The Great War

Transcription

1 Burmarsh Two Burmarsh, Romney Marsh, Great War casualties; Albert Butcher and Simeon Beale who both lost their lives whilst serving in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), are both commemorated on the bottom of a Rood Screen which divides the chancel from the nave in the parish church of All Saints, Burmarsh. The fallen were remembered when the screen was dedicated to them at a well attended service, which was held on Thursday 2 August 1923 that was conducted by the Archdeacon of Maidstone, The Right Reverend John Victor Macmillan, O.B.E., D.D., and assisted by The Reverend Charles James Oliphant, M.A., who was the Vicar of All Saints, Burmarsh from 1902 to An entry in the Vestry and Parochial Church Council Minute Book of All Saints, Burmarsh, which predates the Rood Screen Memorial, records that the sanctuary war memorial was to be erected by firm of church carvers rather than local carpenters. Of specific Burmarsh interest, the transcriber of these brief commemorations noted whilst researching, that it would seem likely that the Reverend Oliphant had fond memories of the years which he had spent in the little village on Romney Marsh, as he later resided at Woodcote Avenue, Wallington, Surrey, and had named his property Burmarsh. As is unfortunately the same situation at many other locations in the county of Kent, and indeed all around the United Kingdom, Burmarsh has local victims of war who are not commemorated on the parish tribute. On the excellent church website, reference is made by name to a lady Alma Sarah Baker who was killed during the Second World War. It was also noted by the transcriber of these brief commemorations whilst carrying out additional ongoing researches on the Hythe, Kent casualties, for the eventual inclusion on a much larger updated version of the Hythe civic war memorial on that Mrs Alma Baker is not commemorated on the Hythe, Kent civic war memorial, and as such she therefore possibly has no local form of her remembrance at all as being a civilian victim of the Second World War, although thankfully she has thankfully been correctly commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 1

2 The Great War BEALE, SIMEON. Private, L/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Sunday 25 October Born St. Mary s, New Romney, Romney Marsh, Kent. Enlisted Lydd, Romney Marsh, Kent. Resided Burmarsh, Romney Marsh, Kent. Son of Seaman Beale and Betsy Beale (née Boulding) of Firs Farm, Cheriton, Folkestone, Kent. Husband of Hilda Elizabeth Beale (née Russell) of 265, Newtown, Ashford, Kent. Buried Laventie Military Cemetery, La Gorgue, Nord, France. Grave Ref: I. C. 5. Also commemorated on the Dymchurch, Romney Marsh, Kent civic war memorial. At the time of the 1891 census, the Beale family resided at New Barn Cottages, Eastbridge, Romney Marsh, Kent. Head of the house was 38 year old Biddenden, Kent native Seaman Beale, who was employed as an Agricultural Labourer. By the time that the 1901 census was carried out, the Beale family resided at Poplar Cottage, Eastbridge, but Simeon who was one of thirteen children was not at home, having enlisted in the army as a regular soldier at Lydd army camp on Monday 4 March When the 1911 census was conducted, the Beale family resided at Eastridge Cottage, Eastridge, Dymchurch, Romney Marsh, Kent, Seaman Beale was still the head of the house, at which time he was employed as a Farm Waggoner. Simeon enlisted in the army as a regular soldier for 7 years with the Colours and 5 years in the Reserve, at which time he stated that he was employed by the South Eastern & Chatham Railway Company at the Ashford Railway Works as a Labourer in the Wheelwrights Shop. At the time of enlistment Simeon requested that he served the Royal Horse Artillery, but instead he was attested to serve in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), which he joined at the regimental depot at Canterbury, Kent on Wednesday 6 March On Monday 21 March 1904 Simeon s terms of service were altered to enable him to complete 8 years with the Colours, and was granted service pay in respect of same. On Monday 31 October 1910 Simeon married New Romney, Romney Marsh, Kent native Miss Hilda Elizabeth Russell, at the parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Dymchurch, Romney Marsh, Kent. On the completion of his regular army engagement, Simeon was discharged from the army on Monday 3 March A veteran of the Second Boer War ( ), in which he served in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Mounted Infantry, and was a qualified marksman, prior to being recalled as a Reservist, for army service at the commencement of the Great War, Simeon had also served with his regiment in Ireland. Between leaving the army and being recalled Simeon had been employed on farm work at Swingfield, Kent, and at Godmersham, Ashford, Kent, in addition to working on the Romney Marsh. The 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was stationed at Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland, at the commencement of the Great War. The battalion left Ireland on Wednesday 12 August 1914, and after a not 2

