WYE

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Wye Civic War Memorial The Wye tribute was designed by W.S Willan of St Georges Place, Canterbury. It was constructed by Mr G Browning a building contractor from Canterbury in 1923. The war memorial was officially opened and dedicated by Lieutenant-General Sir Raleigh Egerton KCB, KCIE the former divisional commander of the 14th Division which served with distinction throughout Mesopotamia (Iraq) during the Great War. It is constructed from York and Doulton Stone. As soon as we saw the limited number of local men commemorated on the church plaque we knew that something here was amiss. Other villages of comparable population size had far more men listed on their tributes…

After the Great War the people of Wye erected a very fine and impressive civic war memorial in the grounds of the parish church. Unfortunately and rather bizarrely no names now appear on the memorial! For some reason the names that were originally inscribed on it were removed. We know there were names on it because we have photographs of the monument in the 1920’s clearly showing names. It is possible that these names gradually disappeared through erosion and at this time the local parish council and the nearby parish church decided to erect the plaque in the church foyer. We haven’t been able to establish exactly what happened and would welcome any additional information from local residents of Wye… An ornate bronze plaque was erected in the church foyer listing 29 men’s names. The church tribute lists a very limited number of local men but it also includes men who had very tenuous links to Wye. The nearby Wye Agricultural College War Memorial lists 127 fallen men. We are convinced that a high proportion of these 127 former students must have worshiped at the Wye parish church when they studied at the college but their names never went forward. Christopher Bushell VC was married to the daughter of a former Rector of Wye and I.A Fitzroy (The Viscount Ipswich) merely worked at the South East Agricultural College prior to the outbreak of war. Charles W Jemmett (from an influential Ashford family) merely worked at the college from 1906 until 1908. Arnold Hood-Daniel (another officer) was an influential college employee who also made it onto the church plaque (incorrectly spelt as A.H Daniel). We are sure that many of the other 127 college men who fell in the war also attended the Wye parish church, but their names never made it on to the parish tribute! Whoever compiled the memorial list for the parish church tribute appears only to have included those men from the college who had impressive titles ranks and bravery awards!

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We have identified an additional 51 fallen men with proven links to Wye whose names do not appear on either the the church tribute! The situation at Wye reminds us of Lamberhurst War Memorial where similarly no names were inscribed on their village tribute. In October 2005 the names of all identified Lamberhurst fallen men were inscribed by monumental masons. The people of Hollingbourne have recently done the same (with the assistance of David Hughes). There is plenty of room on the Wye village tribute to have ALL local fallen men commemorated. We hope that this will be done in the future.

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ALLARD S.J Private 135288 Stephen James ALLARD. 38th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (MGC). Died Friday 27th September 1918. Resided Wye. Enlisted Ashford. Resided “Fairview” Church Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Son of Stephen and Charlotte A Allard of 27 The Green, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried Varennes Military Cemetery, Varennes, France. Grave reference V.A.10. The Ashford 1918 absentee voters list gives – Fairview 39 Church Street, Wye Private 135288 Stephen James ALLARD. Machine Gun Corps. 27, The Green, Wye Private 23520 Albert Edward ALLARD. 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Able Seaman 226276 Ernest ALLARD. HMS Attentive, Royal Navy. Gas Works Cottage, Wye Gunner 910332 Alfred Richard ALLARD. Royal Field Artillery Private 265181 Ernest Frederick ALLARD. 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (E Kent Regiment).

Lance Corporal 265186 William Edward ALLARD. 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment. 79, Bridge Street, Wye Sapper 541640 Archibald ALLARD. Royal Engineers The 1901 census gives – 27 The Green, Wye Stephen ALLARD 30 Bricklayer Wye Charlotte 31 Petham Edith 6 Wye Stephen J 2 Wye The 38th Company, Machine Gun Corps was attached to the 38th (Welsh) Division. The 38th Division was held in reserve for the Battle of the Ancre on 5th April 1918. Throughout August and September 1918 it was in action continuously during the Second Battle of the Somme. In these operations Henry Weale of the 14th Royal Fusiliers won his VC at Bazentin-Le-Grand. On 12th September 1918 the 38th Division fought in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line - Epephy 18th September, Beaurevoir Line 5th October, Cambrai 8th October. It’s last major battle was the Battle of the Selle (17-22 October 1918).

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BACK L.H Company Quarter Master Sergeant (CQMS) T/240440 Leslie Hickmott BACK. 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 27th July 1918 or Monday 29th July 1918 aged 25 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Wye. Son of John and Rosamond Waller Back of 10 Church Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried Abeele Aerodrome Cemetery, Abeele, France. Grave reference 2.C11. Leslie’s family ran a ferrett farm in Wye during the war years. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters list gives – 10 Church Street, Wye Corporal 1276 Charles Alfred BACK. 2nd Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment Private 242539 Frank Norman BACK. 7th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) The 1901 census gives – 10,Church Street, Wye John BACK 52 Grocer Charing Rosamond 53 Tenterden M….. 28 Wye John 24 Wye Rosamond 22 Drapers Asst Wye William W 18 Cycle Mechanic Wye Ethel 13 Wye Leslie H 7 Wye On the 26th June 1918 the 1st battalion relieved a French Army Regiment in frontline trenches at Dickebusch. The line was a bad one and had been constructed badly. The battalion remained here for some weeks and casualties rose steadily throughout June. The day that Leslie died his battalion was still at Dikebusch in Belgium.

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BASSON A.J Sergeant L/9287 Albert John BASSON. 7th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Formerly 5th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment. Died Monday 27th September 1915 aged 24 years. Son of Frederick and Sarah Basson of 64 Upper Bridge Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres, France. Grave reference IX.D.9. Albert’s father was a Railway Labourer. His mother Sarah came from Boughton Aluph. Albert had 1 brother – Charles who was 2 years older than Albert. Albert served in the army for 5 years before being killed. The 7th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment was attached to 36th Brigade, 12th (Eastern) Division. The 12th Division was formed in late August 1915 and comprised infantry drawn from the Eastern (Anglia) and Home Counties regions. In November 1914 the Division was moved to Hythe in Kent. February 1915 saw a move to Aldershot for final training in readiness for deployment overseas. Landed France 4th June where the Division concentrated around St Omer. The Battle of Loos commenced 25th September 1915 but the 12th Division did not enter the fray until 30th September 1915.

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BIRCHETT H.P Private L/7920 Harry Percy BIRCHETT. 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Friday 15th September 1916 aged 31 years. Born Elmsted. Enlisted Ashford. Resided 16 Scooten Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Son of John Burchett. Husband of Rose Sarah Birchett of 16 Scotton Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Guillemont Road Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave reference XIV.P.3. Harry resided in Wye both before and during the Great War. The day that Harry died the 1st Buffs was in the vicinity of Morval on the Somme battlefield not far from Le Sars. The battalion was in action all day near the Quadrilateral a fortified enemy trench system. Tanks were used for the first time. The Buffs supported the 8th Bedford’s in the attack. The battalion lost 10 officers and 60 men killed and a further 183 either wounded or missing.

