on 5 October, and C and D Companies onboard the SS Turkoman on 6 October. From Zeebrugge all went by train to Oostcamp and reunited, and al left for Bruges on 8 6 October. As with the other battalions of the British Expeditionary Force, the battalion was fairly constantly on the move when engaging the enemy. On 1 November 1914 the 2nd Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) formed a composite battalion with the 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, both battalions being in the 22nd Brigade, 7th Division, both having already fought alongside each other. On 4 November the battalion was billeted at the Hotel de Ville at Ypres, but due to heavy enemy shelling, it was moved out to bivouacs, eventually ending up approximately a mile and a half to the north of Dickebush, from where the battalion assisted the Guards Brigade in action near Zillebeke on the evening of 6 November. The following day the battalion carried out a successful but costly attack, which forced the enemy back, and during the execution of which the battalion captured three machine guns. Throughout the day the captured German positions were successfully held under heavy fire and in the face of several counter attacks. The 2nd Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) casualty roll for 7 November 1914 was eight officers and sixty eight other ranks killed, twenty two officers and four hundred and fifteen other ranks wounded, and in addition to which an additional one hundred and sixty three other ranks were initially posted as missing. TESTER, ARTHUR EDWARD. Gunner,

302 109th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 24 July Aged 28. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Husband of Mary Meretta Tester of 39, Clarendon Place, Dover, Kent. Buried Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz, Somme, France. Grave Ref: III. H. 6. Also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Gunner, 167, 3rd Dover (Kent Territorial) Company, Royal Garrison Artillery. At the time of the 1901 census Arthur and his family was residing at 27 Priory Road, Dover, Kent, his 48 year old father a native of Pembury, Kent, who was a self-employed Chimney Sweep was the Head of the house. TESTER, HARRY. Rifleman, Rifle Brigade posted to the London Regiment (Post Office Rifles). Died between 8 August 1918 and 10 August Aged 18. Son of Harry and Annie M. Tester of 8, Norman Street, Dover, Kent. Born Margate, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Residence Dover, Kent. Also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Buried Beacon Cemetery, Sailly-Laurette, Somme, France. Grave Ref; III. G. 25. THOMAS, EDWARD WENHAM. Gunner, nd Siege Battery, (Kent Territorial Force) Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 13 October Aged 25. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of James and Agnes Mary Thomas of 44, Union Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: IX. F. 17. THOMPSON, FREDERICK CHARLES. Boy 1st Class, J/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Clan McNaughton. Died 3 February Aged 16. Born Dover, Kent 17 October Son of George Edward and Louisa Thompson of 30, Dickson Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 10 and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Frederick was one of about fifty boys straight out of the Royal Navy boys training shore base at H.M.S. Ganges, Shotley, Suffolk, who were part of the crew of 261 onboard H.M.S.Clan McNaughton when she was lost with all hands in storms after foundering off the north coast of Ireland on the day that he died. H.M.S. Clan McNaughton had been in radio contact at about 0600 hours on the morning of her loss at which time the Radio Officer had reported terrible prevailing weather conditions. Nothing more was ever heard again of Frederick s ship although some floating wreckage was found a fortnight later in her last known approximate position, despite which non of it could actually be identified as having come from her. It was later presumed that she had been mined, but due to the approximate area of her sinking later post war investigations thought that unlikely although possible. 302

303 THOMPSON, JOSEPH JOHN BASSETT. Chief Petty Officer, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Laforey. Died 23 March Aged 38. Born Buckland, Dover, Kent 31 July Son of William John and Mary Ann Thompson of Dover, Kent. Husband of Elizabeth Alice Thompson of 11, Pioneer Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 21. Joseph had been awarded the Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. At the time of the 1881 census Joseph was an inmate of the Dover Union Workhouse which was located at Buckland, Dover, Kent. In view of the total number of people residing in the Workhouse at the time, for obvious reasons only Joseph and his immediate family members are being added here:- Mary A. THOMPSON. Inmate. Aged 25. Born Dover, Kent. Charwoman (Pauper). Alfred THOMPSON. Inmate. Aged 6. Born Dover, Kent. Scholar. (Pauper). Joseph THOMPSON. Inmate. Aged 3. Born Dover, Kent. Nursery. (Pauper). Commisioned on 28 March 1913 H.M.S Laforey initially served with the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, but Joseph s ship and HMS Laertes were both in the Dover Patrol in 1917, and on the day he died both vessels had been escorting several cargo ships to France laden with war supplies, crossing from Folkestone to Boulogne. Both ships were safely berthed in France when at 1600 hours a mine detonated on the H.M.S. Laforey amidships. The ship immediately broke in half, with the stern sinking immediately with all onboard her. The ships bow remained afloat for some time as the crew members of H.M.S. Laertes struggled to rescue the surviving crew of their sister ship. Eventually however, that part too sank beneath the waves, leaving just 18 survivors. THOMPSON, SAMUEL ALEXANDER. Serjeant, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 13 July1917. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried St. Nicolas British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II. A. 14. THORNBY, FREDERICK. Lance Corporal, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died Tuesday 18 April Aged 24. Born Ashford, Kent. Enlisted Oxford, Oxfordshire. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of T. Thornby of 14, Hempstead Street, Ashford, Kent. Buried Vermelles British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II.J.24. Commemorated on the Ashford, Kent, civic war memorial. Frederick was educated at the Ashford (Kent) Council School. After he left school Frederick went to work with his father as a Bootmaker. When Frederick enlisted he was employed at Winsloe in Ashford, Kent which was probably a shop. THORNER, R.E. As commemorated on the Dover civic war memorial is probably the following casualty:- THORNER, ERNEST REGINALD. Serjeant, L/

304 1st Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 25 September Born Chiddingfold, Surrey. Enlisted Guildford, Surrey. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 13 to 15, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. THORP, ALEXANDER THOMAS. Driver, DM2/ th Mechanical Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps. Died 5 January Buried Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel. Grave Ref: EE. 49. It has not been possible to add details re places of birth, enlistment and residence from SDGW due to the date of Alexander s death. The 956th Mechanical Transport Company, Army Service Corps was formed on 20 May 1917 and served in the Sarafand area of Palestine, and later in Egypt as the 82nd Auxiliary Motor Transport Company. It was then in service in the Ismailia District as 82nd Auxiliary (Petrol) Company. Surplus to peacetime requirements the unit which Alexander had served in was disbanded several years after the Great War, on 24 July THURLEY, CHARLES ALBERT. Boy 1st Class, J/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Invincible. Died 31 May Aged 17. Born Dover, Kent 15 July Son of Robert and Amy Florence Thurley of 11, Edred Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Panel 14. Charles lost his life along with 1,015 others aboard his ship the 20,135 ton battlecruiser H.M.S. Invincible, her Captain Arthur Lindsay Cay RN is also commemorated on the Dover civic war memorial. Various commentators and authors have made similar observations and comments regarding the loss of Charles s ship describing the salvos fired by the German Kaiserliche Marine battlecruiser s SMS Derfflinger and SMS Lützow as being lucky shots. Before she exploded H.M.S. Invincible had inflicted serious damaged on the 30,700 ton SMS Lützow to such an extent that she was scuttled, but not before firing a salvo at her attacker in unison with SMS Derfflinger, Arthur s ship received a direct hit from SMS Lützow to Q gun-turret which blew part of it including the roof over the side of the ship, another struck her below the water-line which exploded in her magazine which broke the ship in two. Only 6 are recorded as having survived the loss of H.M.S. Invincible on 31 May TIERNEY, MAURICE PAUL. Lance Serjeant, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 7 October Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 D. At the time of the 1901 census, it is likely that Maurice was a 6 year old residing with his parents Edward and Mary Tierney at 21 Caroline Place, Dover, Kent. Maurice was probably amongst the 8 officers and 121 other ranks who lost their lives in the 6th Battalion that day during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges, the total casualty roll for 304

305 the day numbers 368, which included the battalion Medical Officer, Captain Wilfred Pagen R.A.M.C, who is also commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. What follows is basically the battalion War Diary entry for the day:- Quiet morning. At 1.30 p m the enemy opened heavy machine gun fire and shrapnel barrage on the front line. At 1.45 p m the attack commenced. Very heavy M.G. fire was opened, which held up C Company on the right. A and B companies reached the 1st objective (Rainbow Trench) with fairly heavy casualties but on advancing from 1st to 2nd objectives were completely held up with M.G. fire. Twenty men of C Company succeeded in getting into the German trench, with troops from the 61st Brigade, and advanced with them. The 1st objective was held until 12 midnight when the Battalion was relieved by the 6th Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). TILTMAN, ARTHUR VINEY. Private, st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Died 20 October Aged 18. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. V. Tiltman of 3, Churchill Street, Dover, Kent. Buried Amerval Communal Cemetery Extension, Solesmes, Nord, France. Grave Ref: C. 30. TODD, E. No clear trace. TORR, DAVID KELLAWAY. Rifleman, nd Battalion, King s Royal Rifle Corps. Died 23 October Born Tavistock, Devonshire. Enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 9. Formerly Private, S/5442, Army Ordnance Corps, SDGW shows Royal Army Ordnance Corps which is a slight error, as at the time of David s demise the corps had not been granted the Royal title. TUCKER, HORACE BENJAMIN. Petty Officer, Royal Navy H.M.S. Swiftsure. Died 6 June Aged 35. Born Dover, Kent 28 September Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 9 and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1881 census the Tuker family was residing at 11 Widred Road, Charlton, Dover, Kent:- Horace J. TUCKER. Aged 32. Born Dover, Kent. Post Office Clerk. Sarah A. TUCKER. Aged 33. Born Canterbury, Kent. Sarah J. TUCKER. Aged 8. Born Dover, Kent. Laura K. TUCKER. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Horace B. TUCKER. Aged 11 months. Born Dover, Kent. Completed in June 1904, Horace s 13,432 ton Swiftsure class battleship was something of an oddity as she had not originally been built to Admirilty specifications. Originally 305

306 designed by Sir Edward Reed and built by Sir William Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., at Elswick and Walker, on the Tyne, for the Chilean Navy, but owing to financial problems the ship was put up for sale before being completed. H.M.S. Swiftsure and her sister ship H.M.S Triumph were purchased by the British government in December 1903 mainly to prevent their possible sale to Russia. With a crew of 729 the design of the ships emphasized speed and a heavy secondary armament at the expense of protection and main armament. During the Great War H.M.S. Swiftsure served early on as a Flagship in the East Indies Squadron, in November 1914 escorted Indian Convoy, and in December 1914 was detached to the Suez Egypt operational area. In. February 1915 she joined the Dardanelles Squadron, and on 2 March 1915 took part in the bombardments of the forts. Between the 5 and 9 March 1915 she was engaged during the attacks on the forts at Smyrna. From 18 March 1915 onwards H.M.S. Swiftsure supported landings at Helles. On 18 September 1915 she was unsuccessfully attacked by German submarine thought to be the U-21 which was commanded by Otto Hersing. Another bombardment was carried out by the late Horace Tucker s ship on 18 January 1916 when she shelled the Bulgarian held Greek port of Dedeagatch. In February 1916 she was attached to the 9th Cruiser Squadron in the Atlantic, but the next year on 11 April 1917 H.M.S. Swiftsure was paid off at Chatham to release her crew. From the middle of 1917 until February 1918 she was used as an accommodation ship, and in the Autumn of 1918 she was prepared for use as a block ship but not put into use as same prior to the Armistice. In 1920 H.M.S. Swiftsure was sold for scrap, probably complete with the Captains marble bath which was installed as part of her original Chilean Navy specification. TUGWELL, CHARLES. Gunner, st/2nd Lancashire Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 6 April Aged 38. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Eldest son of Charles Tugwell and the late Mrs. Tugwell, of Dover, Kent. Husband of Elizabeth S. Tugwell of The Fountain Inn, London Road, Dover, Kent. Charles is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish war memorial, Dover, Kent. Buried Abbeville Communal Cemetery, Extension, Somme, France. Formerly Private, Royal Army Medical Corps. Grave Ref: III. F. 30. At the time of the 1881 census Charles was residing at his Grandfathers house, Poarch House, Hurst Road, Horsham, Sussex:- James NIGHTINGALE. Aged 60. Born Petersfield, Hampshire. Master Brickmaker and Farmer. Martha NIGHTINGALE. Aged 57. Born Petersfield, Hampshire. Emily NIGHTINGALE. Aged 20. Born Petersfield, Hampshire. Dressmaker. Daniel NIGHTINGALE. Aged 17. Born Petersfield, Hampshire. Carpenter (Apprentice). Peter NIGHTINGALE. Aged 12. Born Petersfield, Hampshire. Harriett TUGWELL. Aged 25. Born Dover, Kent. Daughter. Foreman Wife Harriett TUGWELL. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. Granddaughter 306

307 Charles TUGWELL. Aged 11 months. Born Dover, Kent. Grandson TULL, WALTER DANIEL JOHN. Second Lieutenant. 17th (Service) Battalion, (1st Football) Middlesex Regiment, attached to the 23rd (Service) Battalion (2nd Football) Middlesex Regiment. Died 25 March Aged 29. Born Folkestone, Kent 28 April Son of the late Daniel Tull and brother of Edward Tull-Warnock of 419, St.Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland. Formerly Corporal. F/55. 5th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 7, and also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul. Walter is also commemorated on the WALTER TULL MEMORIAL and GARDEN of REST at Northampton Town s Sixfields Community Stadium, Northamptonshire which was unveiled on 7 November Walter s father who was a Joiner had arrived in England from Barbados in 1876 and had married his wife in Folkestone, over the next few years the couple had six children. In 1895, when Walter was seven sadly his mother died. Walter s father later re-married but he also died just two years later. Unfortunately the Tull children s stepmother was unable to cope with all six of them which resulted in Walter and his brother Edward being sent to a Methodist run orphanage in Bethnal Green, East London. The battalions in which Walter served was particularly apt as he had been a Professional Footballer with Tottenham Hotspur and Northampton Town, for the latter he played more than a hundred first team games prior to the start of the Great War. Walter s mother who was born in Dover in March 1853 would doubtless have been proud of Walter for his prowess and fame as a footballer. But history probably recalls her son more for the fact that despite the regulations which prevailed at the time regarding officers, as the 1914 Manual of Military Law specifically excluded Negroes from exercising actual command as officers, Walter the grandson of a slave became the British army s first Black officer. Having been evacuated back to the United Kingdom from the Somme in late 1916 suffering from trench foot, the then Serjeant, F/55 Walter Tull was sent on an officer cadet training school at Gailes in Scotland after leaving hospital. After passing the officer training course he was posted back to the Middlesex Regiment as a Second Lieutenant. Walter was Mentioned in Dispatches for his actions at the Battle of Piave, Italy, and was also later recommended for the Military Cross for his gallantry. Regrettably Walter was later shot and killed when leading his men near Favreuil, north of Bapaume on the Somme, France whilst taking part in a counter-attack during the German Spring Offensive that had commenced only four days earlier. His standing amongst the men he commanded could probably best be judged by the extraordinary number that risked their own lives under fire, in a vain attempt to try and save him. TUNNELL, OLIVER. Second Lieutenant. 12th/13th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Died 24 October1918. Aged 33. Son of Edmund and Isabella Tunnell of 20, Hanley Road, Shirley, Southampton. Husband of Sarah E. Tunnell of 101, Wingrove Avenue, Newcastle-on-Tyne. 307