3 uneventful journey it eventually arrived at Cambridge on Wednesday 19 August, where it was billeted at Christ s College. From Cambridge a move was made to Southampton, where on Monday 7 September the battalion including Simeon, embarked on the 13,401 ton Atlantic Transport Line ship SS Minneapolis, prior to sailing for France on her the following day, and arriving at the port of St. Nazaire on Wednesday 9 September for service with British Expeditionary Force. Following the fall of the city of Antwerp on Friday 9 October 1914, it allowed for the release of a vast amount of German troops, and depending on what publication is read, the actual numbers of soldiers that then became available for duty elsewhere vary wildly. Despite containing errors, the book by Colonel R.S.H. Moody C.B., detailing the contribution made by The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) during the Great War, put the above number of enemy soldiers as 90,000, Colonel Moody also makes mention that in addition to those enemy soldiers, four German Army Corps had also been brought from the Eastern Front to fight on the Western Front. With the mass of additional manpower available to the German High Command, the British and French troops the enemy from post the fall of Antwerp were vastly outnumbered. On Monday 12 October 1914 Albert s battalion was relieved in their trenches on the Aisne by French troops, and then it marched to the little village of Bazoches-sur-Vesles along with the 16th Brigade of the 6th Division to which the 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) belonged, and entrained from Bazoches-sur-Vesles to Cassel where they arrived the following day. Simeon was seriously wounded while serving in the trenches on Tuesday 13 October Following his death, Simeon was originally buried at Haubourdin Communal Cemetery, on the South-West side of Lille, Nord, France. After the Armistice British, Indian and Chinese graves were brought in to Laventie Military Cemetery, La Gorgue, Nord, from other cemeteries and from the neighbouring battlefields, as were a number of Portuguese casualties, Simeon was one of eleven (all of 1914) that were removed from Haubourdin Communal Cemetery, and laid to rest at Laventie Military Cemetery. In 1913 at the time of his transfer to the army reserve, Simeon and his family had resided at 3, Farthingloe Cottages, Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent. At the time of being recalled, Simeon resided with his wife and 3 children at Abbotts Court Cottages, Burmarsh, Romney Marsh, Kent. On Wednesday 2 September 1914, Simeon s wife gave birth to their fourth child; John Kitchener Dorrien Beale, the Christian names chosen by Simeon and Hilda were those of Sir John French, Lord Kitchener and General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien. Following the Great War, Simeon s widow moved from Newtown, Ashford, and resided at Ashdown Cottage, Burmarsh, and later at the Harbour Café, Folkestone, Kent, which is where she was living when she received Simeon s three medals for his service in the Great War, doubtless putting them with his pair of Second Boer War medals. On previous occasions whilst carrying out other research on the Kent victims of war, it was noticed by the transcriber of these brief commemorations that the Christian and surname SEAMAN BEALE occurs over several generations of the Beale family. Included amongst those was 40 year old Seaman Beale of 191 Newtown, Ashford, Kent, who was killed during an enemy bombing raid at the nearby Southern Railway Works, Ashford, Kent on Wednesday 24 March

4 Tragically Seaman s 12 year old daughter Gladys also lost her life due to a bombing raid, whilst attending her Sunday School at the parish church of St. Mary the Virgin, St. Marychurch, Torquay, Devon, on Sunday 30 May One of Simeon s brothers; 20 year old Warehorne, Ashford, Kent native, Corporal, Charles Lewis Beale who was also a regular soldier, died on Tuesday 20 July 1915 whilst serving in the 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), and he too is commemorated on the Dymchurch, Romney Marsh, civic war memorial. BUTCHER, ALBERT HENRY. Lance Corporal, G/ st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Friday 15 September Aged 24. Born and resided Dymchurch, Romney Marsh, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Richard Butcher and Emily Jane Butcher of 3, Pain's Cottages, Burmarsh, Dymchurch, Romney Marsh, Kent. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 D. At the time of the 1911 census, the Butcher family resided at the above address. Head of the house was 58 year old Newchurch, Romney Marsh, Kent native Richard Butcher, who was employed as a Farm Labourer, as was the then 19 year old Albert. Albert enlisted in the army for 1 year s service with the Colours on Wednesday 2 September When he enlisted, Albert stated that he was 23 years and 3 months old, and employed as Farm Labourer. Having been attested to serve in the regiment, Albert joined The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) at the regimental Depot, Canterbury, Kent on Wednesday 9 September 1914, and he initially served in the 3rd (Reserve), Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) at The Citadel, Western Heights, Dover, Kent. On Tuesday 9 February 1915 having completed his basic training, Albert was posted to the 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), in which he then remained until his death. Albert was appointed to be an (unpaid) Lance Corporal on Tuesday 3 August 1915, and to a (paid) Lance Corporal on Wednesday 19 January The British objective for Friday 15 September 1916, it being the day that Albert fell, was a line stretching between the Somme villages of Gueudecourt, Flers, Lesboeufs, and Morval, with the XIV Corps (Guards and 6th Division) detailed to capture the two latter locations. The 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) being in the 16th Brigade, 6th Division. Albert s battalion was engaged in the major action at Morval, with the battalion moving forward from the frontline trenches and attacked a heavily fortified enemy redoubt known as the Quadrilateral which was located on the edge of Bouteaux Wood. It was also the first occasion that tanks were employed, but as far as the 6th Division was concerned their use was a failure, for of the three tanks that were allotted to the division, two broke down before starting, and the third, moving off in accordance with orders long before the infantry, had its periscope shot off, its peep-holes blinded, after being literally riddled by armour piercing bullets, and had to come back without achieving anything. To facilitate the movement of the tanks a gap of approximately 200 yards had been left in the artillery creeping barrage. Unfortunately the gap coincided with the strongest point of the Quadrilateral. Adding to the problems faced by the assaulting infantry was that the artillery barrage had passed over 4