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BUSHELL C Christopher Bushell had very tenuous links to Wye – He was married to the daughter of a former Rector of Wye. He and his wife were married in Wye but Christopher himself never actually resided there. His wife Rachel lived with her father in Wye for a short while and again lived in Wye for a short while after the death of her husband. Despite this he was claimed as an adopted son of Wye! It’s a pity that the person(s) who decided to do this didn’t do the same for many other REAL local fallen men. Lieutenant Colonel Christopher BUSHELL VC DSO. 7th Battalion, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Killed in Action 8th August 1918 aged 30 years. Born 31st October 1888 at “Hinderton Lodge”, Neston, Cheshire. Son of Reginald and Caroline Bushell of Hinderton Lodge, Neston, Cheshire. Husband of Rachell Bushell (nee Lambert). Christopher’s wife Rachel lived at The Vicarage, Wye for a short while before the outbreak of war. Rachel’s father Revd Edgar Lambert was a former Rector of Wye church. Buried in the Querrieu British Cemetery, Somme, France. Grave reference E.6. Christopher’s name appears on the Neston war memorial in The Wirral, Cheshire (his true home). His name is also on the St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe parish church war memorial near Dover, Kent. Christopher’s mother owned a property in the village before the outbreak of war. Christopher’s name also appears on a plaque inside Bishopsbourne Parish Church near Canterbury alongside his wifes name – Rachel Bushell MBE. Christopher and Rachel Bushell were married at the Church of St Gregory and St Martin at Wye on 24 August 1915. The Revd D.W Hobson, brother-in-law of the Groom and Chaplain Superintendent of the Mersey Mission to Seaman, officiated. A year later, the couples daughter was christened, Elizabeth Hope Bushell at Wye. Christopher’s grandfather Christopher Bushell (Senior) was a self made millionaire having made his money in the Port of Liverpool importing wine in the mid 1800’s. Reginald (father of Christopher Bushell VC) was made a partner in the family business – Bushell Brothers and Co, Wine Merchants and Shippers of Castle Street, Liverpool. Reginald was also a Justice of the Peace (JP). Reginald died 11 November 1904. A memorial to Reginald Bushell can be found inside the Neston Parish Church in Cheshire (St Mary and St Helen). Reginald’s widow Caroline

(Christopher Bushell’s mother) went to live at 59 Kensington Court, Knightsbridge, London. Around this time Caroline aquired a third property at St Margarets-at-Cliffe near Dover, Kent. Christopher Bushell was educated at Moorland School, Heswall before going to Rugby School in 1900 at the age of 13. At Rugby Christopher became good friends with Rupert Brooke the famous soldier poet. In 1906 Chrisopher went to Corpus Christi College Oxford where he graduated in 1909 with a law degree. Christopher’s name appears on the college Roll of Honour located in the College Chapel. After graduation Christopher took a post with a firm of solicitors in Liverpool before entering the Inner Temple, London as a student Barrister (5 November 1908). He was in chambers at 2 New Square, Lincolns Inn, London and resided at his mothers dwelling in Knightsbridge. His name can be found on the Inner Temple’s Roll of Honour. On 17 November 1911 Christopher was called to the bar and was finally a qualified Barrister. Life as a Barrister didn’t suit Christopher. In 1912 he joined the British Army Special Reserve of Officers. Christopher was gazetted Second Lieutenant on 8 May 1912 and posted to the 1st Battalion, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Christopher was one of the very first officers to volunteer for war service in 1914. After Christopher’s untimely death on the battlefields of France, his wife Rachel left their residence in London and moved to The Firs, 114 Lower Bridge Street, Wye, Kent (the former home of the Viscount Ipswich a college man who was killed in action serving as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps). In 1919 Rachel left Wye and moved to “Hinderton” Church Road, Boughton Aluph (now known as Downs Court). In 1931 Rachel again moved, this time to Hookers Green, Bishopsbourne near Canterbury. For 15 years Rachel acted as the Churchwarden there and became heavily involved in the Women’s Voluntary Service. She was awarded an MBE in 1959 for services to the WVS. After her daughters marriage (Elizabeth Hope Bushell) Rachel moved to Canterbury Cathedral Precincts. Rachel Bushell died 8 February 1965 and was buried in Bishopsbourne churchyard near Canterbury. Inside the church at Bishopsbourne is a plaque that celebrates the lives of Rachel Bushell MBE and her husband Lt Col Christopher Bushell VC, DSO. In 2004 the Ashford Borough Council approved a road naming in Kennington as a tribute to Christopher. This was done despite the fact that Christopher had no connection to the Ashford area other than his name appearing on the Wye Church war memorial. The authors are aghast that this man’s name was put before many local men who made the ultimate sacrifice and who were born in Ashford and resided in Ashford when they lost their lives. If the council wanted to celebrate a Victoria Cross holder with good local connections they should have chosen Harry Wells VC instead…

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Victoria Cross Citation (London Gazette no 30667) 30th April 1918 “On the 23rd March 1918 when leading a company of his battalion in a combined Allied counter-attack, he received a severe head wound. Refusing all aid, he continued walking in front of both the English and Allied troops., encouraging them and visiting each portion of the lines in the face of heavy enemy rifle and machine gun fire. He was finaly removed to a dressing station in a fainting condition”.

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Christopher was killed in a later action (8th August 1918) leading an attack South of Morlencourt, Somme, France – “at 0700 hours Lt Col Bushell went forward himself with his runner to deal with the situation. Collecting all available men he led them forward from Croydon Trench to the assault, capturing Cloncurry Trench between Culgor and Cloud Support. He then proceeded along the trench to organise and encourage the men, and on his way to give orders to a tank crew, he was mortally wounded in the head by a snipers bullet. His body was recovered by his runner under withering machine gun fire but when recovered he was found to be already dead”.

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CROUCHER L Private 8854 Leonard CROUCHER. 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment. Died Saturday 13th March 1915 aged 26 years. Born Wye. Resided Wye. Son of Henry and Mary Ann Croucher of 62, Bridge Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Leonard has no known grave. His name appears on the Le Touret Memorial, Le Touret, France. Panel reference 11. The 1901 census (RG13-787-2) gives - Henry CROUCHER 58 General Labourer Wye Jane 57 Wye Amelia 17 Wye Harry 15 Yard Boy (Cattle) Wye Leonard 11 Wye Charles 11 Wye On the 10th March 1915 the 2nd battalion was in action all day when British forces attacked at Neuve Chapelle. A number of enemy trenches were taken. All gains were consolidated by the days end. On the 13th March (the day that Leonard died) the battalion was relieved and withdrew to L’Epinette. During this period the battalion had lost 250 men killed, missing and wounded. DANIEL A.F.H (Should read - A.F HOOD-DANIEL) It took us some while to trace this officer because the war memorial lists his surname merely as “Daniel”. This officer was primarily a member of staff at the Agricultural College. His name appears on the Agricultural College War Memorial correctly as A.F.S Hood-Daniel. It is not known how the parish council / church authorities came to make this mistake taking into account that the Wye College erected their memorial before Wye and got the name right! Captain Arnold Frost HOOD-DANIEL.“C” (Ashford) Company, 2/5th (Home Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Former (Private), The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Testcular Cancer 28th January 1917 aged 35 years. Born Clifton, Bristol 10th October 1881. Husband of Lucy Isabel Hood-Daniel (nee Raine) of Hillbe, Wye, Kent. Son-In-Law of John A.E Rayne of Gatesgarth, West Kirby, Cheshire. Buried in the West Kirby (St Bridget) Churchyard, West Kiby, The Wirral, Cheshire. Grave reference 895A. Armold’s name appears correctly on the Wye College War Memorial Plaque – Captain Arnold F HOOD-DANIEL. 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Arnold came from a well to do family from Bristol. He was educated at Bath College and Bristol University. He obtained a first class agricultural degree whilst studying at Bristol University. Upon leaving university Arnold was employed as a lecturer at the South Eastern Agricultural College in Wye. Upon the outbreak of war whilst still in Wye Arnold volunteered for service in The Buffs as a private soldier. Shortly after joining up he was selected for a commission (16th December 1914) and rose to the rank of Captain before being discharged on medical grounds with cancer of the testicles. Arnold died of testicular cancer at “Gatesgarth”, West Kirby, Cheshire after a long and painful illness. He was operated on in 1916 and it was thought at first that he had recovered. Arnold recovered sufficiently to return to his unit. A few weeks later he died very suddenly in dreadful pain. Arnold left a wife and 1 small child in Wye. After Arnold passed away his wife and child returned to Cheshire.