308 Commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 3, and on the former Congregational Church, Dover, Kent, war memorial. After graduating from Durham University, Oliver was employed as a History Master at Dover Grammar School for Boys from Originally enlisting in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), he then applied for a transfer to Machine Gun Corps which was accepted in May 1916 and he then became Private, in the Machine Gun Corps. No doubt his superiors realising his obvious potential and educational qualifications, led to him being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Northumberland Fusiliers in TURNER, BINGHAM ALEXANDER. D.S.O. Captain. 6th (Reserve) Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 2 November Aged 37. Born Folkestone, Kent. Son of the late General Edward P. Bingham Turner and Mrs. Helen Bingham Turner of Milesdown, Winchester; Hampshire. Husband of Gladys Gooch (formerly Turner) of Hodcott House, West Ilsley, Newbury, Berkshire. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 46. Bingham s MIC entry shows Rifle Brigade attached King s Royal Rifle Corps. At the time of the 1881 census the Turner family was residing at 19 Victoria Square, Jesmond, Northumberland:- Edward P.B. TURNER. Aged 48. Born Ireland. Lieutenant Colonel, Royal Artillery. Helen TURNER. Aged 40. Born Canada. Edith M. TURNER. Aged 7. Born Plymouth, Devon. Bingham TURNER. Aged 3. Born Folkestone, Kent. Eliza. TAPP. Aged 36. Born London, Middlesex. Domestic Servant. Levinia FARNDT. Aged 19. Born France. Domestic Servant. Louisa RICKETTS. Aged 19. Born Berkshire. Domestic Servant. TURRELL, GEORGE. Bombardier, th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 1 June Aged 42. Son of William and Elinor Turrell, of Dover, Kent. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried Crouy British Cemetery, Crouy-Ser-Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. E. 25. Also commemorated on the Christ Church memorial, Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1881 census the Turrell family resided at 10 Tower Street, Charlton, Dover, Kent, where George may also have been born:- William TURRELL. Aged 48. Born Barham, Kent. General Labourer. Eleanor TURRELL. Aged 47. Born Elham, Kent. Laundress. William TURRELL. Aged 21. Born Dover, Kent. Warehouseman. Mary TURRELL. Aged 15. Born Dover, Kent. Domestic Servant. 308

309 Sarah TURRELL. Aged 13. Born Dover, Kent. Emily TURRELL. Aged 10. Born Dover, Kent. George TURRELL. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Arthur TURRELL. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. UPTON, HENRY. Lance Bombardier, st Brigade Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery. Died11 November1918. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Brother of S. Upton of the Bell Inn, Shepherdswell, Dover, Kent. Buried Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Greece. Grave Ref: 739. UPTON, LOUIS. Serjeant, th (Service) Battalion, The King s (Liverpool Regiment). Died 21 April Aged 27. Born Kentish Town, London. Enlisted Shorncliffe, Kent. Resided Cheriton, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Cooper of 133, Buckland Avenue, Dover, Kent. Husband of May Upton of Vivian House, Plasmarl, Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales. Buried Chocques Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: III. C. 27. USHERWOOD, HORACE CHARLES. Private, G/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 15 September Aged 22. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Usherwood of 6, Limekiln Street, The Pier, Dover, Kent. Buried Guillemont Road Cemetery, Guillemont, Somme, France. Grave Ref: X. N. 2. The Battle of the Somme 1916 was a month old before the 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) arrived at the village of Amplier to the south east of Doullens on 8 August 1916, having travelled from Poperinghe on the Ypres Salient, Belgium. When the battalion arrived on the Somme, it was commanded by Major Herbert Walter Green of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, who was a native of Watford, Hertfordshire, and a former officer (Captain) in the West African Field Force. On being placed in command of the battalion he was made a Temporary Lieutenant Colonel. It was sad to note during researches for this brief tribute to Horace, that his Commanding Officer later became a Brevet Lieutenant Colonel and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, but had been mortally wounded whilst attached to The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment), and died on New Years Eve 1918, aged 40. After marching and camping at Puchevillers and Acheux, the battalion first went into front line trenches on the Somme to the south of Beaumont Hamel on 9 August. Several more moves were made by the battalion over the six weeks leading up to the events of 15 September 1916, which on that date was an attack mounted on an enemy position named the Quadrilateral, which was a strong defensive construction situated near Bouteaux Wood The 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) advanced at 0635 hours in support of the 8th (Service) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, which advanced a quarter of an hour before Horace s battalion, and was commanded by Colonel Lord Henry Scott. Both of the battalions which were in the 16th Brigade, 6th Division were checked during the attack by heavy German machine 309

310 gun fire and suffered many casualties. An unfortunate sequence of events had added to the casualty rolls of both battalions for the day. At 0600 hours heavy artillery opened slow barrage on a line from Morval Les Boeufs. At Zero Hour (0620 hours) an intense artillery barrage opened, which was fell short where three of the Bedfordshire Regiments companies were drawn up for the attack in shell holes. This mistake caused many casualties. To add to the chaos, Tanks which had been assigned to take part in the attack failed to materialize, and the position which was being assaulted was not heavily shelled prior to the attack. Although later re-enforced by the 2nd Battalion, York & Lancaster Regiment, which was also a battalion of the 16th Brigade, 6th Division, it was clear that the situation was getting worse as time wore on, and the other battalion in the brigade, it being the 1st Battalion, King s Shropshire Light Infantry which was held in reserve was not called forward. The 16th Brigade Commander ordered his battalions to withdraw to their original trenches to be held, and await further orders. During the night of 15/16 September the 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was withdrawn to a trench complex running to the south east of the village of Guillemont where it allowed for a roll call to be taken. Many officers and other ranks were unable to answer the call as three officers and one hundred and twenty three other ranks had lost their lives on 15 September In addition to those lost fourteen officers, and one hundred and eighty three other ranks were wounded, some of whom later succumbed to their woundings. VALE, FREDERICK JOHN. Private, st/5th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Northumberland Fusiliers. Died 4 January Born Gordon, Kincardineshire, Scotland. Enlisted Hinckley, Leicestershire. Buried Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Grave Ref: IV. F. 5. VALENTINE, WILLIAM GEORGE. Lance Corporal, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 3 May Aged 25. Son of Charles Valentine. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2 Formerly Private, 5126, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). VANSON, ROBERT WILLIAM. Able Seaman, (RFR/CH/B/9073). Royal Navy. H.M.S. Cressy. Died 22 September1914. Aged 31. Born Dover, Kent 2 October Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 3. Early in the Great War the Royal Navy maintained a patrol of old Cressy class armoured cruisers which was called Cruiser Force C in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens. On 16 July 1914 the German submarine U-9 became the first submarine in history to reload torpedoes whilst still submerged, and on 22 September 1914 the same submarine under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen who had commanded the U-9 since 1 August 1914, sighted H.M.S.Cressy, H.M.S.Aboukir and H.M.S.Hogue all 310

311 steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging, although the patrols were supposed to maintain a speed of 12 to13 knots and zigzag, the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored mainly due to the fact that there had been no enemy submarines sighted in that area of the North Sea at that stage of the war. Otto Weddigen and his crew later the same day put into practice under wartime conditions what they had perfected in peace, and were able to reload beneath the waves. Otto Weddigen maneuvered the U-9 to attack the three cruisers, and at approximately 0625 hours fired a single torpedo at H.M.S.Aboukir which stuck her on her port side. Aboukir rapidly suffered heavy flooding and despite counter flooding developed a 20 degree list and lost engine power. It was soon clear that she was a lost cause and Captain Drummond ordered her to be abandoned, although only one boat had survived the attack so most crew had to jump into the sea. At first Captain Drummond thought that H.M.S.Aboukir had been mined and signaled the other two cruisers to close and assist with the rescue of his crew, but he soon realised that it was a torpedo attack and ordered the other cruisers away, but too late. As H.M.S.Aboukir rolled over and sank only half an hour after being attacked, Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes at H.M.S. Hogue that hit her amidships and rapidly flooded her engine room. Captain Nicholson of H.M.S. Hogue had stopped his ship to lower boats to rescue the crew of H.M.S.Aboukir, thinking that as he was the other side of Aboukir from the enemy submarine he would be safe. Unfortunately the U-9 had managed to maneuver around H.M.S.Aboukir and attacked H.M.S.Hogue from a range of about only 300 yards, and it only took H.M.S.Hogue ten minutes to sink as the U-9 headed for H.M.S.Cressy which was commanded by Captain Johnson. H.M.S.Cressy had also stopped to lower boats but quickly got underway on sighting a submarine s periscope. At about 0720hours Otto Weddigen fired two torpedoes, one of which just missed but the other hit H.M.S.Cressy on her starboard side. The damage to H.M.S.Cressy was not fatal but the U-9 then turned round and fired her last torpedo as a coup de grace which hit Cressy sinking her within a quarter of an hour. Survivors of the disaster were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain, even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets. On 18 March1915 the German submarine U-29 was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth, all 32 submariners onboard perished including Otto Weddigen who had been in command since 16 February VIDLER, ALFRED ERNEST. Private, rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. Died 7 November Aged 28. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of William and Harriet Vidler of 49, Limekiln Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 34. As part of the Tidworth Garrison, Wiltshire at the time of the start of the Great War, Alfred s battalion received its orders on 12 August 1914 for embarkation and deployment to France. At 0500 hours the following morning the battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel B.F.B. Stuart, left Tidworth heading for the port of Southampton. Although the 311

312 battalion arrived at Southampton Docks later the same day, it was not till early the following morning that the 3rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment left the port on 14 August 1914 onboard the SS Bosnian. Arriving at La Harve before dawn the next day, it was not possible for the ship to dock owing to the vast amount of shipping, and she had to cast anchor off La Havre. The great roadstead was filled with crowded transports; and owing to the state of the tide it was not until the following day that it was possible for the troopship to go on to its eventual destination, Rouen. At 1330 hours on 16 August the ship stood on her way up the river Seine, as the local inhabitants on the banks cheered the troops, and excitement onboard the SS Bosnian ran high. At 2100 hours Alfred s battalion disembarked at Rouen, where they passed the night billeted in a long shed next to the ship. Early the next morning the battalion marched through the streets of Rouen to the railway station and entrained for the front. The five days which followed were very trying for battalion, as the weather was hot, and officers and other ranks became accustomed to long periods of traveling in sluggish jolting troop trains, to sleeping anywhere they could lay their heads, and to apparently needless marching and countermarching. Along with the rest of the British Expeditionary Force, Alfred s battalion was constantly on the move, during which time the battalion participated in the Battle of Mons and the Battle of Le Cateau. Having survived both costly conflicts, Alfred and his comrades arrived at Neuve-Église to the east of Bailleul, by omnibus on 1 November 1914, and later advanced via Le Romarin to positions just west of Ploegsteert. D Company moved up to the south-east corner of Ploegsteert Wood in support of the 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, with the remainder of the battalion taking over positions near Château de la Hutte the following day. After the members of D Company rejoined the other companies, Alfred s battalion then relieved the 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment on the eastern side of Ploegsteert Wood. In addition to deaths and woundings in the battalion between 3 and 5 November, on the day that Alfred lost his life it was the soldiers of C Company who suffered the most when their trenches were overrun by enemy troops. As the survivors fell back into Ploegsteert Wood the enemy was checked on the edge of the wood after a counter-attack. At least 76 other ranks of the 3rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment died on 7 November 1914, the bulk of whom were almost certainly of C Company, and Alfred was probably amongst their number. VIGOR, CHARLES JOHN. Private, th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment). Died 13 January Aged 30. Born Burwash, Sussex 4 July Enlisted Valcartier, Quebec, Canada 23 September 1914 at which time Charles was a Clerk and his parents, Frederick and Annie Vigor resided at 11 Caroline Place, Dover, Kent. At the time that the additional family details were added to the IWGC commemoration details, Charles s resided at 46, Snargate Street, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Mary s New Churchyard, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: H. C. 15. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent and on Burwash, Sussex civic war memorial, also on page 560 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance. Although quite a small village, Burwash, Sussex has 63 of its natives and residents who died n the Great War commemorated on its civic war memorial. Amongst their number is Lieutenant John Kipling, 2nd Battalion Irish Guards 312

