The Great War

Transcription

1 Luddesdown

2 The Great War BECKHAM, JAMES. Private, st Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment). Died 15 September Aged 24. Born Kent 19 January Enlisted Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada 21 August Son of William S. Beckham of Batts, Cobham, Gravesend, Kent. Commemorated on the Vimy Memorial, Vimy Ridge, Pas de Calais, France, also commemorated on page 52 of the Canadian, First World War Book of Remembrance, and Cobham, Gravesend, Kent, civic war memorial. GILBERT, SIDNEY. No clear trace. GOODWIN, GEORGE EDWARD ARTHUR. Driver, T4/ nd Divisional Train, Royal Army Service Corps. Died 14 February Aged 29. Son of Mr. Edward Goodwin of Luddesdowne, Gravesend, Kent. Husband of Ellen Goodwin of 2, Golden Lion Cottages, Luddesdowne, Gravesend, Kent. Buried Cologne Southern Cemetery, Köln, Germany. Grave Ref: XII. C. 2. HORNTON, REGINALD. Rifleman, S/ th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died 26 December Aged 27. Born Aldershot, Hampshire. Enlisted Chatham, Kent. Resided Luddesdowne, Gravesend, Kent. Son of Charles and Selina Horton of Aldershot, Hampshire. Buried Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, Nord, France. Grave Ref: II. Q. 35. PIPER, JESSE JAMES. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 29 November Born Cuxton, Kent. Enlisted Gravesend, Kent. Resided Northfleet, Kent. Commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, Nord, France. Panel 8. STEPHENS, ARTHUR SIDNEY. Private, th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died 21 April Aged 20. Born and resided Luddesdowne, Gravesend, Kent. Enlisted Chatham, Kent. Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Stephens of Lower Luddesdown, Gravesend, Kent. Buried La Brique Military Cemetery No 2, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: I. U. 14. Formerly Private, 9953, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment).

3 STEPHENS, PHILLIP EDWARD. Private, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 11 August Aged 24. Born Luddesdowne, Gravesend, Kent. Enlisted Chatham, Kent. Resided Lower Luddesdowne, Gravesend, Kent. Son of Phillip and Emma F. Stephens of Lower Luddesdowne, Gravesend, Kent. Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinghe, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Ref: III. D. 19A. WOOD, WILLIAM. No clear trace.

4 LOST MEN ACCLETON, WILLIAM CHARLES. Private, st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Died 12 October Born and resided Luddesdown, Gravesend, Kent. Enlisted Gravesend, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 9 A 9 B and 10 B. Although William is also commemorated on the Shorne, Gravesend, Kent, civic war memorial, it seems bizarre that he appears to have been omitted from the Luddesdown parish tribute, as he was, as can be seen above, both a native and a resident of the village. When viewing the photographs of the war memorial, it will be noticed that some of the names of the fallen are not very easy to read, sadly due it would seem to a combination of the ravages of time and continued neglect. It will also be seen that one of the faces on the memorial is blank, but which may in times past have had a name or names inscribed on it. Over the last fifty years or so when viewing and researching war memorials, the transcriber has noted several (primarily village) tributes, where a single Second World War casualty has been added to same, where a face or panel has been altered to Great War commemorations to accommodate the casualty of the later conflict. Purely speculation of course, but it might be that post the Second World War, names were erased of some of the Great War fallen, with the view to reengraving them after the addition of a single Second World War death, but was never completed. FORD, WILLIAM ALFRED. Sapper, th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 14 December Born Luddesdowne, Gravesend, Kent. Enlisted Folkestone, Kent. Buried Martinpuich British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref: C. 4. Commemorated on the Folkestone, Kent, civic war memorial, and on Great War memorial plaque located in the George Spurgeon Community School, Sidney Street, Folkestone, Kent. MUNN, WILLIAM. Private, G/ th (Service) Battalion, Queen s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 3 July Aged 21. Born Luddesdowne, Gravesend, Kent. Enlisted Chatham, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France Pier and Face 11 C.

5 SCALES, WILLIAM HERBERT. Private, S/690. 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 6 March Aged 46. Born and enlisted Margate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Resided Luddesdowne, Gravesend, Kent. Commemorated Kemmel Churchyard, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Special Memorial 4. Also commemorated on the Margate, Isle of Thanet, Kent, civic war memorial.

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