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DARRELL G Lance Corporal G/2568 George DARRELL. “C” Company, 7th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Saturday 1st July 1916 aged 23 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Wye. Son of George Darrell of 63 Bridge Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. George has no known grave. His name appears on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme. France. Panel reference 5D. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Dog Kennels, Wye Private 10081 Alfred Michael DARRELL. 2nd Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Private 15089 William DARRELL. 5th Buffs (East Kent Regiment) 63, Bridge Street, Wye Sergeant 265184 Ernest DARRELL. 1st Royal West Kent Regiment. George died on the 1st day of the Battle of The Somme. The 7th Battalion (55th Brigade) was holding the line near the Carnoy Craters on the southern sector of the Somme battlefield. C Company The Buffs assaulted German held positions at Pomiers trench. Lieutenant Budds and Dyson were in joint command of the attack. The 7th battalion lost 47 men killed on this day (one of whom was George). THE VISCOUNT IPSWICH Another man with tenuous links to the actual village. His name also appears on the Agricultural College War Memorial. Lieutenant 1560 (The Viscount Ipswich) William Henry Alfred (Tim) FITZROY. Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and 4th Battalion (Pioneers), Coldstream Guards. Formerly (Private) 4th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Flying Accident, Salisbury 23rd April 1918 aged 33 years. Son of the Earl of Euston. Grandson of the 8th Duke of Grafton. Husband of Auriol, Vicountess Ipswich of Whittlebury, Towchester, Northamptonshire. Buried Euston Churchyard, Suffolk. William married Auriol in 1913 daughter of Major Brougham. They lived at The Firs in Wye for a few months whilst William was working at the college. They had three daughters. The Vicount Ipswich was not a local man in fact he came from London. His residence at the time of his enlistment was 6 Chesterfield Gardens, Mayfair, London. He enherited his title when his father the Duke of Euston died in 1912. The reason why he appears on this listing at Wye is that he worked at the South East Agricultural College for a short period during 1914 and attended the parish church. William was educated at Harrow and Trinity College Cambridge before entering the agricultural college in Wye. He obtained his diploma in July 1907 and at that time was known as Tim Fitzroy. He played cricket for Wye College as a student from 1904 to 1907 and from 1913-14 as a member of staff. In June 1905 he had a serious accident on the Wye Bridge whilst riding a bycycle. A heavily laden wagon drawn by a steam tractor crushed him. He recovered and went to work for the Egyptian Estates Company in Alexandria, Egypt. On the outbreak of war he acted for some time as a Remount Officer and then enlisted in the 5th territorial battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) as a private soldier. On the 24th August 1914 he was selected for a commission with the Coldstream Guards following family intervention. He went to France on the 30th August 1914 and saw considerable service in France before being returned to the UK unfit 15

for active service. Somehow (perhaps after more family intervention) he managed to join the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in October 1917 and underwent training as a pilot. He met his death in a trajic flying accident somewhere near Salisbury in Wiltshire the following April. His body was taken to his family seat in Suffolk for burial by the authorities with full military honours. FOSTER J.W Sergeant 5476 John William FOSTER. 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment. Died Wednesday 4th November 1914 aged 32 years. Born Swadlincote, Derbyshire. Enlisted Leicester. Husband of Lizzie Foster of 9, Church Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Orleans Main Cemetery, Cher, France. Grave reference II.B.13. On the 31st October 1914 the 2nd Leicestershire’s moved forward via Gorre into frontline trenches at Festubert, France. They relieved the 3rd Worcestershire Regiment. Captain Tristram was killed by a stray shell. The battalion remained in the frontline for a period of 18 days finally retiring on the 17th November 1914 (relieved by the 1st Seaforth Highlanders).

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Lance Corporal T/204011 Henry George GOLDUP. 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Friday 17th May 1918 aged 33 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Bromley. Resided Bromley. Son of Benjamin Sutton and Jane Sophia Goldup of Downs Farm, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension, Doullens, France. Grave reference I.B.8. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Downs Farm, Wye Private 333630 George Wilfred GOLDUP. Mechanical Transport (MT), Army Service Corps. Henry died of wounds. He was probably mortally wounded the day before he died when the 6th battalion was in action all day. On the 16th May 1918 the battalion was in frontline trenches near Puchevillers. The battalion came under heavy shelling and a number of deaths occurred. It is recorded in the regimental history that 4 men were killed and 11 wounded. One of these wounded men was probably Henry. He passed quickly through the casualty clearing chain but died of wounds the next day at a Base Hospital near Doullens.

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HANDCOCK A.G (brother) Private T/206826 Albert George HANDCOCK. 3/4th Battalion, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Formerly (27683) Middlesex Regiment. Died 3rd October 1917. Born Wye. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Ashford. Son of William and Ann Handcock of Pickersdane, Brook, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Albert has no known grave. His name appears on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, Belgium. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Pickersdane, Wye Private 240560 Frederick James HANDCOCK. 5th Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Private 34462 Thomas Allen HANDCOCK. 6th East Surrey Regiment. The 1901 census gives – Pickersdane, Brook, Wye William HANDCOCK 40 General Labourer Wye Annie 36 Dover Jane 12 Lyminge William Thomas 10 Wye Grace 6 Wye Frederick 4 Wye Albert 2 Wye On the 1st October 1917 the battalion numbered 44 officers and 938 men. On the night of the 2/3rd October the battalion moved into the front line east of Polygon Wood. The wood was a morass of mud and water. The battalion lost many men to enemy shelling throughout the day. It appears that Albert was one of these men and that he met his maker somewhere in or near Polygon Wood.

HANDCOCK F.J (brother) Private 240560 Frederick James HANDCOCK. 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Wednesday 11th December 1918. Son of William and Ann Handcock of Pickersdane, Brook, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave reference IV.C.2. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Pickersdane, Wye Private 240560 Frederick James HANDCOCK. 5th Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Private 34462 Thomas Allen HANDCOCK. 6th East Surrey Regiment. The 1901 census gives – Pickersdane, Brook, Wye William HANDCOCK 40 General Labourer Wye Annie 36 Dover Jane 12 Lyminge William 10 Wye Grace 6 Wye Frederick 4 Wye Albert 2 Wye The 5th battalion did not return home until January 1920. This man appears to have died precisely one month after the war had ended in Europe. The 5th battalion had effectively finished their active service in late 1917 when the Turks surrendered throughout Mesopotamia. It is probable that this man died of disease or illness whilst on garrison duty.

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HANDCOCK W.L (brother) (incorrect initial on memorial) Private T/2010 William Edward HANDCOCK. Kent Composite Battalion. Formerly 2/5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Tuesday 31st August 1915. Born Brook. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Brook. Son of Mr William and Ann Handcock of “Pickersdane”, Brook, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta. Grave reference B.VII.1. The CWGC incorrectly list William’s unit as the 5th Buffs. It is recorded that William died of wounds from injuries received in Gallipoli Turkey. The 5th battalion were never in Turkey (in fact no Buffs battalion ever served there). The 2/5th Buffs did contribute one company towards the Kent Composite Battalion which did move to Gallipoli. It is probable that William was a former member of the 2/5th battalion The Buffs and that when he actually died he was serving with the Kent Composite Battalion. Those men selected from the Buffs (A and B companies) were allowed to wear their Buffs capbadge, those raised from the West Kent’s (C and D companies) wore the Kent Invicta capbadge. The 2/5th Buffs was an Ashford and Weald based Second Line Territorial Force battalion raised to replace the Territorial Force First Line 1/5th battalion who had moved overseas in 1915. The 2/5th Buffs provided one full company for the Kent Composite Battalion. The Kent Composite Battalion landed in Gallipoli on the 9th August 1915. William was probably wounded in Gallipoli and then evacuated to Malta where he succumbed to his wounds. This explains why his body was buried in Malta. The Kent Composite Battalion was later re-designated the 2/4th Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Pickersdane, Wye Private 240560 Frederick James HANDCOCK. 5th Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Private 34462 Thomas Allen HANDCOCK. 6th East Surrey Regiment. The 1901 census gives – Pickersdane, Brook, Wye