313 who died on 20 September 1915 aged 18, the only son of Rudyard and Carrie Kipling, of Batemans, Burwash, Sussex. John is buried at St. Mary s A.D.S. Cemetery, Haisnes, Pas de Calais, France. His father Rudyard Kipling, the famous author did much to promote the rememberance of the fallen after the Great War. The 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion to which Charles belonged was organized at Valcartier, Quebec, Canada, under Camp Order 241 dated 2 September 1914, and was composed of recruits from British Columbia. Charles was a member of the First Canadian Contingent of the British Expeditionary Force 1914, at which time he served in the regiments Base Company commanded by Captain David E. Carleton. The battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel W.H. McHarg. Charles s battalion embarked at Quebec on 25 September 1914 aboard the ton SS Virginian, which had sailed from Liverpool to Quebec and Montreal, Canada on 4 September 1914, and which was being used as a troop transport vessel for the Canadian Expeditionary Force on the return voyage. The battalion disembarked from the ship in England on 14 October 1914, at which times its strength was 49 officers and 1083 other ranks. The battalion disembarked in France on 10 February 1915, becoming part of the 1st Canadian Division, 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade. It was later reinforced by the 1st Canadian Reserve Battalion. The battalion returned to England on 23 March 1919, disembarked in Canada on 18 April 1919, and was demobilized on 25 April Surplus to peace time requirements the battalion was disbanded by General Order 149 of 15 September WAIGHT, JOSEPH HENRY. Private, G/5967. C Company, 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 5 May Aged 27. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Husband of E. J. Waight of 1, Beaconsfield Villa, Hardwicke, Road, Maxton, Dover, Kent. Buried Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. G. 1A. Joseph Henry is as accessed from his CWGC commemoration. SDGW records the above casualty as John Henry Waight, and unfortunately his MIC entry only shows his initials. He is also commemorated on the Christ Church memorial, Dover, Kent. WALL, THOMAS WALTER. Gunner, Attached as a Signaler to the Head Quarters, 190th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 23 October Aged 19. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Thomas and Mary Arm Wall of 8, Millais Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: VIII. C. 9. Formerly Gunner 2/1st Kent Battery, (Territorial Force) Royal Field Artillery. WALLER, FREDERICK WILLIAM. Company Serjeant Major, 3/ th (Service) Battalion, Duke of Wellington s (West Riding Regiment). Died 7 August Born Kamptee, India. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Husband of Charlotte Waller of 41, Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey. Panel 117 to

314 WALSH, PERCY JOHN. Rifleman, nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. Died 26 October Born Newry, County Down, Ireland. Enlisted Dublin, Ireland. Resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 43. WALTER, EDWARD JAMES. Private, nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died 25 January Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres, Nord, France. Grave Ref: IX. E. 48. WARD, SIDNEY GEORGE. Private, D Coy. 1st/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 16 August Aged 23. Born Faversham, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Arthur Allan and Alice Ward of 56, Monins Road, Dover, Kent. Buried in Ranikhet, New Cemetery, Almora District, Uttaranchal State, India. Commemorated on the Madras War Memorial, Chennai, India Face 7. WATERS, WILLIAM. Private, st Battalion, King s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). Died 17 September Aged 29. Born and enlisted Liverpool, Lancashire. Husband of Lottie Mabel Waters of 3, West Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France. WATSON, A.V.C. Although obviously not a exact match, but by trying a variety of combinations of the casualties initials the following soldier was revealed, albeit with no obvious Dover connections or data, as such it should be accessed with caution:- WATSON, CHARLES ALBERT VICTOR. Private, th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died 28 April Aged 19. Enlisted Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wales. Son of Joseph Alfred and Sarah Watson of 18, Maitland Street, Heath, Cardiff, Wales. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 10. WATSON, F. No clear trace, but the following soldier has been entered below as he has a tenuous match, but in truth he is possibly not the casualty commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. It is unclear which Charlton, Kent is given as place of residence in/on SDGW, but in this case it probably means Charlton which is now in south east London that was formerly in the county of Kent, as opposed to part of Dover, Kent. According to SDGW, sixty one Charlton residents enlisted at nearby Woolwich, Kent. WATSON, FRANK. Private, G/

315 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 13 October Aged 23. Born and enlisted Woolwich, Kent. Resided Charlton, Kent Son of Mr. E. Watson. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 15 to 19. Please see Frank s more detailed commemoration at The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) section on this website. WATSON, G. No clear trace. WATSON, ROBERT CHARLES. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2. With some justification is probably fair to say that the various commentators remarks about the action fought on the 2/3 May 1917 at the village of Chérisy, to the south east of Arras, France, by the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), and by the other battalions taking part along the lines of it being a failure are well grounded. It should be hastily pointed out however, that non of those (irrespective of country etcetera) who have passed judgment on same, have ever leveled any criticisms or disparaging remarks about those who took part in the action, which was undertaken as part of the overall battles of the Scarpe. On the night of 2/3 May 1917, Robert s battalion was opposite the village of Chérisy, which is situated only a short distance to the south of the Arras to Cambrai road (D939). Waiting in readiness for the attack were the officers and other ranks of both A and B Companies who had been selected to be the assaulting companies, with C as the supporting Company, and D Company being held in reserve, waiting in shell holes to the rear of the support trench. At 0345 hours the first two companies set off towards the battalions prime objective allotted the battalion on the morning of 3 May 1917, it being a location named Keeling Copse. Fortunately all the battalion were clear of the front trench prior to it, and other locations being bombarded by German artillery. Blame for the confusion which had prevailed during the attack has been ascertained to numerous causes and people, but an overriding factor oft referred to was the fact that during the early stages of the days events, it had been pitch black. As the direct result of the lack of light, all the sections, platoons and even companies seen got mixed up and muddled. At one point virtually the whole of the 12th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, had crossed in front of the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), but with a measure of commendable skill that error was corrected. With the coming of dawn the village of Chérisy was not only reached but actually passed, and as it was entered by the battalion touch was made with the same Middlesex battalion which had strayed across its front earlier in the attack. Upon reaching the river Sensée beyond Chérisy, it was noted that the adjacent battalions had in fact lost touch with each other again. As the result of the set-back, Captain Black of A Company wisely halted the battalion, and set about forming a defensive flank along the road which runs to the south east of Chérisy. Before the reorganization could be accomplished, the troops were heavily attacked, which had the additional result of the 315

316 message sent back by Captain Black failing to get back. By 0900 hours Captain Black s Company on the right flank of the battalion was unable to move. Resulting from the situation which A Company was in, had the effect of those on the opposite flank losing what advantages it had made, with both B and C Companies having by that time also fought their way to the Sensée. Shortly afterwards, fresh orders were received by the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), to advance in unison with the 8th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment to the Red Line, and their fellow 55th Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division, members of the 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), to consolidate the Blue Line. At approximately 1100 hours unclear reports filtered through that a general retirement was taking place, at a time when stretcher bearers and the like were engaged on rescue undertakings. An unfortunate result of the confusion generated by the retirement was that those engaged on the rescues, those retiring and the enemy soldiers were to all intents and purposes intermingled, which had the knock on effect of making it virtually impossible to open fire. After the retirement was stopped the attack, albeit with less momentum got under way again, and as late as 1915 hours an attempt was made to reoccupy Cable Trench by the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), supported by Robert s battalion, but is was to no avail as the assaulting battalion was driven back by intense German machine gun and rifle fire. By the end of the day on 3 May 1917, the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was back in the original front line trenches. As the result of the failed attack at Chérisy, the battalion had two officers killed, six wounded and four missing, and the casualties to the other ranks were one hundred and twenty killed, one hundred and sixty nine wounded, and approximately one hundred missing. WATTS, ARTHUR HERBERT. Serjeant, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 21 July Aged 21. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Buried Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. N. 12. Arthur was a regular soldier, and a brother of the next casualty briefly commemorated. WATTS, WALTER EDWARD ALFRED. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 July1916. Aged 22. Born Deal, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Walter and Edith J. Watts of 38, Old Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Lonsdale Cemetery, Authuile, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II. D. 11. SDGW entry for Walter shows his date of death as occurring on 3 May 1917, at which time the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) were heavily involved in an action that was fought at Monchy-le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, during which the 6th Battalion suffered at least 376 casualties. WAYTE, JOHN NATHAN. Private,

317 1st/4th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 19 February Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Kirkee, India Memorial. Face 3. WEBB, HENRY CHARLES. Private, G/ th Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 25 October Born Bekesbourne, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Buried Heestert Military Cemetery, Zwevegem, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: Special Memorial B. 2. Henry died on the same day as Dover native Harry Whiles who was also serving in the same battalion. Both men possibly died together, and now only three men s names separate them on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. WELCH, DAVID. Private, Royal Army Medical Corps. Attached to the 149th Royal Naval Field Ambulance, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. Died 27 September Aged 26. Born Auchterderran, Fifeshire, Scotland. Enlisted Perth, Scotland. Son-in-law of Mrs. M. Foster of 1, Percival Terrace, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Louverval Military Cemetery, Doignies, Nord, France. Grave Ref: A. 33. WELLARD, GEORGE JAMES. Private, G/ nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 24 April Aged 34. Born Hougham, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Husband of Minnie F. Wellard of 9, Seven Star Street, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, (Ypres) Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 14. WELLS, ARTHUR JOHN. Private, th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) Died 26 August Born St. Mary s, Dover Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Buried Gommecourt Wood New Cemetery, Foncquevillers, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. A. 9. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 9405, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). At the time of the 1901 census for Dover and district, Arthur s 30 year old widowed mother is shown as the head of the house residing at 75a Biggin Street, Dover, Kent. WELLS, ERNEST , Rifleman. 2nd/10th (County of London) Battalion, (Hackney) London Regiment, Rifle Brigade. Died 3 December Aged 19. Son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Wells of Dover, Kent. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Buckland, Dover, Kent. 317

318 Buried Buckland Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: D Formerly Private, TR/13/58251, Training Reserve. WEST, WILLIAM. Rifleman, th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died at sea 21 February Aged 31. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Chatham, Kent. Resided Temple Ewell, Dover Kent. Son of John and Frances West of 4, Dour Terrace, Temple Ewell, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Mikra Memorial, Greece, and on Temple Ewell, Dover, Kent civic war memorial. William was numbered amongst those lost on 21 February 1917 onboard the 1,586 ton SS Princess Alberta, which was owned by M. Langlands & Sons of Glasgow and Liverpool and was Fleet Messenger No 58. The ship hit a mine that had been laid by the type UC II German UC coastal minelayer class submarine UC-23, whilst the ship was on a voyage from Styros Island to Mudros. Belonging to the Constantinople Flotilla, the UC-23 was commanded by Johannes Kirchner at the time of the mining of the SS Princess Alberta. WHILES, THOMAS PERCY. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, (Kent County) Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 25 October Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Buried Harelbeke New British Cemetery, Harelbeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: II. C. 12. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census Thomas is probably the 1 year old residing at 34 Adrian Street, Dover, Kent, with his parents Thomas and Louisa Whiles, and his 3 year old sister who was also named Louisa. WHITEMAN, EVELYN GUY. Serjeant, D/3258. B Squadron, 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards. Died 6 September Aged 24. Born Sandhurst, Hawkhurst, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Dover, Kent. Son of Nelson and Eliza Hannah Whiteman of Woodlands, River, Dover, Kent. Perreuse Chateau Franco British National Cemetery, Seine-et-Marne, France. Grave Ref: 1. D. 34. At the time of the 1901 census the Whiteman family resided at 1 Oswald Place, Dover, Kent, the census records Nelson Whiteman (Evelyn s father) as being employed as a Tram Driver. Several history books and publications concerning the Great War make mention of the fact that C Squadron, 4th Dragoon Guards, (2nd Cavalry Brigade), during the first action by the British Army in the war, a Corporal E. Thomas fired the first very shot, and that Captain Hornby was the first officer to draw blood whilst using his sword. Early on the morning of Saturday 22 August 1914, C Squadron commanded by Major Thomas Bridges, sent out two patrols going north from Mons towards Soignies, and came into contact with German forces for the first time, as the squadron headed out from Maisières it came upon four enemy cavalrymen of the 2nd Kuirassiers from the direction of Casteau. The enemy cavalrymen were spotted by the Dragoon Guards and 318

319 turned around to make a hasty retreat chased by the 1st Troop under Captain Hornby and the 4th Troop. Captain Hornby led his men in pursuit of the Kuirassiers and eventually engaged them, which resulted in casualties to the Dragoon Guards and the German cavalrymen. Evelyn is numbered amongst the 1,701 British casualties of all ranks, killed, wounded and missing between 6th and 10th September 1914, during the Battle of the Marne. Obviously a regular soldier, Evelyn was one of two other ranks of his regiment that fell on 6 September 1914, the other being Lance Corporal William Ticehurst, from Chalk Farm, London. WICKHAM, CHARLES EDWARD. Private, th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. Died 30 December1917. Aged 29. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Paddington, London. Son of George Henry and Emily Jane Wickham. Husband of Grace Wickham of 17, North Road Brightlingsea, Essex. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 8 C 9 A, and 16A, also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 6858, 2/5th Battalion, (Territorial Force) The Queen s Royal West Surrey Regiment. WICKHAM, FRANK. Private, st/6th Battalion, (Territorial Force) Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Died 13 October Aged 40. Born Hougham, Dover, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Husband of Annie Wickham of 5, Durham Hill, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Ref: Division 62. J. 4. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Formerly Private, 2746, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Albeit with the surname shown as WICKAM, at the time of the 1881 census the family was residing at Bowling Green Hill, Hougham, Dover, Kent where Frank was probably actually born, for census details please see same at his brothers commemoration below. WICKHAM, WILLIAM ERNEST. Serjeant, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May Aged 41. Born Christchurch (Dover)? Kent. Enlisted and resided Herne Bay, Kent. Husband of Eliza Jane Wickham of 1, York Terrace, King s Road, Herne Bay, Kent. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2. Awarded the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal. William is also commemorated on Herne Bay, Kent civic war memorial. SDGW shows born Christchurch, Kent which is probably the area in Dover, Kent. The 1881 census appears to show William and his family residing at Bowling Green Hill, Hougham, Dover, Kent albeit with the surname deciphered as WICKAM, as under:- George WICKAM. Aged 40. Born Dover, Kent. Police Constable. 319