5 the German trenches by the time the infantry advanced. The 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was tasked with supporting both the 8th (Service) Battalion, Bedford Regiment, that had one company bombing up the trench from Leuze Wood, and the remainder over the open to the north against the southwest face, and also supporting the 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment. The leading formation started its advance to attack up the muddy slippery slopes at 0620 hours without any artillery support except for the already referred to bombardment, but both of the leading battalions were soon checked by heavy enemy machine gun fire. Albert s battalion began its advance fifteen minutes after the two leading battalions, but they also quickly became infladed by enemy machine gun fire, with most being pinned down in shell holes, and suffered substantial casualties. 6 officers and 53 other ranks were initially recorded as killed and an additional 190 men were wounded, but the other ranks fatalities rose to total 123, their casualties being the highest of those which took part in the attack. Under the cover of darkness during the night, the battalion withdrew to a trench running south east to what remained of the Somme village of Guillemont. The Great War Lost Men RAYNER, ERNEST ALBERT COLIN. Private, st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Died Saturday 10 November Born Burmarsh, Romney Marsh, Kent. Enlisted Dover, Kent. Son of Alfred James Rayner and Emily Mary Rayner (née Terry). Husband of Ellen Mary Rayner (née Pilcher). Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 105. Ernest s birth was recorded in the Romney Marsh, Kent, Registration District during the first quarter of 1887, which would be indicative of him being about 30 years of age when at the time of his death. At the time of the 1901 census, the Rayner family resided at Orgarswick Farm, Orgarswick, Dymchurch, Romney Marsh, Kent. Head of the house was 40 year old Burmarsh, Romney Marsh, Kent native Alfred Rayner, who was employed as a Farm Bailiff. Ernest s marriage to Martin, East Langdon, Dover Kent native Miss Ellen Mary Pilcher, was recorded in the Dover Kent, Registration District during the third quarter of Ernest s Medal Index Card entry shows Died, as opposed to having been killed in action or having died of wounds. His entry in/on Soldiers Died in the Great War, records Ernest as having been killed in action, but as SDGW is known to contain thousands of errors of different kinds, it would seem likely that he had died of an illness. As Ernest is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, it would also seem likely that he was buried in a grave which was subsequently lost during the conflict, which was possibly as the result of shelling. 5

6 WRATTEN, ROLAND GLOVER. Private, rd/8th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died Tuesday 21 August Aged 31. Born West Hythe, Kent. Enlisted and resided Hythe, Kent. Son of George Jeremiah Wratten and Sophia Wratten (née Hayward) of Channel View, Dymchurch Road, Hythe, Kent. Buried All Saints Churchyard, Burmarsh, Romney Marsh, Kent. Grave Ref: South-East corner. Commemorated on the Lympne, Kent civic war memorial. At the time of the 1901 census, the Wratten family resided at the Old Brickyard, Hythe, Kent. Head of the house was 53 year old Burmarsh, Romney Marsh, Kent, native George Jeremiah Wratten, who was employed as a General Labourer. Roland, then aged 15, was also recorded by the census enumerator as being employed as a General Labourer. When the 1911 was conducted, the Wratten family resided at Cade House, Dymchurch Road, West Hythe, Kent. 6

7 The Second World War Lost Casualty BAKER, ALMA SARAH. Civilian casualty. Died Friday 21 August Aged 66. Born Kenardington, Ashford, Kent. Resided Burmarsh, Romney Marsh, Kent. Widow of Albert Baker of 18, Palmbeach Avenue, Hythe, Kent. The marriage of Alma Sarah Brown to Albert Baker was recorded in the East Ashford, Kent, Registration District during the second quarter of At the time of the 1901 census, the Baker family had resided at Herringe Lane, Sellindge, Kent. Head of the house was 31 year old Woodchurch, Ashford, Kent native Albert Baker, who was employed as a Waggoner on a farm. When the 1911 census was conducted, the Baker family had moved to live at Bridge Farm Cottage, Bilsington, Ashford, Kent. Albert was still the head of the house and employed as a Waggoner on a farm. Alma died at 11, Prospect Road, Hythe, Kent during an enemy bombing raid on the town, that was carried out by two enemy aircraft, which having dropped their bombs then turned and flew lower and strafed the town with their machine guns. Of the many civilians of the Commonwealth whose deaths were due to enemy action in the Second World War, the names of some 67,092 are commemorated in the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour, located near St. George's Chapel in Westminster Abbey, London. 7