William HANDCOCK 40 General Labourer Wye Annie 36 Dover Jane 12 Lyminge William 10 Wye Grace 6 Wye Frederick 4 Wye Albert 2 Wye

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HORTON J.R Another influential member of staff from the Agricultural College NOT a local man. His name also appears on the College War Memorial. Private T/203107 Jesse Reginald HORTON. 7th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Formerly 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th 5th Battalion’s. Died Friday 12th October 1917 aged 32 years. Born Chartham near Canterbury. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided Withersdane, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Son of K Horton of Chartham Hatch near Canterbury, Kent. Husband of Mrs Horton of Withersdane, Near Wye, Ashford, Kent. Jesse has no known grave. His name appears on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, Belgium. Panel reference 17. Prior to the outbreak of war Jesse served for 5 years in the regular army. His service papers indicate he served in both regular battalions (1st and 2nd). Jesse left the army (time expired) in 1913. Jesse went to work at the South East Agricultural College in Wye. Jesse was also a part time soldier in the Territorial Force 2/5th Buffs (probably serving in the Wye College Company). In 1916 Jesse was selected for active service overseas and was drafted into the 1st Buffs. Jesse was gassed in France serving with the 1st battalion and was recovered to England to recuperate in 1916. He recovered and went to Mesopotamia with the 5th battalion. In late 1917 with the 7th in Belgium he was shot in the head and killed instantly. The day that Jesse died his battalion was in action at Poelcappelle near Zonnebeke in Belgium. The Buffs line was from Gloster House to Poelcappelle Church. The battalion objective was Meunier House and the Brewery but neither was captured because of heavy German machine gun fire.

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JEMMETT C.W Another member of staff from the Agricultural College and from an influential Ashford family. His name also appears on the College War Memorial. Captain 1564 Charles William JEMMETT. 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Formerly (Sergeant) 2/5th (Weald of Kent) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Friday 15th March 1918 aged 32 years. Born Willesborough 26th May 1885. Son of William Francis Bond Jemmett of Ashford, Kent. Husband of Dorothy Elizabeth Cottrell (formerly Jemmett nee Sankey) of Sussex House, Winchester, Hampshire. Formerly residing at Charing, Ashford, Kent. Dorothy’s father was Percy Edward Sankey the well known Ramsgate Solicitor of 44, Russell Square, London. Charles and his wife Dorothty married 14th December 1912 and had three daughters. Buried in the Brissay-Choigny Churchyard, Aisne, France - West Side of main path. Charles was educated at Mr Branack’s at Folkestone. In September 1898 he entered Tonbridge School and served in their Officer Training Corps (OTC) until 1902. His name appears on the Tonbridge School Roll of Honour that was published after the war had ended. Upon leaving school Charles went to work at a bank in Ashford. He left Ashford and became a Lecturer in Entomology employed by The South East Agricultural College, Wye near Ashford. He arrived at the college in 1906 and stayed until 1908. He resided at Withersdane House at Wye prior to the outbreak of war. Whilst employed at Wye he enlisted as a Sergeant in the Territorial Force (2/5th Buffs) on the 17th August 1914 at Ashford. On the 9th May 1915 following family intervention he was commissioned into the rank of Second Lieutenant with the Buffs 6th Battalion. Charles family erected a private family tribute in the Ashford (St Mary’s) Church. It is made from white marble and hangs in the Jemmett family dedicated area. There are also two stained glass windows which the family erected in Christchurch South Ashford. The Buffs regimental history (Moody) lists the circumstances of Charles death. He was killed in action on 15th March 1918 whilst leading his platoon on the canal bridge at Vendeuil-Chaugny Road (La Fere, Brissay-Choigny) in Liez three miles north of the River Oise and 2 miles from the St Quentin Canal. He was killed instantly when a rifle bullet struck him on the right temple. His will left £22,000 to his wife Dorothy Elizabeth Cottrell (formerly Jemmett).

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LAMBERTON T Private 34529 Edward (Teddie) LAMBERTON. 10th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI). Formerly (G/11571) 2/5th Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Tuesday 23rd October 1917. Born Kilburn, London. Resided Wye. Son of William and Jane Lamberton. Husband of Harriet Lamberton of 133 Bridge Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried Dudhallow ADS Cemetery, Belgium. Grave reference 2.A.8.

LEWIS W Lance Sergeant PW/4830 Frederick William LEWIS. 2/10th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died in Egypt Saturday 1st December 1917 aged 32 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Tottenham, London. Resided 101 Bridge Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Son of William Robert and Harriet Lewis of 101 Bridge Street,Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Alexandria, Egypt. Grave reference D.246. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – 101 Bridge Street, Wye Private 30508 Herbert Frank LEWIS. 1st Essex Regiment

LUSTED F.A Sergeant G/1385 Frederick Arthur LUSTED. 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Thursday 13th July 1916 aged 23 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided Wye. Son of Thomas and Sarah Ann Lusted of 87 Bridge Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried Peronne Road Cemetery, Maricourt, France. Grave reference 1.C.8. Prior to the outbreak of war Frederick was employed by the South Eastern and Chatham Railway as a booking Clerk at Lydd Railway Station. Frederick enlisted voluntarily in September 1914 and proceeded to France with his battalion in July 1915. The 3rd July 1916 saw the 6th battalion in action all day just outside Albert. The battalion was almost entirely decimated on the 3rd. The day that Frederick died (13th) his battalion was still in the vicinity of Albert on The Somme. The regimental history says that the battalion was not in trenches and that they did not return to the frontline until 27th July 1916. It is not known how Frederick came to lose his life.

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MAXTED W.C Private T/240412 William Colbran MAXTED. 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Saturday 24th February 1917 aged 20 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Wye. Son of Mr William Thomas Maxted of The Butchers Shop, Church Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Amara War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave reference - Special Memorial. William’s father was the Wye Butcher for many years. The 1901 census gives – Church Street, Wye William T MAXTED 31 Butcher Born Margate Mavis J 28 Born Sandgate William C 4 Born Wye George T 1 Born Wye The day that William died his battalion was opposite Kut on the South end of the Shuman Bend (River Tigris). The enemy attacked and tried to seize the Shuman Peninsular. The enemy were repulsed and then comprehensively defeated but not without casualties. The Buffs lost 12 men killed (one of whom was William).

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NEWPORT S Private 60710 Sidney NEWPORT. 8th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (MGC) )(Inf). Formerly (5871) Royal Fusiliers. Died Wednesday 27th March 1918. Born Wye. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Wye. Son of William and Harriet Newport of Bridge Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Sidney has no known grave. His name appears on the Pozieres Memorial, Pozieres, France. Panel reference 90 to 93. Before the outbreak of war Sidney was employed as a Painter and Decorator in the Wye area. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – 9, The Green, Wye Driver 209349 Thomas Charles NEWPORT. 104th Field Company, Royal Engineers. The 1901 census gives – Bridge Street William NEWPORT 57 Bricklayer Lydd Harriet 27 Wye Thomas C 24 Bricklayer Wye Sidney 21 House Painter Wye Thomas Charles Newport from Wye served in The Buffs militia battalion in the late 1800’s.