320 Eliza WICKAM. Aged 41. Born Dover, Kent. George Harry WICKAM. Aged 13. Born Dover, Kent. Shop Errand Boy. Edith WICKAM. Aged 7. Born Dover, Kent. Ellen WICKAM. Aged 7. Born Dover, Kent. William WICKAM. Aged 5. Born Dover, Kent. Frank WICKAM. Aged 2. Born Dover, Kent. WICKS, ARTHUR GIFFORD. Private, nd Battalion, Honourable Artillery Company. Died 2 April Aged 19. Born Dover, Kent. Enlisted Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Resided Chesham, Buckinghamshire. Son of John Gifford Wicks and Kate Wicks of Snaefell, 39, Priory Hill, Dover, Kent. Buried Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps, Somme, France. Grave Ref: IV. G. 2. At the time of the 1901 census the Wicks family was residing at 10 Hubert Terrace, Dover, Kent, where 39 Dover native and Schoolmaster John Gifford Wicks was the Head of the house, his wife who was two years his junior was a native of Bedford, Bedfordshire. WICKS, THOMAS RAYMOND EDWARD. Driver, nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 4 May Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq. Panel 60. Both the CWGC and SDGW show Thomas with his surname spelt WICKS, but his MIC entry which also shows both his regimental numbers 2075 & , records his surname as commemorated on the war memorial, which is WICKES. WILEY. W. No clear trace, but is also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. WILLIAMS, GEORGE EDWARD JAMES. Lieutenant. 2nd Field Company, Australian Engineers. Died 25 October Enlisted 2 June 1915 at which time George stated his trade or calling as an Engineer. Resided Rock Valley, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. Son of Mrs E Williams, 5 Military Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: XXII. C. 15. George is also commemorated on the Australian National War Memorial, Canberra, Australia Capital Territories. Panel 25, and also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Formerly Driver, 2110, 3rd Field Company, Australian Engineers. George sailed from Sydney, New South Wales on 6 September 1915 onboard the 11,120 ton H.M.A.T. 320

321 Ballarat (A7), at which time he still had the rank of Driver, it is likely that he was transferred to the 2nd Field Company, Australian Engineers after being commissioned. WILLIAMS, WILLIAM HENRY. Stoker 1st Class, SS/ (RFR/PO/B/4468). Royal Navy, H.M.S. Good Hope. Died Sunday 1 November Born Dover, Kent 19 November 1890 Husband of Minnie Jane Gold (formerly Williams) of 23, Moselle Street, High Road, Tottenham, London. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Panel 5, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. During the Battle of Coronel (1 November 1914), a small British cruiser squadron commanded by 52 year old Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, K.C.V.O., C.B., was defeated by the German East Asiatic Squadron under the command of Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral) Graf von Spee, and which resulted in the loss of two armoured cruisers including the 14,000 ton Drake class armoured cruiser H.M.S. Good Hope which was lost with all hands following a massive explosion, she was also Rear Admiral Cradock s flagship. H.M.S. Monmouth was the other vessel lost, after which wisely the order was given for the rapid withdrawal of the surviving vessels, the light cruiser H.M.S.Glasgow and the armed merchant cruiser Otranto. WILLIAMS, WALTER STEPHEN SOCKWELL. Able Seaman, J/ Royal Navy. H.M.S. Defence. Died 31 May Aged 20. Born Dover, Kent 29 August 1895 Son of Walter and Alice Williams of 3, Heverham Road, Plumstead, London. Commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. Panel 12, and on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Walter is probably the 5 year old shown on the 1901 census as residing with his parents Walter and Fanny Williams at 4, Five Post Lane, Dover, Kent, despite the variation in his mothers Christian name to that on his CWGC commemoration, his 30 year old Labourer father who was Head of the house was a native of Dover, Kent. Walter s 14,800 ton Minotaur Class armoured cruiser was commissioned on 9 February 1909 and first assigned to the Home Fleet and then to the China Station in In 1913 she became the flagship of First Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean. After duty at the Dardanelles, she was sent to the South Atlantic in September 1914 to join the squadron of Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock KCVO, CB. However she was later ordered to join Rear Admiral Archibald. P Stoddart s squadron on the east coast of South America (before she managed to join with Cradock), a decision of which Cradock was unaware. Recalled to home waters, she became the flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Robert. K Arbuthnot s First Cruiser Squadron. At the Battle of Jutland in 1916 she led her squadron ahead of the battle fleet when she became engaged with the light scouting forces of the German High Seas Fleet. She damaged and brought to a stop SMS Wiesbaden but as she closed to finish off the crippled cruiser, she then came within the range of the German battle fleet. Smothered in fire from the battle cruiser SMS Derfflinger and four battleships, her forward magazine exploded, flashing along the 321

322 passageways and setting off the other magazines, H.M.S. Defence sank with the loss of her entire complement of 903 officers and ratings. WILLIS, A. Probably this casualty is the following Dover soldier who is commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, and on St. Martins School, Dover, Kent Great War memorial plaque by his second initial. On numerous occasions with similar instances of second initial commemorations, when contacting the relevant family for additional details appertaining to a casualty, it has been found to indicate the name with which he or she was usually known. It seems to have occurred a lot of times when a father and son (usually eldest) have matching first Christian names. Sometimes however it is simply due to human error on the part of Monumental Masons etcetera. WILLIS, THOMAS ARTHUR. Gunner, th Battery, 15th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died at sea 17 April Born Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Mr and Mrs Willis of 31 Longfield Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Greece. Panel 22. Thomas was numbered amongst the 51 lost on the Aegean Sea from the 6,849 ton chartered Red Star Line vessel SS Manitou, which was in use for British Military Transport, between 1915 and During the attempted torpedoing of the ship, the Turkish torpedo-boat Dhair Hissar which had escaped from Smyrna, Greece, stopped the vessel and ordered the troops onboard to abandon ship, prior to two torpedoes being fired at her. When the lifeboats were clear of the SS Manitou, the Turkish Captain of the Dhair Hissar fired both torpedoes at the ship, both of which fortunately missed. Shortly after the confrontation, the Turkish torpedo-boat was then driven off and run ashore by Royal Navy destroyers which had come up to render assistance, which ultimately resulted in the crew of the Dhair Hissar being captured. Regrettably during the hastily executed evacuation of the SS Manitou, two of the life boats were tipped over and sank, resulting in the loss of the 51 people who were known to have perished. WILLIS, H. No clear trace. WILLS, ALFRED CONSTANTINE. Driver, rd/3rd Home Counties Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 6 December Aged 21. Son of Mrs. Isabella Wills of 54, London Road, Dover, Kent. Buried St. Mary s New Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: F. L. 23. At the time of the 1901 census the Wills family with 44 year old Dover native Alfred Wills as head of house was residing a 3 Victoria Cottages, Dover, Kent, his wife Isabella as shown above was a native of Fairford, Gloucestershire, their nine children shown on the census (including Alfred junior) were all Dovorian s. In view of the fact that Alfred s CWGC commemoration shows him as being a son of Mrs. Isabella Wills it would seem likely that his father had predeceased him. WILLSON, ALBERT JOHN. Private, CH/926(S). 1st Royal Marine Battalion, Royal Naval Division, Royal Marine Light Infantry. 322

323 Died 3 August Aged 22. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Willson of 1, The Esplanade, Dover, Kent. Buried Barlin Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: I. C. 11. Also commemorated on St. Mary s parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. It is likely that 6 year old Albert J Willson residing with his parents at 1 Cowgate Hill, Dover, Kent at the time of the 1901 census is the casualty commemorated. It is unfortunate that Albert s parents are not shown with either of their Christian names on his CWGC commemoration, on the census they are recorded as being Alfred and Charlotte, Head of house 35 year old Alfred was a Mariner. WILSHIRE, CHARLES ERIC. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 6 September Aged 20. Born, enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of William Evans Wilshire and Sarah Jane Wilshire of 6, Barton Path, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 D, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. It would seem that Charles and another Dover, Kent casualty Harry Barton, were particularly unfortunate to be have been killed on the day that they were. Both Dovorian s had survived the carnage wrought on their battalion in and around Delville Wood on the Somme, when members of the battalion ( D Company) had become casualties whilst on loan to the 72nd Brigade, and many others whilst in support of the 9th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, at which time most of the casualties were the result of German shelling. On 6 September 1916, the 8th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was at Yaucourt-Buissus where the billets were good, having arrived there via the Reserve Camp at Fricourt the previous day. A total of five deaths are recorded in/on SDGW in respect of Harry and Charles battalion, two of whom are shown as died of wounds, the man shown as killed in action was Private Henry Millington from Blackfriers, Surrey. In view of where the battalion was on the date that the three are shown as killed in action, it might be (no records sighted) that they were temporarily attached to another battalion at the time of their deaths, or that all actually died of wounds which may have been from the fighting in and around Delville Wood, or elsewhere. It should be noted that unlike Charles, Harry Barton is regrettably not numbered amongst those who have been commemorated on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial. It is probably of relevance that the two soldiers who are shown as having died of wounds are at rest at Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-l Abbé, Somme, and that the three shown as having been killed are all commemorated on the Thiepval, Somme. WILSON, C E. No clear trace. WILSON, HENRY PORTER. Private, L/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 23 March Aged 23. Born Croydon, Surrey. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Henry Porter Wilson and Elizabeth Wilson of 13, Commercial Quay, Dover. Kent. Commemorated on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France. Panel

324 Henry was amongst 27 members of his battalion that lost their lives in the same defensive action that Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Bushell V.C., D.S.O., commanding the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) won the Victoria Cross, both battalions being in the 55th Brigade, 18th (Eastern Division). Two days prior to Henry s death, the part played by his battalion on the first day of the 1918 German Spring Offensive, was not only heroic but quite literally lifesaving. As the numerically superior German army pressed home their attacks, the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was the only unit of the British 3rd Corps that held its ground in the forward zone of the battle area when it was attacked north of Travecy. In making the determined stand in the face of overwhelming odds, it enabled other units in the area to successfully fall back, regroup and reorganize behind the more easily defendable positions behind the Crozat Canal near Vendeuil to the south of Saint-Quentin. On 21 March 1917 the battalion was defending a front of almost five miles in conjunction with two other 18th (Eastern) Division infantry battalions, namely the 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), and the 8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. As the day wore on the Germans captured Vendeuil, but the soldiers garrisoning the old French fort to the west of Vendeuil managed to held on to their position. the 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) tenaciously held on to the village of Moy, until an enemy break through to north. Some units managed to fight on until about 1630 hours, with the 8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment Berks holding Alaincourt. Unfortunately the supporting Divisional Field Artillery was overrun in the fog, and captured as German Storm Troopers managed to slip past the defended posts. The 7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) withdrew to a small wood to the south of their original defensive positions at 1400 hours, once there consolidation work quickly got underway, mainly in the form of constructing trenches and making suitable shell holes more secure and defendable, all of which was carried out by men who had been deprived of sleep, had been engaged in heavy fighting when outnumbered, and having not eaten. Due to being sent to assist the 7th (Service) Battalion, The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment), it was not until about 1500 hours on 23 March that those who were able so to do, occupied the positions which had hastily been constructed under duress two days previously. It has not been possible to ascertain where, when or exactly how Henry actually lost his life, but it would seem eminently feasible that it was whilst taking part in the action that Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Bushell V.C., D.S.O., won his Victoria Cross. WINKWORTH, EDWIN JOHN. Second Lieutenant. 219th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 6 December Aged 38. Born Dartford, Kent. Son of the late George and Agnes Susan Winkworth of The Brooklands, Dartford, Kent. Husband of Eleanor Winkworth of 31, Clarendon Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Achiet-Le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: II. C. 1. Formerly Serjeant, 20791, Royal Garrison Artillery. At the time of the 1881 census the Winkworth family was residing at Coachmen Cottage, Brooklands, Dartford, Kent:- George WINKWORTH. Aged 42. Born Kingston, Surrey. Coachman. 324

325 Agnes S. WINKWORTH. Aged 40. Born Badmington, Gloucestershire. Mary WINKWORTH. Aged13. Born Dartford, Kent. Evelyn WINKWORTH. Aged11. Born Dartford, Kent. Maud WINKWORTH. Aged11. Born Dartford, Kent. Annie WINKWORTH. Aged 9. Born Dartford, Kent. George J. WINKWORTH. Aged 7. Born Dartford, Kent. Harry B. WINKWORTH. Aged 4. Born Dartford, Kent. Edwin J. WINKWORTH. Aged 2. Born Dartford, Kent. Serjeant, 20791, Edwin Winkworth was an instructor at No 1 Depot, Royal Garrison Artillery (Heavy and Siege) at Derby, Derbyshire prior to, and at the start of the Great War, by which time it would appear that he had already served for about twelve or thirteen years having enlisted at Canterbury, Kent. Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 219th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery in May/June WISE, JOSEPH. D.S.M. Leading Signalman, (Mentioned in Despatches). Royal Navy. H.M.S. Flirt. Died 26 October Aged 29. Born Forest Gate, London 2 June Son of James Loftus Wise and Agnes Eleanor Wise of London. Husband of Edith Green (formerly Wise) of Corporation House, Tower Hamlets Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Panel 14, and St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. Joseph s ship, a 380 ton Torpedo Boat Destroyer which was built in 1897, sank on the day he died after being torpedoed by German Destroyers in the Straits of Dover. WOOD, CHARLES. Gunner, Clearing Office, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died16 July1918. Aged 32. Born and enlisted Dover, Kent. Resided Buckland, Dover, Kent. Husband of Gertrude Wood of 7, Charlton Avenue, Dover, Kent. Buried Buckland Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: D WOOD, J F. No clear trace. WOOD, JAMES THOMAS. Private, th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Died 3 May Aged 40. Son of George and Emily Wood. Husband of Matilda Emily Wood of St. James s Parish Hall, Dover, Kent. Born Chatham, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. (SDGW data) (Please see below re James s correct place of birth). Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 5. Formerly Private, 29006, Essex Regiment. On the day that James lost his life, the attack was supposed to take place at dawn with zero hour being set for 0345 hours but it was not light enough to attack until 0415 hours. 325

326 The supporting artillery barrage commenced badly, being irregular. It was noted that the James s battalion left their trenches before zero hour and formed up splendidly, the advance started at zero hour, but unfortunately the battalion soon slightly lost direction with the men being extended at about 12 paces could scarcely see each other. The regiment on the left of the battalion also lost direction and crowded to the right, thus confusing the battalion s attack and in so doing causing a further loss of direction. Four tanks were to be used to attack the village Fontaine. One of them being unable to even start, another went only a short distance, another one made its way down Wood Trench and then turned and came through the advancing lines of infantry. The tank debacle added even more to the confusion, and some groups retired back to the first line again. Those who made it back to the original start line following the confusion, were reformed at once by their officers and again advanced towards the assigned objectives. Unfortunately the artillery barrage had gone on and the battalion was held up at Fontaine Trench was which was strongly defended, to compound matters more was that the wire was thick and undamaged. The battalion then came under heavy machine gun fire from Vis-en-Artois-Cherisy-Fontaine Trench complex. Small detachments pushed forward to the angle which was formed by Fontaine Trench and Wood Trench. At this time the majority of the 55th Brigade had reached their first objective on the left, the position of the battalion by about 1000 hours was in front of Fontaine Trench with their right thrown back facing Wood Trench. At this time the Leicester s on the right had unfortunately not made good Wood Trench except a small portion at the western end, but some groups of the 55th Brigade reached a portion of their second objective. About 1130 hours the 14th Division situated further to the left commenced retiring, followed by the 55th Brigade and the Middlesex Regiment also some groups of the Bedfordshire Regiment, but about 1 company still remained in shell holes in front of both the Fontaine and Wood Trenches when at midday the troops on the battalions left had all got back to the starting trenches. At 1915 hours, a new Barrage commenced, and 2 Companies of the Northamptonshire Regiment attacked on the James s battalion frontage, in which elements of his battalion joined, and which was covered by rapid fire from the advanced troops, this however was not successful as the enemy put up an intense barrage and the wire in front which could not be forced. The whole lot fell back to original front line and held that during the night being relieved early in the morning by a battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment taking over. In the past when transcribing various Medway, Kent area war memorials and those in the Canterbury, Kent area, it was noticed that in several cases casualties were recorded with Chatham data that as it transpired should have been Chartham, and vice versa. It would appear that the same applies to the SDGW entry for James re place of birth as can be seen from the 1881 census entry for the Wood family, at which time they resided at Chartham Hatch, Canterbury, Kent:- George WOOD. Aged 44. Born Blean, Canterbury, Kent. Agricultural Labourer. Emily WOOD. Aged 43. Born Wye, Ashford, Kent. Beatrice WOOD. Aged 17. Born Chartham Hatch, Canterbury, Kent. Paper Sorter. Margaret S. WOOD. Aged 12. Born Harbledown, Canterbury, Kent. Paper Sorter. Herbert F. WOOD. Aged 11. Born Harbledown, Canterbury, Kent. 326

327 Anne M. WOOD. Aged 8. Born Chartham, Canterbury, Kent. William G. WOOD. Aged 6. Born Chartham Hatch, Canterbury, Kent. James T. WOOD. Aged 3. Born Chartham Hatch, Canterbury, Kent. Frederic C. WOOD. Aged 8 months. Born Chartham Hatch, Canterbury, Kent. As can be seen from the above census details, Beatrice and Margaret Wood were employed as Paper Sorters which would almost certainly mean that they had been employed at Chartham Paper Mill, which was for many years the biggest employer of both males and females in the area. WOOD, WILLIAM. Captain. 8th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 31 May Aged 36. Son of James and Anne Elizabeth Wood of Dover, Kent. Buried Dranoutre Military Cemetery, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: II. A. 8. Also commemorated on St. Mary the Virgin parish church war memorial Dover, Kent. When recalling the events of the 8th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), the authors make reference to William as being one of the family of Wood which has so long been associated with the Royal West Kent Regiment. At the time of which commenting on, the battalion was at the village of Bonningues-lès-Ardres nested in the Hem valley of the Pas de Calais, France. The battalion had arrived at Bonningueslès-Ardres on 25 November 1915, and left on 4 January 1916, at which time William was the Company Commander of A Company. A reconnoitering party had left Bonningueslès-Ardres by omnibus on 28 December 1915, to reconnoitre the Boesinghe (now Boezinge), West-Vlaanderen area of Belgium near Ypres, prior to their division (24th Division) going to the Ypres Salient. After spending thirty six hours in the trenches and undertaking reconnaissance patrols along the canal banks and dug-outs the party returned to Bonningues-lès-Ardres and reported its findings, which were not good. On 5 January 1916 the up to strength and fit battalion entrained from Audricq heading for Poperinghe. The following day the battalion relieved the 10th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Manchester Regiment in the right sector of the Hooge trenches. As was normal practice with all the battalions on the Western Front, William s battalion was constantly involved in moves to occupy front line positions, reserve positions, and at times away from the main battle areas. Time spent in and out of the front line resulted in some notable events, one of which occurred at about 1500 hours on the afternoon of 19 February 1916 when the battalion was preparing to move into trenches in Sanctuary Wood at 1700 hours. A long-range naval shell fell near B Companies Headquarters which was quickly followed by a second one, the shells resulted in the deaths and serious woundings of several of the officers. Resulting from the chaos the shelling had caused was probably observed by the Germans who capitalized on same by shelling the entire length of the battalion dug-outs, fortunately with surprisingly few casualties resulting. Despite the shelling, the battalion moved up and relieved the 8th (Service) Battalion, The Queen s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) at about 1730 hours, a mere hour an hour after the original time planned for same. Over the next few weeks during the battles engaged in by the protagonist, more and more involved the use of gas by the Germans with a particularly heavy gas attack taking place in late April, although William s battalion in reserve positions got off 327

328 comparatively lightly, those of their division at the front suffered fairly heavy casualties during and resultant of the gas attack. Shortly after the attack it was decided that a large scale raid should be undertaken in retaliation for same. Major N.I. Whitty was charged with the task of actually organising the raid, which had been decided by the planners should be led by a suitable competent and experienced officer. William was the officer chosen to lead and command the raid, assisted by Lieutenant N.B. Green, and Second Lieutenants S.E. Dove, S.B Smith and T. Bowling, the raid which was carried out was notably successful. For the bulk of May 1916 the 8th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) was out of the line and in training at Dranoutre, but on the last day of the month, what the battalion historians aptly describe as one of the tragedies in the history of the Battalion occurred. Whilst out patrolling with some of his raiding party, William was killed instantly by a shot fired by a German sniper, the following is also verbatim from the battalion history. It is impossible to exaggerate the worth of Capt. Wood s work while he was with the Battalion, or the sense of personal loss felt by all ranks when news of his death reached us. Brave as a lion himself, he was a strict disciplinarian. His work and influence as Officer Commanding A Company had been marvelous, and the effect of his example upon the whole Battalion was seen at every turn. Perhaps one can sum up his record with the Battalion by saying that at first most of us were afraid of him, then we came to respect him, and last we came to love him. William was laid to rest at Dranoutre Military Cemetery the day after his death. Despite being in an active service area, virtually the whole of the battalion attended William s burial, as did Brigadier-General Mitford the Brigade Commander and his staff. Major-General Sir John Edward Capper, ( ) the General Officer Commanding the 24th Division, , wrote to Major (acting Lieutenant Colonel) J.C. Parker, the battalion Commanding Officer expressing the personal loss he felt at the death of William, and in the letter alluded to him being the finest Company Commander in the 24th Division. Prior to commencing these brief transcriptions of the Dover, Kent civic war memorial, the transcriber was aware of only two of the Great War casualties commemorated on it, one being Thomas Boakes due to his friendship and death with Henry Cuttress, the other Dovorian being William Wood. From pre-school days the transcriber had/has grilled veterans of the two world wars about their wartime experiences. Over fifty years ago was related the death of Captain Bill Wood by a neighbour who had been amongst those genuine volunteers of the battalion chosen to bear William to his grave. Despite the passage at that time of almost 40 years, my informant who was regarded as a local hard case clearly recalled his former Company Commander with real affection and emotion. WORSTER, ALEXANDER FREDERICK. MC & Bar. Captain. 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 23 November Born Hornsey, Middlesex. c1894. Son of Alexander and Elizabeth Worster of the Dublin Man of War, River, Dover, Kent. Buried Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, Somme, France. Grave Ref: II.E.5. Alexander was a brother of the next casualty commemorated, and is also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial which is located in the churchyard of St. Peter 328

329 & St. Paul, also commemorated on an impressive stained glass window at the Grammar School for Boys, Dover, Kent, it being the tribute to the former pupils of the school who lost their lives during the years of the Great War. Formerly Private.1830 and , East Kent Yeomanry and Captain in the Corps of Hussars. Alexander was awarded both the Military Cross and a Bar whilst serving as a Second Lieutenant in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Despite repeated attempts to locate London Gazette data appertaining to both awards, thus far only his Bar details have been found which appeared in the Supplement to the London Gazette dated 17 September 1917, which was originally Gazetted on 18 June, 1917 :- T./2nd Lt. Alexander Frederick Worster. M.C., E Kent R:- For Conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when commanding his company against a hostile raid. He collected every available man with the greatest coolness under intense barrage, and posted them at points of advantage, moving up and down the line encouraging his men with a complete disregard of danger. His great courage and personal example caused the raid to be repulsed with great loss to the enemy. Later though heavily sniped, he brought in a wounded enemy from No Man s Land, thereby obtaining important identification. At the time of 1901 census for Dover and district, the Worster family was residing at 72 Biggin Street, Dover, Kent. Alexander was a brother of the next casualty commemorated. At Dover, Kent on 21 April 1918, Brigadier General Sir W.B. Hickey, K.C.B, presented the Military Cross and Bar which had been awarded to his late son to Mr Alexander Worster. WORSTER, D. F. As commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial is probably the following local soldier:- WORSTER, DONALD EDWARD. Private. G/ th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 11 September Born River, Dover, Kent. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of Alexander and Elizabeth Worster of the Dublin Man of War, River, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 17. Although SDGW shows place of birth as above, if the Worster casualties were in fact brothers the 1910 census entry for Donald E Worster shows born Margate, Kent as opposed to the SDGW entry which records born River, Dover, Kent, as above. WYBORN, DANIEL. Fireman. Mercantile Marine. S.S. Achille Adam (London). Died 23 March Aged 63. Born Sholden, Deal, Kent. Son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Wyborn. Husband of Elizabeth Wyborn of 4, Rosebery Terrace, Underdown Road, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, and on the South Eastern and Chatham Railway war memorial, at the former Dover Marine Railway Station. At the time of the 1881 census the Wyborn family was residing at 33 Clarendon Street, Hougham, Dover, Kent, Daniel WYBORN. Aged 27. Born Deal, Kent. Coachman (Domestic Servant) 329

330 Mary A. WYBORN. Aged 36. Born Dover, Kent. Ernest WYBORN. Aged 5. Born Herne Bay, Kent. Florence WYBORN. Aged 1. Born Ashford, Kent. Daniel amongst six lost when his 460 ton ship built in 1886, was captured by the German coastal minelayer submarine UC-66 commanded by Herbert Pustkuchen off the French coast at a position approximately 30 nautical miles due south of Beachy Head, Sussex, and was sunk by bombs. Four of those lost are commemorated on the Dover, Kent civic war memorial. It would appear that the deaths of the crew were due to exposure as opposed to the actual sinking of the ship. It is thought that the UC-66 was probably later lost with all the submarines twenty three crew, on 12 June 1917, having been forced to dive by H.M.T. Sea King. After being depth charged, it is suspected that the submarine finally blew up from an internal explosion of her own mines still on board whilst submerged. WYBORN, JAMES HENRY. Driver, th Battery, 330th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 11 November Aged 36. Enlisted and resided Dover, Kent. Son of John and Hannah Wyborn of Dover, Kent. Husband of Nellie Wyborn of 25, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. Buried Busigny Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France. Grave Ref: II. B. 25. James was also commemorated on the former Congregational Church, Dover, Kent war memorial. James was a younger brother of the next casualty briefly commemorated. WYBORN, JOHN FREDERICK. Able Seaman, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Laforey. Died 23 March Aged 40. Born Great Mongeham, Deal, Kent 12 March Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Panel 22. At the time of the 1881 census the Wyborn family were residing at 1 Edgar Crescent, Buckland, Dover, Kent:- John WYBORN. Aged 42. Born Walmer, Kent. Malt Maker. Hannah WYBORN. Aged 40. Born Walmer, Kent. Susan WYBORN. Aged 18. Born Mongeham, Kent. Richard WYBORN. Aged 8. Born Mongeham, Kent. Adelade WYBORN. Aged 7. Born Mongeham, Kent. John WYBORN. Aged 4. Born Mongeham, Kent. Richard ASHMAN. Aged 24. Born Sutton, Kent. Malt Maker. (Boarder). Built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, at Govern on the Clyde and launched on 28 March 1913 as the Forizel, the 1,000 ton Laforey or L class torpedo boat destroyer H.M.S. Laforey, was in service as a vessel in the Dover Patrol, on the 23 March 1917 along with her sister ship HMS Laertes and had helped to provide escort cover for several cargo ships to France, using the Folkestone to Boulogne route. With the cargo ships safely berthed at Boulogne, the destroyers had turned for home, but at about 1630 hours a large explosion detonated amidships onboard H.M.S. Laforey when she was mined. The ship immediately broke in half, with the stern sinking immediately 330