NICKALLS A.D Corporal T/240393 Albert Davies NICKALLS. 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Friday 21st January 1916 aged 50 years. Resided Wye. Enlisted Ashford. Son of Thomas and Eliza Nickalls of Clockhouse, Ashford, Kent. Formerly 35 Scotton Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Husband of Louisa Alice Nickalls of “Rock Cottage”, Wye, Kent. Albert has no known grave. His name appears on the Basra War Memorial, Basra, Iraq. Panel reference 6. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – 35, Scotton Street, Wye Private 240394 Jack William Davies NICKALLS. 5th Buffs (East Kent Regiment). The Hanna Defile is a narrow strip of dry land between the River Tigris and the Great Suwaikiya Marshes. The mouth of the Hanna Lines lies upstream of the Wadi, some 8 miles towards Kut-al-Amara. It was the rainy season days were hot, foggy and humid and nights were below freezing. On the 20th January the Turkish defences at Hanna came under heavy British artillery bombardment. After the bombardment the infantry moved forward to attack. The Turks rose out of their trenches and literally cut the attacking British infantry down. Very few British soldiers reached their objective. On the 22nd January a truce was arranged and both sides recovered their killed and wounded from the battlefield. British losses in this action amounted to 2,700 men killed or wounded. PEMBLE F.W Private G/167 Frederick Walter PEMBLE. 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Wednesday 13th October 1915. Born Wye. Enlisted Margate. Resided Margate. Son of John and Sussanah Pemble of the Village Stores, Bridge Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Frederick has no known grave. His name appears on the Loos Memorial, Loos, France. Panel reference 15 to 19. During October 1915 the Battle of Loos was in full swing. On 13th October 6th Buffs (37th Brigade) were given the task of attacking the Hohenzollern Redoubt in front of Vermelles on the British side and Fosse 8 (The Quarries) on the German side. One company from the Northamptonshire’s was attached to the 6th Buffs for the assault. The 6th Buffs were to join up with the 7th East Surrey’s with the 35th Brigade on their right. All troops were issued with smoke helmets as it was thought te Germans might resort to using gas as a defensive weapon. The assault was led by 6th Buffs. The greatest gallantry was show but the attack failed miserably. Few men returned to their trenches. 13 officers led the battalion to the attack, only 3 returned. Four hundred men fell on the battlefield 200 of whom were killed outright. The 6th Buffs almost ceased to exist at the end of the day!

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REYNOLDS C Private 44053 Cecil Henry REYNOLDS. 10th Battalion, Essex Regiment. Formerly (44821) Bedfordshire Regiment. Died Monday 2nd September 1918 aged 19 years. Born Wye. Resided Wye. Son of William and Alice Jayne Reynolds of 150 Bridge Street, Wye, Kent. His name appears on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France. Panel reference 7. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – 150, Bridge Street, Wye Private G/17515 Thomas William REYNOLDS. 2nd Buffs, (East Kent Regiment). The 1901 census gives – Willie REYNOLDS 32 Post Maker Wye Alice J 28 Wye Thomas 2 Wye Cecil H 1 Wye SHARP F.T (Brother) Leading Stoker K/9940 Frederick Thomas SHARP. HMS “Garry”. Royal Navy. Fell into Belfast Dock by accident Tuesday 22nd August 1916 aged 28 years. Admitted into Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast but died of his injuries same day. Son of Stephen and Sarah Elizabeth Sharpe of 4 Sole Street, Wye. Buried in the Crundale (St Mary) Churchyard, Kent. Grave reference – North East corner of churchyard. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Sole Street, Crundale Stoker SS/113536 Ernest Stephen SHARP. HMS Royal Oak, Royal Navy. Private George Abraham SHARP. 2nd Buffs (East Kent Regiment. Frederick’s name appears on the Wye Memorial Plaque located in the Wye Church. It seems odd that his name does not appear on Crundale’s memorial taking into account he is buried in Crundale Graveyard and that his name was published in the Kentish Express Crundale Roll of honour in May 1915. 29

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SLAUGHTER F.A Private T/1587 Thomas Alick SLAUGHTER. 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Tuesday 8th September 1914. Born Wye. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Wye. Son of Frederick Walter and May Ann Slaughter of 123 Bridge Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference – North East of church. Thomas is buried next to his parents – Frederick Walter Slaughter who died 18th June 1916 aged 80 years and Mary Ann Macey who died 2nd October 1913 aged 62 years. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – 123, Bridge Street, Wye

Sergeant M2/100514 Frederick John SLAUGHTER. (Mechanical Transport) Army Service Corps. The 1901 census gives – 123, Bridge Street Frederick Walter SLAUGHTER 55 Builder Wye May A 48 Wye May 21 Wye Rosamond 17 Wye Walter R 15 Bricklayer Wye Sarah M 13 Wye Julia 10 Wye Thomas A 8 Wye Frederick 6 Wye Thomas was a member of the local territorial battalion the 1/5th. It went overseas in 1915 to India and then briefly to Aden before moving to Mesopotamia where it stayed until 1920. Thomas died of illness or disease before the battalion went overseas.

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VIDION C Corporal 33183 Charles VIDION. 1st Battalion, Warwickshire Regiment. Formerly (23028) 16th Lancers. Died Sunday 23rd December 1917 aged 34 years. Born Molash. Resided Molash. Son of Mr Vidion of Curzon House, Molash, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Happy Valley British Cemetery, Fampoux, France. Grave reference A.11. Charles name also appears on the Molash and Great Chart War Memorials. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Pested Lane, Wye Stoker Alfred Frank VIDEON. 6th Mess, Royal Naval Barracks. Private 99539 Edward VIDEON. 4th Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Private 242992 Frederick George VIDEON. 5th Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Private 200476 John VIDEON. 5th Buffs (East Kent Regiment).

WORRELL T.E Private TF/791 Thomas Edward WORRELL. “A” Company, 1/1st Kent Cyclist Battalion. Died Acute Pneumonia Saturday 20th November 1915 aged 21 years. Born Chislet, Kent. Resided Wye. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference - South West of church near main gate. Before the outbreak of war Thomas was a valued member of the Wye Village Band. Thomas died of Acute Pneumonia whilst in the UK training for deployment to Gallipoli. The Kent Cyclist Battalion was one of fifteen units administered by The Territorial Army Association headed by the Lord Lieutenant of Kent. Other units included Yeomanry, Artillery, Fortress units of the Royal Engineers (Kent Fortress Royal Engineers), the 4th and 5th battalions of The Buffs, and the 4th and 5th battalions of the Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).The Kent Cyclist Battalion was formed in 1908 as part of the new Territorial Force, replacing the volunteers to form an effective properly trained and organised part-time army. The battalion was designed to defend the homeland against possible invasion when the regular army was sent overseas. The Kent Cyclist Battalion was one of the ten original territorial cyclist battalions in the country whose main role in wartime was to be in patrolling the UK coastline. This was soon changed when the regular army lost most of its manpower.

The 1/1st Kent Cyclist Battalion comprised 8 companies some of which maintained small detachments in nearby towns and villages.

• A Company - Bromley

• B Company - Tonbridge (Pembury)

• C Company - Beckenham

• D Company - Maidstone (Chatham)

• E Company - Tunbridge Wells

• F Company - Canterbury (Ashford, Whitstable)

• G Company - Ramsgate (Margate, Sandwich)

• H Company - Sandgate (Hythe, Dover, Folkestone) The soldiers of the Kent Cyclist Battalion wore a cap badge similar to the Royal West Kent Regiment (the invicta horse with a scroll beneath saying Kent Cyclist Battalion). Upon the outbreak of war the 1st Line Territorial Battalion from Tonbridge was attached to the 2nd (West Lancashire) Division. It spent most of it's time training and preparing was deployment overseas. On 2 December 1915 the battalion was re-organised as a dis-mounted infantry unit and attached to 57th Division. The battalion spent most of it's time guarding key points throughout Kent. Records and photographs exist that show the battalion guarding coastal ares in and around Lydd and Jurys Gap. In February 1916 the Kent Cyclist Battalion was moved to India where it took up garrison duty. It remained in India for the remaining duration of the war.

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YOUNG A.C Private G/37523 Alfred Charles YOUNG. 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (London Regiment). Formerly 2nd Battalion, London Regiment. Died Saturday 4th May 1918. Born Wye. Resided 36, Church Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Annois Communal Cemetery, France. Grave reference 1.A.1. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – 36, Church Street, Wye Private 37523 Alfred Charles YOUNG. 11th Royal Fusiliers.