331 with all those onboard at that part of the ship, but her bow actually remained afloat for some time, as the crew of HMS Laertes tried desperately to undertake a rescue of the surviving crew members of H.M.S. Laforey. Despite their heroic efforts, just 18 sailors from H.M.S. Laforey survived her loss, but 59 other crew members perished. Less than a week before her loss, H.M.S. Laforey had gone to the assistance of an Acasta class destroyer H.M.S Paragon which had been torpedoed by German destroyers that were attacking the Dover Barrage. H.M.S Paragon was hit be a torpedo and gunfire and broke in half within eight minutes and sank. Some of the ships depth charges exploded killing some of the survivors. During the hoped for rescue of survivors, H.M.S. Laforey had used her searchlights to spot men in the waters of the English Channel, having arrived on the scene soon after hearing the detonations onboard H.M.S Paragon. Despite the best efforts of the crew of H.M.S. Laforey and H.M.S Llewellyn in the rescue attempts, more men died when the latter ship was also torpedoed. WYNNE, ERIC RALPH LOVATT. Captain. 1st Battalion, 10th Gurkha Rifles. Died 26 October Aged 21. Born Dover, Kent. Son of Arthur Edwin Wynne, M.A. (Headmaster) of Blundell s School, Tiverton, Devon, and the late Georgina Wynne. Commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq. Panel 57. For a number of years Eric s father, a native of Stafford, Staffordshire had been a Schoolmaster at Dover College during the time that the Reverend W.C. Compton, M.A. had been the Headmaster ( ). At the time of the 1901 census the family was residing at College House, St. Martins Hill, Dover, Kent, in addition to Eric and his parents, his sister Olive who was a year older than him was also at home. At the start of the Great War Eric s battalion remained in Burma providing reinforcements and replacements to the 2nd Battalion of the regiment that was on active service until At least five drafts were supplied. The third draft was sunk at sea by an Austrian submarine in the Aegean with the loss of 187 men. On 15 August 1916 the 1st Battalion embarked from Rangoon for the Middle East after a farewell ceremony given by the Governor of Burma. Both battalions of the regiment fought in Mesopotamia from Much of the regiment's involvement in the war was relatively quiet although it did take part in a number of engagements including the offensive against Baghdad in 1917, and in late October 1918 was engaged during the Battle of Sharqat, it being effectively being the last significant action of the Mesopotamian Campaign. The 1st Battalion remained in Mesopotamia upon the cessation of hostilities, later it saw service during the revolt of Southern Kurdistan in WYNNE, MAURICE ST. CLAIR PATRICK. D.C.M. Lieutenant. 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Died 11 October Aged 23. Son of Norah Keilthy (formerly Wynne) of Avenue Villa, 15, Frith Road Dover, Kent and the late William Wynne. Buried Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, Somme, France. Grave Ref: XIV. C

332 Formerly Private, 17986, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. As part of the 29th Division, the 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers participated in the landings at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli peninsula on 25 April 1915 with the division. Whilst on the peninsula the division took part in the battles of Battles for Krithia and the Achi Baba heights. Later in the campaign on 4 August 1915, the battalion relieved the 1st Battalion, King s Own Scottish Borderers on the firing line, and for the first two days ensconced in the positions held by the battalion, had a fairly uneventful time when judged by the events taking place all around where it was located. On 6 August the enemy activities to its front increased. It was during that time that the then Lance Corporal, risked his life on a number of occasions taking ammunition to the firing line in advance of his party under heavy fire to find out where it was most required. During the night of 6/7 August, A and D Companies withdrew into ravines where ground sheets were spread out, in addition to which brushwood and blankets dragged about on a rope thereby creating dust clouds in an effort to deceive the enemy aircraft overhead, the idea (which apparently worked) was to create the impression of the arrival of a strong force of reinforcements. On 1 February 1916, the London Gazette published the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal to Lance Corporal, 17986, M.St.C.P Wynne, of the 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, for his gallantry at Gallipoli on 6 August Maurice again fought with distinction during the attack at Beaumont-Hamel on the first day of the battle of the Somme, 1st July From the 6 to 12 October 1918 the Second Battle of Le Cateau was fought and on 10 October British units captured Le Cateau and Rouvroy to the south-east of Lens, and Sallaumines. The actual assault and capture of Le Cateau was by the 5th (Service) Battalion, Connaught Rangers of the 66th Division, but not cleared until a week later. Although Le Cateau was, and still is a small town with its size therefore not being relative to its strategic significance and importance, but during the Great War it had been a German railhead, and an important hospital centre. During the fighting for the town Maurice was wounded, and succumbed to same on 11 October Prior to enlisting for the duration off the war, Maurice, a devout Roman Catholic had been studying at a Kent Theological College in preparation for the priesthood. YOUNG, A.G. No trace. YOUNG, JOHN. Diver s Linesman, Mercantile Marine Reserve. Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fidget. Died 1 October Aged 45. Born Dunmow, Essex 19 April Son of John and Mary Ann Young of Dunmow, Essex. Husband of Rosa Amy Young of 69, Clarendon Place, Dover, Kent. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Dover Kent. Grave Ref: I. H. 2. Formerly served in the Royal Navy with the official Number: SECOND WORLD WAR 332

333 ADLEY, RONALD CHARLES. Aircraftman 1st Class, Royal Air Force. Died 1 August Aged 21. Son of Charles and Minnie Gertrude Adley of Dover, Kent. Husband of Phyllis Eileen Adley of Dover, Kent. Buried Chungkai War Cemetery, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Grave Ref: 8. H. 5. Ronald is also numbered amongst the 2,119 Royal Air Force personnel who are commemorated in the Book of Rememberance, at the Far East Prisoner of War church, of (Our Lady & St Thomas of Canterbury), Wymondham, Norfolk. The church was constructed in 1952 to be a permanent memorial, to those who suffered as prisoners of war and internees of the Japanese during the years of the Second World War. BAKER, S. M. No trace. BONES, JOHN FREDERICK HARRY. Lance Bombardier, Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. Died 8 May Aged 23. Born and resided Kent. Son of John Richard and Elizabeth Bones. Husband of Elsie Margaret Bones of Dover, Kent. Buried Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave Ref: 23. H. 14. Also commemorated in the Dover, Kent Second World War Book of Remembrance. BOURNER, A J. As commemorated on the war memorial is probably: - BOURNER, ALBERT EDWARD JAMES. Flying Officer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 48 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 7 January Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Panel 66, and on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial. Also commemorated in the Dover, Kent Second World War Book of Remembrance. During the years leading up to the Second World War, Albert s squadron had at different times and locations been Kent based, having been reformed on 25 November 1935 at R.A. F. Bicester, Oxfordshire from a nucleus of personnel provided by C Flight of No 101 Squadron. Originally planned as a bomber squadron the unit moved to R.A.F. Manston, Kent where it re-allocated to the General Reconnaissance role, and became the first unit to receive the Avro Anson in March However, in the previous January the squadron had taken on a flight of Saro Cloud amphibians from the Calshot and for six months it carried out some early Air Sea Rescue training. As an Anson unit, it took on a training role for No 16 Group and at one point was equipped with eighty aircraft. It relinquished its training role in September 1938 and reverted to being a General Reconnaissance unit on being posted to R.A.F. Eastchurch, Kent. During the early days of the war an element of the squadron was based at R.A.F. Detling, Kent. Whilst based at R.A.F. Thorney Island, Hampshire the squadrons aircraft flew anti shipping patrols along the Channel coast, particularly against German E-boats. In May 1940 the squadron began to receive Beauforts but owing to problems with the engines, the squadron handed over its aircraft to No 217 Squadron at R.A.F. St. Eval, Cornwall and moved to R.A.F. 333

334 Hooton Park, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire where it resumed General Reconnaissance patrols over the Irish Sea. Following a detachment being sent to the Shetlands Islands, the whole squadron re-located there in July 1941, and it carried out the same duties as before over the North Sea and along the Norwegian coast. At this time the squadron was reequipping with Hudson s, which it was to fly, in various forms until early In October the squadron was moved to R.A.F. Skitten, Caithness, Scotland. After being based at Skitten the Hudson s of No. 48 Squadron were transferred to Wick and would remain there for the next nine months. The squadron at that time consisted of approximately 24 Hudson s divided into A and B flights. Fulfilling their role as a General Reconnaissance squadron, the Hudson crews were mainly engaged on antisubmarine patrols, convoy patrols, shipping strikes and maritime reconnaissance in the North Sea area. Operations off the Norwegian coast were conducted at night although the long summer evenings were to afford little protection. The early months of Albert s squadrons tenure were difficult ones compounded by the bad weather and the loss of nine Hudson s, including one carrying the commanding officer. Some of these losses were caused by Hudson s making heavy landings and invariably catching fire. The snowfall at the time being so heavy that the airmen did not bother to clear the snow, but just leveled it with a steam roller and marked a soot line down the middle of the runway for the landing aircraft to sight on. During the first three months of 1942, No. 48 Squadron, R.A.F. lost twenty crews on operations, including when Albert died during a mission to Norway, which was undertaken on the night of 6/7 January COE, CYRIL RUPERT. Sergeant (Air Gunner), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 17 May Aged 21. Son of John and Adelaide Caroline Agnes Coe of Pontnewydd, Monmouthshire, Wales. Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: Section F.R. Grave 22. Also commemorated in the Dover, Kent Second World War Book of Rememberance. Flown by Pilot Officer Frederick G. Murray R.C.A.F., Stirling bomber EE956 of the 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit R.A.F. took of from its base at R.A.F. Winthorpe, Newark, Nottinghamshire, at 2334 hours engaged on a night navigation exercise. During the flight the aircraft having headed south, encountered a high icing index to such severity that control of the Stirling was lost by the pilot which resulted in it spiraling out of control. As the bomber spiraled down it broke up and caught fire, with most of the resulting debris falling into an ironstone quarry which was situated a mile north east of the village of Rothwell, Kettering, Northamptonshire, at 2353 hours, killing all of the aircrafts nine crew members. Frederick Murray and three other Canadians were laid to rest in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey. Sergeant (Flight Engineer) Kenneth Foster aged 20 from Leeds, Yorkshire was laid to rest in Oxford (Botley) Cemetery which was designated a Royal Air Force regional cemetery during the Second World War, the remaining casualties were buried in their home locations. In addition to Cyril, Flight Sergeant (Flight Engineer) Arthur Percy Hebbes, aged 22 also came from Kent and was buried at Faversham, Kent, he is commemorated in the Faversham, Kent Second World War, Book of Rememberance which is held at the parish church of St. Mary of Charity, Faversham, Kent (kindly note concerns for the book at Faversham war memorials section on this website), sadly Arthur had only recently married his wife Edith before he was 334

335 killed when the Stirling crashed. At the subsequent R.A.F. Board of Inquiry into the crash considered that the pilot had not been given sufficient training on instrument flying in view of previous reports indicating a weakness in this respect, and that the pilot was assessed as being weak on instrument flying, which may have been a contributory factor. It was also recorded that the aircraft broke up in cumulus cloud and caught fire following loss of control, and that the icing index was high. It was thought that the excessive loads imposed by the loss of control caused a structural failure of the aircrafts tail. In view of the high proportion of incidents involving same (Sterling s tail), it would appear that the latter comment was added by the board in an almost matter of fact way, no doubt due to wartime necessities coupled with the overall outstanding contribution made by the aircraft and their brave crews, that apparent weakness was put on hold for later attention.1661 Heavy Conversion Unit R.A.F. was originally formed on 8 August 1942 as the No. 9 Conversion Flight, based at R.A.F. Waddington, Lincolnshire from the time of its inception until 7 October Several moves and changes of title etcetera were made to the unit until the move to RAF Winthorpe in January 1943 until 24 August 1945, from January 1943 to February 1945 the main aircraft flown was the Mark III Stirling bomber. CRAVEN, ALFRED. Sergeant (Air Gunner) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 44 (Rhodesian) Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 27 July Aged 33. Husband of Elsie J. Craven of Dover, Kent. Buried La Boissiere-Sur-Evre Communal Cemetery, Maine-et-Loire, France. Grave Ref: Collective Grave. 178 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitos of No 5 Group, Bomber Command carried out an accurate attack on the railway yards at Givors, Rhône, France. When the bombers got near and over the target area, a large thunderstorm took place which resulted in violent turbulence and lightning, with blue sparks lighting up all the aircraft aerials, wing edges and propellers as they were thrown about. As Alfred and his fellow crewmen having only recently completed their training, and engaged on their first mission, the prevailing weather over the target area must have been particularly daunting. Having dropped their bomb-load the Lancaster was on its homeward leg when it was shot down, it being amongst 4 Lancasters from Alfred s squadron, and 2 Pathfinder Mosquitos of No.139 (Jamaica) Squadron that were lost on the raid. After the war a permanent, and quite impressive memorial was erect where the Lancaster crashed, in memory of Alfred and the crew who all died together, to this day members of the local populace (and others) visit the memorial and also lay floral tributes beside it. During the Great War one of the Commanding Officers of No. 44 Squadron had been Major Arthur Harris, who subsequently became Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur (Bomber) Harris. No. 44 Squadron reverted to operational status on 1 June 1939 and following the outbreak of war by which time it was commanded by Wing Commander John N. Boothman, (later Air Marshal) carried out sweeps over the North Sea and leaflet dropping raids. It started bombing raids in April 1940 but by the end of 1941 it was declared non-operational and tasked with working up a new type - the Lancaster. Operations began in March and on 17 April a daring low level daylight was attempted on the M.A.N. engine works in Augsburg. This resulted in the award of the Victoria Cross to the leader of the raid, 335

336 Squadron Leader J Nettleton, a flight commander on No. 44. The squadron continued to operate in Bomber Command s Main Force until the end of the Second World War. EALDEN, FREDERICK WILLIAM. Sergeant (Air Gunner), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 90 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 26 June1943. Aged 21. Son of William and Selina Ealden. Husband of Jean Marion Ealden (née Hibbert) of Kearsney, Dover, Kent. Buried Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. Grave Ref: Collective Grave 23. E Delivered to 90 Squadron, Royal Air Force on 9 June 1943 by her constructor, Austin Motors Ltd, Stirling bomber EH900 WP-Y was virtually a brand new aircraft when it crashed killing all seven crew members at Legden about 6 miles to the south east of Anaus, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, whilst engaged on a raid on the important coal mining town of Gelsenkirchen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. In the early part of the twentieth century, Gelsenkirchen was the most important coalmining town in all of Europe, and due to its smoking stacks it was called the city of a thousand fires. During the time when the Nazis held sway in Germany, Gelsenkirchen, owing to its location in the heart of the Ruhr industrial area, was a centre of wartime industry. In no other time had Gelsenkirchen s industry been so highly productive. This brought about, on the one hand, following the massive job cuts during throughout the 1920s, a short-term boost in mining and heavy-industry jobs. On the other hand, the city naturally became an obvious and important designated target of many heavy Allied bombing raids which were carried out during the Second World War, and which destroyed about three quarters of Gelsenkirchen. Flown by 27 year old Flight Lieutenant, Frederick C. McKenzie R.A.A.F. from Three Springs, Western Australia, the bomber had taken off from R.A.F. West Wickham, Cambridgeshire at 2329 hours on 25 June All the crew were initially buried by the German authorities at Legden, but since the cessation of hostilities and the creation of the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, all were moved to the cemetery which is the largest in Germany. R.A.F. West Wickham was opened in May 1943 when 90 Squadron, Royal Air Force moved there from R.A.F. Ridgewell, Essex to fly Stirlings. In June their targets were Krefeld, Mulheim and Wuppertal, with raids on Hamburg in July and 15 planes went on the Peenemunde raid. In August they attacked Turin twice but the No. 31 Base, R.A.F. station s name had caused some confusion so it was renamed R.A.F. Wratting Common on 21 August In October, Squadron, Royal Air Force moved to R.A.F. Tuddenham so that in November of that year Number 1651 Conversion Unit could vacate R.A.F. Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire to train new Stirling pilots at R.A.F. Wratting Common, which continued until November EALDEN, WALTER JAMES SIDNEY. Lance Serjeant, th (7th Battalion, The Queen s Own Royal West Kent Regiment) Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps. Died 14 September Aged 25. Born and resided Kent. Son of William and Helen Ealden. Husband of Madge Grace Ealden of Cranbrook, Kent. 336