Lost Sons of Wye These men’s names do not appear on the Wye Church War Memorial Plaque located inside the parish church entrance. This is remarkable when you take into account that many are buried within a few yards of where the church plaque hangs! This is particularly hurtful because some members of Wye College were selected.Those with high ranking awards, impressive titles or came from influential local families were claimed, whereas other college men who also worshipped at Wye’s parish church when they attended the college were forgotten. We are particulary offended by the fact that these college men were chosen before local men. Also, the college men all had a local (Wye) commemoration on the college’s nearby war memorial whereas the local men who were forgotten (including those men buried in Wye) have no civic commemoration at all. And what about the men serving at Wye Aeorodrome who lost their lives in Wye and were buried in Wye – no mention of any of them either! These men had a solid connection to Wye and most died within it’s bounds. Whoever presided over this debacle should be ashamed of themselves. We would like to see the situation put right. There is plenty of room on the village war memorial for all these men’s names to appear alongside eachother. Over to you Wye Parish Council…

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AGNEW J.P Lieutenant Joseph Paul AGNEW MC. 42nd Training Squadron, Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Died Flying Accident Boughton Corner Farm, Wye, Ashford, Kent. (Sopwith Camel) 14th August 1918 aged 22 years. Son of Thomas and Jane Ann Agnew of The Post Office, Cowpen Village, Blyth, Northumberland. Buried in the Ashford Cemetery. Grave reference RC.1725. Joseph was buried in Ashford which is close to the site of his flying accident. Joseph’s name appears on the Blythe Civic War Memorial, Cowpen, Blythe, Northumberland. Upon the outbreak of war in August 1914, Joseph was one of the very first men to volunteer for overseas active service. He responded immediately to Earl Kitcheners call for men enlisting into the army as a Private soldier. Joseph worked up through the ranks and by 1916 he was a Second Lieutenant. In June 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross for his previous service in Egypt in 1916 for bravery in the face of the enemy – At night he was in charge of 2 guns and whilst moving up with the infantry to an assembly position his sub-section came under heavy shell fire. Several of his men were killed outright and

others were badly wounded. He ordered his men to scatter and take cover. Joseph was wounded by a shell and badly concussed. Despite this he took charge of the situation and carried on directing his men. Joseph and an NCO went forward under heavy shell-fire and joined a small party of infantry, where he remained until daybreak ordering his own men and taking charge of the infantry men too. By this time he and his men had captured 8 enemy soldiers. Joseph was awarded the Military Cross personally by Field Marshall Duke of Connaught (the King’s brother) for encouraging his men by way of example to hold on in the face of a furious enemy counter-attack. In June 1918 Joseph’s parents received an erroneous notification from the War Office advising them that their son Joseph had been wounded and then subsequently killed by gassing in Egypt. Two days later they received a telegraph from Joseph telling them he was wounded but still alive! After being awarded the MC, Joseph transferred into the Royal Flying Corps with the commissioned rank of Lieutenant. In June 1917 Joseph returned to the UK on leave and shortly after was sent to 42nd Training Squadron, Royal Flying Corps at Wye to learn to fly. During this training Joseph was involved in a tragic flying accident. His commanding officer Major Lucey reported the circumstances of his death – Lieutenant Agnew was ordered to attack and fire at a ground target which necessitated low flight. He approached the target in his Sopwith Camel and fired three bursts into it. After hitting his target Lt Agnew performed a series of rolls. On the third roll, his machine got into a spin and nose dived to the ground! The manoeuvre he was making was not necessarily disobeying orders, because it was an accepted practice at that time to celebrate victories by “barrel rolling”. Corporal James Talbot left the airfield at Wye with a rescue team and headed for Boughton Corner Farm where Joseph’s machine had appeared to come down in a cornfield. Upon arriving on the scene Corporal Talbot was met with a picture of sheer carnage! Lieutenant J.P Agnew was found in the wreckage of the machine very severely injured. Lieutenant Agnew was extricated from the wreckage of the Sopwith machine and taken with all haste to Ashford Hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital in Ashford Lieutenant Agnew’s condition worsened and he died of his injuries. The Kent County Coroner held an inquest into the circumstances of the fatal accident on 16 August 1918. Its verdict was “Death by Miss-adventure”. He died of a fracture of the back of the skull and other serious internal injuries consistent with a violent impact. Joseph was given the honour of a full military funeral. The Reverend F.T McSweeney conducted the ceremony in Ashford’s Canterbury Road Municipal Cemetery. The military representatives were commanded by Captain Larduci with Lieutenants Alexander, Mackintosh, Butler, Brandt and Cadet Gray also in attendance. Private Spearing sounded the “Last Post” on a bugle and a firing party under Sergeant Kingston fired the volley. Captain Larduci laid a wreath from all members of 42 Training Squadron, RAF from Wye. Joseph’s body was interred in the Roman Catholic Section at Ashford’s Municipal Cemetery, Canterbury Road, Ashford. The reason why he was buried in Ashford and not alongside his other fallen colleagues at Wye Churchyard is the fact he was a Roman Catholic. The 42nd Training Squadron, RFC was a reserve training squadron based at the Wye Aerodrome, Bramble Lane, Wye, Kent. No trace of the airfield today other than a few bits of concrete in a ploughed field. Joseph’s father Thomas Agnew was killed in another tragic accident on 14 August 1937.

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AMOS P.W Lance Corporal G/2566 Percy William AMOS. 7th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Gas Gangrene 25th November 1916 aged 23 years at Bradford. Born 4th August 1893 at Bonnington. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Wye. Son of Stephen and Sarah Ann Amos of White Hill, Boughton Aluph, Ashford, Kent. Formerly residing at Burntdown House, Bonnington, Ashford, Kent. Buried locally in the Wye (Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference – South West end of Church near main gate. Before the outbreak of war Percy worked for Mr C.F File of Bilting Grange, Wye, Kent. Although Percy is buried in Wye he actually resided in Bonnington when he died. Apparently Bonnington Churchyard was not receiving further burials and Wye was chosen by the family as the next best thing. when he died. It seems utterly wrong that Percy’s name was never placed on the Wye parish or church tribute. Both lie within a few feet of poor Percy’s grave. The above photo shows the men of the 5th Buffs carrying his coffin to it’s final resting place in Wye. Percy died of his wounds at St Luke’s War Hospital, Bradford, Yorkshire from Gas Gangrene arising from shell wounds. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – White Hill, Boughton Aluph Private 2564 Stephen John AMOS. 7th Buffs (East Kent Regiment. Attended Royal Engineers. The Boughton Aluph 1901 census gives – White Hill, Boughton Aluph Stephen AMOS 43 General Labourer Lympne Sarah 39 Lambourne, Berks Emily 15 Ashford John 12 Bonnington Percy 7 Bonnington Lucy 2 Eastwell

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ALLARD A.J Gunner 147697 Arthur James ALLARD. 188th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). Died Monday 27th May 1918. Born Wye. Enlisted Faversham. Son of James and Martha Allard of Faversham, Kent. Husband of Florence Russell Allard of 34, King’s Road, Faversham, Kent. Buried in the Mendighem Military Cemetery, Poperinge, Belgium. Grave reference X.D.21. The 188th Seige Battery operated 6 x 9.2 inch howitzers and was attached to 53rd Division, 1st Army. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – 27 The Green, Wye Private 23520 Albert Edward ALLARD. 6th Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Able Seaman 226276 Ernest ALLARD. HMS “Attentive”, Royal Navy. Gas Works Cottage, Wye Gunner 910332 Alfred Richard ALLARD. Royal Field Artillery. Private 265181 Ernest Frederick ALLARD. 2nd Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Lance Corporal 265186 William Edward ALLARD. 1st Royal West Kent Regiment. 79, Bridge Street, Wye Sapper 541640 Archibald ALLARD. Royal Engineers. 39, Church Street, Wye Private 135288 Stephen James ALLARD. Machine Gun Corps.