337 Buried Salerno War Cemetery, Italy. Grave Ref: II. D. 10. Pre war member of The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment). Following the disaster in France, and the Low Countries the tradition reconnaissance units of the divisions, the divisional cavalry regiments, were absorbed by the Royal Armoured Corps to form new Armoured Divisions. The need for reconnaissance units within divisions was clearly recognized by the Bartholomew Committee, formed by General Sir John Dill, the then Chief of the Imperial General Staff, to study the lessons learned from the campaign fought in Flanders (1940) and to make recommendations. Interim units were formed, from re-rolled infantry battalions and Anti-Tank units, as well as those from new formations. The Bartholomew report makes clear that; the unit should itself be a tank unit, and should belong to the R.A.C. The R.A.C. is, however, fully occupied with the expansion of armoured formations which will also absorb, at any rate for the present, all tank production. Moreover, these reconnaissance units will usually operate under the general cover of armoured divisions. It is considered therefore that it should be an infantry unit suitably organized to carry out protective reconnaissance, the armoured element consisting of carriers and scout-cars, and the un-armoured of motorcyclists. Resulting from the above decision the bulk of 7th Battalion, The Queen s Own Royal West Kent Regiment was absorbed into the Reconnaissance Corps, Royal Armoured Corps, and was equipped with tanks, whilst others went to the 2 nd Battalion, The Queen s Own Royal West Kent Regiment, on 2 May 1943 Sir Charles Bonham- Carter inspected the 7th Battalion on its last parade. Later the same year the amphibious landing code-named Operation Avalanche was carried out on 9 September 1943 at Salerno, Italy, by the 5th Army, which was comprised of British and American forces, and was the Second World War s first large-scale opposed landing to take place in Europe. In order to secure surprise, the decision had been taken to launch the assault without prior naval or aerial bombardment of the enemy positions, but in stark contrast to what the naval commanders involved in the planning of Operation Avalanche had predicted, tactical surprise was not achieved. As the first wave approached the shore at Paestum, a loudspeaker from the landing area proclaimed in perfect English: Come on in and give up, we have you covered. Despite the dire warning the Allied Anglo-American forces eventually landed, but with horrendous casualties. The Germans had established artillery and machine-gun posts, and scattered tanks through the landing zones which made any progress very difficult, but the beach areas were successfully taken by the assaulting force. Around 0700 hours a concerted counterattack was made by the 16th Panzer division which resulted in heavy casualties, but was eventually beaten off, primarily as the result of accurate and welcome naval gunfire support. Both the British and the Americans made slow progress, and still had a 10 mile gap between them at the end of day one. They linked up by the end of day two, and occupied approximately 40 miles of coast line which was to a depth of six or seven miles. For many days the fate of those who had gone ashore, and to a lesser extent that of their opposition, hung in the balance as the bitter fighting ebbed and flowed. On the day Walter lost his life, when his tank was hit by an enemy flame-thrower, GIBBENS, JAMES DOUGLAS. Gunner, Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. Died 1 July 1941.Aged

338 Born and resided Kent. Commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt. Column 232 (Syria/Lebanon). James was a pre war Territorial Army member of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. GILLMAN, ERNEST EDWARD. Fireman. Merchant Navy. S.S. Maid of Orleans (London). Died 28 June Aged 41. Discharge number Husband of Beatrice Mary Gillman, of Harwich, Essex. Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London. Panel 66. Ernest was one of five crewmen who perished when his 2,385 ton ship was sunk southeast of St.Catherine s Point, Isle of Wight at 2130 hours by the German submarine U-988 commanded by 24 year old Oberleutnant zur See, Erich Dobberstein. Built in 1918 by W. Denny & Bros Ltd, of Dumbarton, Scotland, at the time of her loss the S.S. Maid of Orleans was owned and operated by the Southern Railway Company and was in convoy FXP-18. The ship had brought troops to the Normandy beachheads and was on her return trip at the time of her loss. The ships Master, Herbert L. Payne, 72 crew members, 18 DEMS gunners and two passengers who were Observer Corps personnel were picked up by the Royal Navy frigate H.M.S. Hotham (K583) commanded by Lieutenant Commander S. Ayles, the Royal Navy destroyer H.M.S. Eglinton commanded by Lieutenant Commander F.M. Graves and a British tug Empire Roger and safely landed at Portsmouth. Oberleutnant zur See Erich Dobberstein was numbered amongst the 50 submariners who perished in the English Channel off the west coast of the island of Guernsey on 29 June 1944, when the U-988 was sunk by depth charges from the British frigates H.M.S. Essington, H.M.S. Duckworth, H.M.S. Domett and H.M.S. Cooke, and a Liberator aircraft of 244 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Coastal Command. GILLMAN, JOHN WILLIAM THOMAS. Private, nd Battalion, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment). Died 6 November Aged 23. Born and resided Kent. Son of John R. and Edith F. Gillman of Dover, Kent. Buried El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt. Grave Ref: XIX. E. 14. GILLMAN, KEITH REGINALD. Pilot Officer, Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 25 August Aged 19. Son of Richard Gordon Gillman and Gladys Annie Gillman of River, Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Panel 8, also commemorated on River, Dover, Kent civic war memorial, and on the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le- Ferne, Kent. He is also commemorated on the impressive Biggin Hill memorial plaque located in St George s, Royal Air Force Chapel of Remembrance, being numbered amongst the 454 allied aircrew that sadly lost their lives during the Second World War on operations from the Biggin Hill Sector. Keith was a pupil at the Dover, Kent Grammar School for Boys from 1934 to 1939, where he is commemorated in the Second World War Book of Rememberance. As one of The Few, Keith lost his life during the Battle 338

339 of Britain, at about 1835 hours on Sunday 25 August 1940 Hurricane N2433 of 32 Squadron, Royal Air Force, based at Biggin Hill, Kent, which was flown by Keith was reported as missing in aerial combat over the English Channel off Dover, Kent. 32 Squadron, had taken off to intercept twelve German Dornier Do17 bombers, which were being escorted by thirty six fighter aircraft. Keith s was one of two 32 Squadron Hurricane s that failed to return from the engagement with the Luftwaffe fighter escort. The other aircraft was flown by Pilot Officer J. Rose who parachuted into the English Channel. Consisting of just eight aircraft following the loss of two aircraft, both of which were shot down by Messerschmitt Bf 109 s, the tattered remnants of Keith s squadron was withdrawn from the battle and the Commanding Officer John Worrell was placed in command of the whole Biggin Hill Sector. Keith had joined No. 32 Squadron on 10 May 1940, but had not actually flown on an operational sortie until 7 June 1940, before he lost his life he had already been shot down by a Messerschmitt Bf 109 on 19 July GOLDFINCH, WILLIAM LACEY. Serjeant, (Highland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. Died 26 July Aged 26. Born and resided Kent. Son of William Lacey Goldfinch and Ellen Charlotte Goldfinch of Whitfield, Dover, Kent. Husband of Gladys Eileen Goldfinch of Dover, Kent. Buried La Delivrande War Cemetery, Douvres, Calvados, France. Grave Ref: IV. E. 7. William was a pupil at the Dover, Kent Grammar School for Boys from 1929 to 1933, where he is also commemorated in the Second World War Book of Rememberance. As a Divisional Troops unit of the 3rd Infantry Division, the 76 (Highland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery had been in the D-Day landings in Normandy on 6 June Following the amphibious landing and various minor engagements with the enemy, the regiment took part in the fighting in and around Caen from 4 July 1944 to 18 July 1944, and from the latter date until 23 July 1944 took part in the Battle of Bourguebus Ridge. Following William s death, his regiment later fought in the Mount Pincon battle during Operation Bluecoat stage of the Normandy battles. Latter the regiment was engaged in battles in Holland and Germany, primarily around the river Rhine. William s Field Regiment served with the 3rd Infantry Division from 5 March 1940 until 17 August In Normandy and throughout the North West Europe Campaign the regiment was equipped with M7 Priest, Sherman based self-propelled guns. With a seven man crew, the M7 Priest was armed with a 105mm main gun and a 12.7mm heavy machine gun in addition to which was the crews personal weapons. Included amongst the unit were vehicles designated M7 Priest, Sherman OP, the OP standing for Observation Post, these machines were stripped of their main gun. Although British artillery units which were armed with M7 Priest s, as they were American and not a standard British Army type, the 69 rounds ammunition carried on each vehicle was not a British standard calibre, and had to be supplied separately for the M7 batteries, which made for a considerable logistic complication. GREY, REGINALD WILLIAM. Sapper, Field Company, Royal Engineers. 339

340 Died 10 October Aged 22. Born and resided Kent. Son of Reginald and Winifred Grey of Dover, Kent. Husband of Emily Grey of Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece. Grave Ref: 18. F. 1. Reginald was a pre war member of the Royal Engineers. HAMMOND, ARTHUR EDWARD JAMES. Private, th Battalion, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment). Died 18 November Aged 23. Born and resided Kent. Son of Emily Hammond of Dover, Kent. Buried Leros War Cemetery, Greece. Grave Ref: I. B. 3. Pre war member of The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment). Following the tragic loss of so many of the battalions personnel who were lost with the sinking of H.M.S. Eclipse on the night of 23/24 October 1943 on the way to Leros, it was tragic that so many more died whilst in action on Leros, one of whom was Arthur. Due to a break down in communications, the positions of the various British units that were spread around the island of Leros resulted in them becoming untenable in the face of numerical superior enemy forces, combined with control of the skies above the island. The Germans bombed the British and Greek naval forces, based at Leros, and sunk both the L class minesweeper H.H.S. Intrepid and the Greek battleship Vassilissa Olga, and at the same time caused many casualties amongst defending ground troops. Without air support, the ground and naval forces in the area could not effectively defend themselves from the relentless air attacks that would be unleashed upon them by the Luftwaffe. On 12 November 1943 at 0430 hours, after almost fifty days of air strikes, an invasion fleet landed troops at Palma Bay and Pasta di Sopra on the north-east coast, to partake in what the Germans called Operation Taifun. There were other landings at Tangeli Bay, near Leros town that were heavily contested by the Royal Irish Fusiliers, who prevented the capture of some key defensive positions but were unable to stop the actual landings. In the early afternoon Luftwaffe fighter-bombers machine-gunned and bombed the area between the Gurna and Alinda Bays, followed by Junkers JU 52 aircraft which dropped some 500 elite Fallschirmjaeger (Paratroopers) of the Brandenburg Division, the vast majority of which landed safely despite concerted British efforts to stop them. The position of the German airborne landings effectively divided the island in two, separating Arthur s battalion and a company of the King s Own (Liverpool Regiment) on the south side of the island from the rest of the garrison. Counter attacks during the rest of that day failed. Compounding the perilous British situation still further during the night of 12/13 November even more German reinforcements were landed. Counter attacks by the King s Own (Liverpool Regiment) and the Fusiliers failed during the later stages of the reinforcing by the enemy, at the expense of particularly heavy casualties, to them but The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) on the south side of the island managed to capture 130 prisoners and reclaim some control of their area. HUMPHREYS, REGINALD JAMES. Trooper, A Squadron, 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters). 340

341 Royal Armoured Corps. Died 27 September Aged 23. Born and resided Kent. Buried Sangro River War Cemetery, Italy. Grave Ref: IX. A. 23. Pre war member of The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment). Also commemorated on the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), Second World War memorial plaque in Hever Castle, Edenbridge, Kent. On 22 September 1943, the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), Royal Armoured Corps landed at Taranto, Italy at 1130 hours and then leaguered approximately 2 miles to the east of the town. B Squadron received orders at 2359 hours to proceed to Bari and report to the 78th Division, and at 0630 hours the following day moved to the Bari area. The Regiment then moved an hour later to Taranto Mastafa Mottala, and leaguered in an area to the south of Gioja Del Colle. On 24 September the regiment remained in same area all day, and whilst there carried out general maintenance, with the echelon rejoining in the evening. The next day the regiment moved at 0630 hours on a journey through Givia Casamassina - Adelfia - Bitteto - Bitonto - Terlissi and Andria to an area to the east of Canosa. At 1600 hours C Squadron received orders to contact the 17 Field Regiment Royal Artillery at area 8207 and after a little difficulty in finding a crossing over the river Ofauto they eventually made contact at last light. During the same day B Squadron lost one tank and 30 year old Trooper George Sinclair from Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland was killed. On the day before Reginald was lost his life, his regiment was involved in its first proper engagement with the enemy since arriving on the Italian mainland, and following on from the part which it had played in North Africa and Sicily. The regiment was split into two separate forward column formations, and as such the doings of A column commanded by Lieutenant Colonel A.A Cameron D.S.O., M.C., will follow in this brief tribute to Reginald as this column also included him amongst its soldiers. In addition to A Squadron, and the Headquarters Company of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), Royal Armoured Corps, was half a squadron of the 56th Reconnaissance Regiment, Observation Post personnel from the 17 Field Regiment Royal Artillery, and B Squadron of Reginald s regiment in reserve. The vanguard formed up at first light with the 56th Reconnaissance Regiment leading, with one troop of armoured cars and six carriers. These were followed by one troop of A Squadron plus an Observation Post in a carrier, Squadron Headquarters and reserve troops. Delay was caused by the difficulty in netting with command on to regimental and A Squadron frequencies. The column started moving at 0600 hours and continued its advance on Foggia passing through Cerignola. The leading Sqn having passed through Cerignola, deployed and advanced to a cross roads north of Orta Nuovo 4505 where the column halted, had breakfast and sent out patrols. A bridge over the river Carapella was found to have been blown, and from local information obtained and the appearance of a German motorized column it was apparent that contact with the enemy was about to be made. The advance was resumed and carrier crews of the 56th Reconnaissance Regiment forded the river on the north side of the bridge. Local enemy machine gun fire being neutralised by the guns of the tanks of the leading squadron, following which the remainder of the vanguard then safely forded the river, deployed on either side of road and continued the advance. Contact was made with two armoured cars from the northern column at track junction 4309 where it was learnt that 2 Troop of A Squadron 341

342 commanded by Lieutenant R.C. Roberts M.M. had destroyed an enemy armoured car. The advance continued towards the river Gervaro which was the final obstruction before reaching Foggia, to the left of the road covering the bridge over the river to the south was a large wood which stretched south about a mile and a half to Sante Del Incoronata. Opposition was expected from the wood and was met; A Squadron deployed one troop of tanks well to the left to demonstrate against the left flank of the wood in which movement of enemy vehicles could be seen from time to time. At a distance of approximately one and a half miles south east from the woods, the road was registered by heavy mortar fire. One tank of A Squadron was hit by mortar fire which damaged the 75mm gun, slightly wounding the commander Sergeant King in the eye. It was observed that the enemy was holding the wood in some strength and as the approaches to the wood were completely uncovered a halt was called in order to make a plan. The plan was formed in which the Independent Company of Air Landing Brigade was to go round the left flank of the wood and enter it. The movement was covered and supported by the left hand troop (4 Troop) of A Squadron which consisted of two tanks, and the Troop Corporal sighted an 88mm gun which had come out of the wood and got into action. This troop then engaged and destroyed the German gun, killed the crew of five and blew up its ammunition lorry. At 1700 hours the carriers, which had been very slow, reached the river and the Independent Coy on the left got within reach of the wood. A Squadron then advanced up the river between the wood and the railway, shelling enemy machine gun positions, and as the result of same the enemy were seen to be moving, leaving the wood and getting away across the river. Light was failing by this time and it was seen that the bridge had been blown by the enemy. The Regiment then leaguered some two miles back at position The advance was continued fifteen minutes before first light on 27 September and the wood was reported clear by infantry patrols which had entered it during the night. At 0600 hours the bridge was reached and found to be blown so a crossing was found which involve a detour of over two miles from road to road which caused some delay. The advance was then continued rapidly to Foggia where the road was again found to have been blown. A way round to the left was found and the town was entered, which had been very much knocked about. Regimental headquarters established themselves in the central square, which was later taken over by the Independent Air Landing Brigade. Lieutenant K.C. Kiddle and four scout cars were sent forward to reconnoiter the road into San Severo, the approach into the town was down a dead straight road for approximately five miles, and at map ref Lieutenant Kiddle s car was blown up by Anti Tank fire from an 88mm gun just on the outskirts of the town. The second car was hit simultaneously, the third car tried to pull off the road and was also destroyed and the fourth car reversed for a few hundred yards, became ditched and was also destroyed. Those killed in the action were Reginald Humphries, 23 year old Lieutenant Kenneth C. Kiddle from Esher, Surrey, and 27 year old Trooper Donald Perryman from Winscombe, Somerset, and all three are now buried in adjacent graves at the Sangro River War Cemetery. Reported missing following the action which had cost Reginald his life were Corporal F. Allsopp and Lance Corporal G. Tanner, but as it has fortunately it has not been possible to access any data appertaining to the deaths of either N.C.O., and as such it would appear that they survived. Sergeant D.H. Fleming, Trooper C.E. Brown, and Trooper W. Whitley were the only other survivors. Trooper Whitley managed to escape from the forth car, and whist going back down the road 342

343 stopped the Brigade Commander from proceeding any further. Sergeant Fleming and Trooper Brown walked back to Foggia and rejoined the regiment the following morning. Having now completed thousands of individual commemorations to the fallen over the years, and whilst not actually unique it is fairly unusual to be able to pinpoint by map reference where a service person died, as in Reginald s case. LEIGHTON, V. W. P. Best match found for this casualty is the following soldier:- LEIGHTON, WILLIAM. Private, rd Company, Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. Died 17 June1940. Aged 36. Born County Durham. Resided Kent. Husband of Beatrice Leighton of Dover, Kent. Commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial, Nord, France. Column 152. William was one of his company that was commanded by Major Scott-Bowden who perished onboard the 16,000 ton Cunard liner H.M.T Lancastria. Contrary to popular belief which now seems to prevail in some quarters, the evacuation of the British and French troops from France in 1940 did not end with Dunkirk. British and French forces were still being rescued at least two weeks later when Britain s worst maritime disaster of the Second World War took place. On 17 June 1940, the 16,000 ton Cunard liner which was in use as a troopship, the H.M.T. Lancastria lay approximately five miles off St Nazaire, France in the estuary of the River Loire, and was embarking soldiers, Royal Air Force personnel, and also civilian refugees, including women and children, all of whom were being evacuated from France, when the country was on the verge of collapse. The exact numbers onboard the ship will almost certainly never be known, but probably exceeded 6000; although some commentators have estimated the casualty number as high as 9000, but that figure is almost certainly wild speculation, The H.M.T. Lancastria was attacked and hit by bombs from German Junkers Ju 88 aircraft which were probably of KG 30, which caused her to roll over and sink within twenty minutes. Although it is not known for certain which Luftwaffe formation the bombers belong to, or even for certain exactly what type of aircraft they were, but the general consensus has been that they were Ju 88s. Aircraft of II./ KG 30 who exclusively flew Junkers Ju 88 aircraft, are known to have been attacking shipping in the estuary of the River Loire, at the time of the loss of H.M.T. Lancastria. MOSELING, ALFRED HARRY HAWKINS. Lance Serjeant, Army Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 7 May Aged 23. Born and resided Kent. Son of Francis and Rose Moseling of Buckland, Dover, Kent. Buried Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery, Tunisia. Grave Ref: 11. E. 17. Alfred was a pre war member of the Royal Engineers. PULHAM, JOHN DANIEL. Sergeant (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 19 Operational Training Unit, Royal Air Force. Died 20 April Aged 19. Son of Edward Stanley and Sarah Louisa Pulham of Dover, Kent. 343

344 Buried St. James s Cemetery, Dover, Kent. Grave Ref: Section F.R. Grave 32. John was amongst the six crew on Wellington bomber LP760, of C Flight, No. 19 Operational Training Unit, R.A.F. flown by 26 year old Flying Officer (Pilot), Aubrey G. Matthews R.A.F. (V.R.) from West Kensington, London. The aircraft took of from R.A.F. Kinloss, Forres, Scotland, at 1152 hours to undertake a cross-country training exercise. Several eyewitnesses that gave evidence into the loss of the Wellington, stated the at 1240 hours, the overcast sky was lit up with a flash that was closely followed by the sound of an explosion, and debris falling down in the vicinity of Bank Head Farm, Humble, some eight miles to the south-south-west of Haddington, West Lothian. Subsequent inquiries which were conducted into the aircrafts loss deduced that at the time of the explosion the aircraft had been flying at approximately 5,000 feet when the accident occurred, and was the result of the outer section of the starboard wing having sheared away. The loss of John s aircraft was destined to thankfully be the last of those suffered by his unit in five years of operational training, including taking part on actual bombing missions, most of which had occurred with Whitley bombers. No. 19 Operational Training Unit, R.A.F. was originally formed at Royal Air Force Kinloss on 27 May 1940 as part of No 6 Group Bomber Command. The unit converted crews to the Whitley Aircraft, the majority destined for No 4 Group Bomber Command. The Satellite at Forres, which was known colloquially as Balnageith, it being the name of the farmland requisitioned by the Air Ministry. R.A.F. Forres became fully operational when 19 O.T.U. D Flight moved in during the bad winter weather of January This was mainly due to the conditions at the parent unit of R.A.F. Kinloss. C Flight 19 O.T.U. moved to Forres 13 May 1941, and through out the rest of the year the training tempo continued to pick up.1942 saw the operational tempo of Bomber Command increase, Maximum Effort were words that affected to varying degrees all of the O.T.U. s, and No. 19 O.T.U. contributed twelve aircraft to a raid on Bremen, on the night 25/26 June One crew failed to return, the crew becoming prisoners of war. No.10 O.T.U. lost four aircraft, and No. 24 O.T.U. lost three aircraft. This loss was the only loss due to enemy action, though, many aircrew were to suffer accidents and emergencies during their operational training with the unit, with doubt bad weather and low visibility taking its toll. There are many aircraft accidents in the Operational Record Books, with any of the twin engined aircraft suffering an engine fire or loss at heavy weights being a major problem, noticeably so with the less experienced pilots and/or those soloing with tragic results. During 1942 No. 6 Group Bomber Command was renamed No. 91 Group, but still continued to administer the Commands activities at both R.A.F. Kinloss and R.A.F. Forres. No. 19 O.T.U. continued to fly Whitley aircraft long after the type was removed from front line operations, the output crews later in the war moved on to a Heavy Conversion Unit prior to front line operations. R.A.F. Forres was reduced to a C &M (Care and Maintenance) basis during October 1944, C and D flights returning to R.A.F. Kinloss. No. 19 O.T.U. was disbanded on 26 June 1945, thereby bringing to a close the permanent operations of R.A.F. Bomber Command in the Forres area of Scotland. 47. WHITE, GEORGE EDWARD. Private, th (County of Angus) Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). Died 11 June1944. Aged 19. Born Kent. Resided South West London. 344

345 Son of Robert W. and Mary E. White of Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Buried Hermanville War Cemetery, Hermanville-sur-Mer, Calvados, France. Grave Ref: 4. E. 14. Quite early in the Second World War, George s battalion showed all the signs that it was destined to be a highly efficient unit, and ultimately it was indeed good enough to be incorporated into the famous 51st Highland Division in 1941, with which it served right through to the end of the War in Europe. A substantial amount of the battalion s soldiers had trained (hard) actually in Scotland, which included intense battle training, at the start of which the officers and other ranks were drawn primarily from the County of Angus, but later as the war progressed they were joined by recruits drawn from other parts of Scotland, and indeed the rest of the United Kingdom. The newcomers very quickly learned that as members of the senior Highland Regiment they had to absorb the history and the tradition which would qualify them for the accolade of becoming a Jock. The 5th (County of Angus) Battalion went ashore on the evening of D-Day, 6 June 1944, and was in fact the first battalion of the regiment to land in Normandy. To the south of Breville, on the D37 road north east of Caen on the night of 7 June 1944, the 9th Battalion, Parachute Regiment was assigned the mission to hold the position dominating the Ranville plain, and the river Orne bridges; they are reinforced by the George s battalion and various armoured units, then by the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment. During the heavy fighting, which history records as the Battle of the Bois des Monts, the formation repelled every one of the German attacks, some of which were notably heavy which resulted in numerous casualties amongst friend and foe alike, and held the position until being relieved on 13 June. Although the 5th (County of Angus) Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) war diary entries for the time spent heavily engaged during the above period has not personally been sighted, the action fought by his battalion when George lost his young life is so well known and documented that the lack of diary information does not really matter. A story of unquestioning bravery and dedication to duty, of how 250 Scots soldiers took on what they were wrongly told was light resistance only to face an overwhelming and devastating enemy. The Battle of the Bois des Monts was fought by four companies from the 5th Battalion of the Black Watch, which was part of the 51st Highland Division, only four days after the D-Day landings. Of those of George s battalion who went in to fight, 110 of their number died. The 51st Highland Division was made up primarily of soldiers who had already fought in North Africa, Sicily and North Africa, whose reputation for bravery and fighting ability had gone before them, so much so that they were ordered home to play a part in the Normandy campaign. Shortly after landing in Normandy, they were ordered across the Orne River to support the 6th Division in protecting the crucial east flank of the beachhead. A high wooded ridge that runs southward from the mouth of the Orne marked the boundary of the triangle to be held. They were quite categorically told that the wood, (the Bois De Monts), was only lightly defended, and as such it did not matter to much or cause any real concerns that they had no artillery back-up. Instead, they found themselves exposed on all sides to an enemy that was rapidly gaining strength and turning into a formidable very force which included armour and artillery. The men of George s battalion endured virtually continuous shelling and mortar bombardment followed by ferocious counter-attacks by both enemy infantry and armour. Notwithstanding the vast odds stacked against them, (with attack being the best form of defence) on 10 June the 345

346 British soldiers attacked the village of Breville, but were driven back with heavy losses. The following day, they faced a major counter-attack near Chateau St Come, where the elements of the 9th Parachute Regiment were also deployed, during a brutal battle that raged all day, as wave after wave of enemy infantry and tanks were hurled against defences strained to breaking point. By the end, the bodies of 110 young men were littered over the fields. Many others were shipped off to Army Field Hospitals and, if fortunate enough were evacuated from France and sent back home. The official story of the action of Battle of the Bois des Monts is one of loyalty and valour, of men attacking the enemy, only to be decimated by heavy shelling, tanks and mortar, of a bloody battle fought bravely to the end. The 51st Highland Division Memorial which was dedicated in June 2004 is situated somewhat aptly in the Bois des Monts, on the D37 roadside near to the sunken lane, which was the start line of the attack on Breville on 10 June 1944, and near the entrance to Chateau St Côme, where the Germans counter attacked on 11 June It was noted when constructing this brief commemoration to George White, that at Hermanville War Cemetery, Hermanville-sur-Mer, which is behind the D-Day Sword Beach, no fewer than 40 other soldiers of his battalion are also buried there, and that of their number, 37 fell in battle on 11 June1944 at the Chateau St Côme, Bois De Monts. 346

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