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ANDREWS T.W Private 269882 Thomas William ANDREWS MM. 2/7th (Robin Hood) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment). Died Friday 22nd March 1918. Born Wye. Enlisted Ashford. Son of John and Emily Andrews of Frith Cottage, Beaver Lane, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France. Grave reference P.VI.D.9B. Thomas was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for bravery in the field. Military Medal Citation (London Gazette) ANDREWS Thomas William Private 269882 1/7th (Robin Hoods) Battalion Sherwood Foresters Awarded MM London Gazette 26.4.1917 "For gallantry at Rettemoy Farm on 10.3.1917 when he helped to repulse a strong enemy bombing attack on the trenches which a small garrison were holding." (Died of Wounds when with 2/7th Battalion on 22.3.1918). Before the outbreak of war Thomas was employed by Mr Davis the timber merchant in Ashford. Educated at the old Council School, Ashford. Thomas had served 2 years in the army. He had been wounded on the 10th March 1917 and returned to France 9th September 1918. He died of wounds at Rouen Military Hospital in France. When he died his battalion the 2/7th had ceased to exist. All personnel were transferred to the 7th battalion in February 1918. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Water Works, Little Plumpton, Wye Air Mechanic 1st Class 210823 William Charles ANDREWS. Royal Air Force. The 2/7th (Robin Hood) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters was formed at Nottingham 19th September 1914. January 1915 to Luton (178th Brigade, 59th Division). April 1916 to Ireland on garrison duties. January 1917 returned to England. Landed France 26th February 1917. 6th February 1918 disbanded and all personnel to 7th battalion, Sherwood Foresters.

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BLAKE E Corporal 14448 Edgar BLAKE. 42nd Training Squadron, Royal Air Force. Formerly Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Died Flying Accident 27th June 1918. Son of Alfred and Emily Blake of 50, Batoum Gardens, Hammersmith, London. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Church Graveyard, Wye, Kent. Grave reference – East part. Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel.

After Armistice Day (11th November 1918) the aerodrome was run down as many squadrons

were reduced to a Cadre. It’s utterly ridiculous that Edgar’s name was not placed on the church tribute bearing in mind he was buried within 50 yards if it. Even if Edgar was not strictly speaking a resident of Wye, he has now resided there for over 80 years…

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BOSWELL F Private 21187 Fred BOSWELL. 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Formerly (G/7501) Royal Sussex Regiment. Died Wednesday 9th August 1915. Born Ore, Hastings, Sussex. Enlisted Ashford. Resided (1913 onwards) Scotten Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Son of Thomas and Matilda Boswell of Hinxhill, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Potijze Chateau Wood Cemetery, Belgium. Grave reference A.27. Fred is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as having served in the 2nd battalion, Hampshire Regiment when killed. This seems unlikely because in 1915 the 2nd Hampshire’s were in Egypt. The 2nd battalion didn’t move to France until March 1916. A more plausable explanation is that Fred was probably killed fighting in France with another undisclosed Hampshire Regiment battalion. Fred resided in Wye from 1913 until he died. Despite this his name appears to have been utterly forgotten. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Near The Elms, Wye

Private 34747 David BOSWELL. Royal Defence Corps (RDC) The 2nd Hampshire’s was a regular army battalion. On the outbreak of war it found itself at Bombay in India. It returned home to the UK 22nd December 1914. To Romsey (88th Brigade, 29th Division). Landed Gallipoli Turkey 24th April 1915. Left Gallipoli 8th January 1916 and to Egypt. It remained in the 29th Division throughout the war.

BROOKS G.R Lance Corporal G/8385 George Richard BROOKS MM. 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 6th October 1917 aged 20 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided Stourmouth near Canterbury. Son of George Richard and Annie Maria Brooks of “Pond Cottage”, Old Wives Lees, Chilham, Kent. Later residing Selling near Faversham, Kent. Buried in the Monchy British Cemetery, Monchy, France. Grave reference I.N.12. Next to George is another local man’s grave – Henry CUTRESS from Aldington (I.N.10). George was probably very good friends with Henry Cuttress from Aldington. George was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for bravery in the field. The 1901 census gives –

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Cottage near Howletts Farm, Chilham George BROOKES 36 Labourer Wye Annie 24 Addisham, Canterbury Emily 6 Willesborough George 4 Wye Annie 5 Mersham Edward 1 Chilham On the 6th October 1917 the 6th battalion was in the vicinity of Arras holding reserve trenches. The 3rd of October saw 33 casualties mainly from shelling. BUTCHER G.E George Edward BUTCHER. Civilian Killed by Enemy Action. Folkestone. Died Toxaemia 5th June 1917 at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Folkestone, Kent. Born Wye, Ashford, Kent. Resided 27 Alexandra Street, Folkestone, Kent. Buried 8th June 1917 at Folkestone Cemetery, Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent. Grave reference – B.68 (U). His gravestone remains in good condition (2005). George was fatally injured in Foord Road, Folkestone on 25th May 1917 when German Gotha Aircraft dropped bombs on Folkstone. George was caught in the open. George was employed for 23 years as a Coal Carter for Scrivener’s of Folkestone. He was on his rounds during that fateful Friday evening. He had just left his horse and cart to speak to an aquantance named Charles Savage when a bomb dropped behind the hoardings at the junction of Foord, Blackbull and Radnor Park Roads which severely wounded him behind the left knee. He was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital where his left leg was amputated, but he died on 5th June of Toxaemia. His widow Edith Butcher who came from Folkestone was Four years younger than George. She was later buried alongside her beloved husband.

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CATLING G Lieutenant George Lionel CATLING. Royal Field Artillery (RFA). Formerly (Private) 4th Lincolnshire Regiment. Died from the effects of being gassed (T.B and Measles) 2nd January 1920 aged 27 years at The Firs, Broad Down, Wye, Kent. Buried 7th January 1920. Husband of Gladys Catling (nee Woodcock) of Fernley Hotel, Ashford, Kent. Son of Walter and Lucy Catling of Peterborough Hotel, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. George died at “The Firs”, Broad Down, Wye from the wounds he received fighting in France during the Great War. Buried Ashford Cemetery, Canterbury Road, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference 2557. George’s headstone clearly records the following inscription – “George died at Wye from Gas Poisoning in France”. George’s name appears on the Peterborough Town Civic War Memorial in Cambridgeshire. George’s was not recorded as a war casualty by the government or the CWGC until October 2005. Neil Clark submitted his name for belated commemoration and this was approved 2 weeks later by the Ministry of Defence. George’s death certificate gives his profession (at the time of death) as Farm Manager. His father Walter Catling of Peterborough Hotel, Peterborough, Northamptonshire was present at his sons death. Educated at King’s School Peterborough, Northamptonshire and at the City of London College. Before the outbreak of war George held a senior position with the railways in Chile. George was married in June 1919 to Gladys Woodcock the daughter of Mr J Woodcock of the Fernley Hotel, Ashford. Upon the outbreak of war George enlisted in the 4th battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. In May 1915 he was gazetted as a Second Lieutenant into the Royal Field Artillery. George served overseas in the Ypres and Passchendaele Sectors in Belgium. In November 1918 George was admitted into the Rouen Military Hospital suffering from the effects of gassing and trench exposure. He was invalided from the army in February 1919. George died of his wounds after he had been discharged from the service. The Ministry of Pensions probably ommitted to inform the IWGC of George’s death which resulted in his name

being left off the indexes. This meant that George was not elegible to have a headstone paid for and maintained from public funds. His family paid for a headstone themselves. George’s death certificate gives the cause of death as T.B and Measles. It is clear that damage to ones lungs from something like gassing can show up with T.B like symptoms. If George was invalided from the army suffering from T.B his death was attributable because George’s death certificate gives this disease as the joint cause of death. CHITTENDEN W Private T/1676 Walter CHITTENDEN. 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 21st January 1916. Born Hinxhill. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Wye. Buried in the Amara War Cemetery, Amara, Iraq. Grave reference I.C.13. The Hanna Defile is a narrow strip of dry land between the River Tigris and the Great Suwaikiya Marshes. The mouth of the Hanna Lines lies upstream of the Wadi, some 8 miles towards Kut-al-Amara. It was the rainy season days were hot, foggy and humid and nights were below freezing. On the 20th January the Turkish defences at Hanna came under heavy British artillery bombardment. After the bombardment the infantry moved forward to attack. The Turks rose out of their trenches and literally cut the attacking British infantry down. Very few British soldiers reached their objective. On the 22nd January a truce was arranged and both sides recovered their killed and wounded from the battlefield. British losses in this action amounted to 2,700 men killed or wounded. COOMBS C Private L/7848 Charles COOMBS. 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 20th October 1914. Born Sandwich, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided Wye. Charles has no known grave. His name appears on the Plugstreet Memorial, Ploegsteert, Belgium. Panel reference 2. On the 20th October 1914 the 1st battalion was in action all day at Chateau de Flandres near Radinghem, France. Charles lost his life in this action. It is not clear why his name was placed on the Plugstreet Memorial in Belgium.

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CREED B.F Shottenden Sergeant 3247 Albert (Bertie) Frank CREED. 9th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Died Thursday 3rd May 1917. Born Wye. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided Chilham. Bertie has no known grave. His name appears on the Arras Memorial, Arras, France. Panel reference Bay 9. Bertie’s name appears on the Shottenden and Chilham war memorials. In 1901 there was a CREED family living at Taylors Hill, Chilham. Bertie lost his life in the Battle of Arras of 1917. EADE G.T Private 41153 George Thomas EADE. 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment. Formerly (6543) London Regiment. Died from the effects of being gassed 14th April 1917 aged 40 years. Born Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Resided Blackheath, London. Husband of Elizabeth Ann Eade of Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, France. Grave reference II.E.3.

FORSDICK H.R Sergeant (Pilot) 96611 Horace Reginald FORSDICK. 42nd Training Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF). Wye Aerodrome. Died Flying Accident Hinxhill 6th May 1918. Buried Croydon (Mitcham Road) Cemetery, Croydon, London. Grave reference C5.10031. Horace was killed instantly when his machine a Sopwith Camel crashed in flames at Hinxhill. A local man named Tait attempted a gallant rescue but was fought back by flames. Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel.

After Armistice Day (11th November 1918) the aerodrome was run down as many squadrons

were reduced to a Cadre. Horace was killed instantly when his machine a Sopwith Camel crashed in flames at Hinxhill. A local man named Tait attempted a gallant rescue but was fought back by flames. GATLAND F.W Gunner 86042 Frederick Wallace GATLAND. Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). Died 16th February 1917 aged 29 years. Born Wadhurst, Sussex. Resided Hollingbourne, Maidstone. Enlisted Maidstone. Husband of Mrs Mabel Verina Gatland (nee Rideout) of Naccolt Farm, Wye, Kent. Second son of Mr Gatland of Broomfield near Maidstone, Kent. Buried in the Erquinghem-Lys Churchyard Extension, France. Grave reference II.A.19. Before the outbreak of war Frederick was employed as a Game Keeper for Mr W.T Fremlin of Milgate Park, near Maidstone. Frederick enlisted in May 1916 and moved to France in September 1916. GILBERT T.H Private G/5440 Thomas Henry GILBERT. The Depot, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Tuesday 11th April 1916 aged 45 years. Born Wye. Resided Swingfield, Dover. Son of Thomas and Ruth Gilbert of Nacolt, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Canterbury Cemetery, Canterbury, Kent. Grave reference B.374. This man died of disease or illness whilst in basic training. The Buffs Depot was located in Canterbury at the time of Thomas’s death which explains why his body was buried there. 49

GLEAVE F (brother) Crundale Lieutenant Fergus GLEAVE. 10th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. Died 22nd July 1916 aged 26 years. Son of William and Kate A Gleave of 60, Mount Park Avenue, South Croydon, Surrey. Husband of Phyllis M Gleave of 65, Cobden Street, Kidderminster. Fergus has no known grave. His name appears on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Panel reference 5A and 5B. A private memorial to Fergus exists in Wye Church Graveyard on his brother’s headstone James Chubb Gleave. Fergus was educated at London University and was awarded a BSc science degree in 1912. His name also appears on the Crundale war memorial. On the 14th July 1916 the 10th battalion was at Albert. On the 17th it moved to Becourt Wood. On the 19th July the battalion moved again this time to Shelter Wood. A new front line was dug in front of Bazentin-le-Petit. On the 21st July the battalion moved forward to the frontline opposite Martinpuich. The regimental history states that the battalion was raked by machine gun fire concealed in long grass. They withdrew at 21.30 hours to Shelter Wood. Fergus was probably killed in trenches opposite Martinpuich. The Ashford Absentee Voters List for 1918 gives – Crundale Second Lieutenant James Chubb GLEAVE. Royal Air Force (RAF).

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GLEAVE J C (brother) Neil Clark found this man’s grave in 2004 by literally tripping over it! Cadet 72825 James Chubb GLEAVE DFC. Royal Irish Constabularly (RIR). Formerly (Lieutenant) Royal Air Force (RAF). Murdered by the I.R.A 28th November 1920 in the Kilmichael Ambush, Cork, Ireland. James was born in Worcester. Son of William and Kate A Gleave of 60 Mount Park Avenue, South Croydon, Surrey. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Graveyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. James headstone at Wye states clearly “Killed in the Kilmichael Ambush, Ireland”. The headstone requires urgent restoration. The lettering can now hardly be read. Once the letters have disappeared all trace of poor James will have gone! James lived in Crundale. He played football for Wye F.C or 10 years. Members of the Wye F.C lined the route of his funeral and provided a guard of honour at his grave. Two Royal Irish Constabulary Policeman from Beggar’s Bush Barracks, Dublin sounded the last post. The following people attended James funeral alongside most inhabitants of Wye – Mrs Deacock (James sister) Mrs Gleave (mother) Mrs Stanaway (friend) Rev Johnson (Rector of Crundale) Mr and Mrs Relf Mrs Graves Mr Earl Drax Rev Brade Birks Mr S.T Parkinson (Wye Agricultural College) Mr F.W Slaughter Mrs J.P Sharples Sergeant Masters James death is NOT recorded by the UK government as a war casualty! Had James have been serving in the RAF, Army or navy when killed he would have been entitled to have his name placed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Roll of Honour. His headstone would also have been properly looked after and maintained from the public purse. In September 2005

Neil Clark presented his case to the MoD for belated commemoration. In November 2005 Neil was notified that James death would NOT be recorded by the CWGC because he was a policeman when killed. Neil Clark then wrote to the Police Service of Northen Ireland asking them for funds to have James grave restored. Neil received a letter back from the police in Northern Ireland telling him they were not prepared to help. We have since established that at least 2 R.I.C men (1 killed in the Kilmichael Ambush) are indeed commemorated by the CWGC – Captain Philip Noel GRAHAM. Northumberland Fusiliers. Buried Abingdon Cemetery (Ref: 4Z.2). Another R.I.C man recorded by CWGC is - Gerard Brice Ferguson SMYTHE. Royal Irish Constabulary. Divisional Police Commissioner (Munster). Murdered by I.R.A 17 July 1920. Joined R.I.C 3rd June 1920. This rather makes a nonsense of the Commission’s rejection of poor James! The country that James died for has betrayed him! The Ashford Absentee Voters List for 1918 gives – Crundale Second Lieutenant James Chubb GLEVE. Royal Air Force (RAF). James brother Fergus was killed in action during the Great War and is also commemorated on James headstone in Wye – Lieutenant Fergus GLEAVE. 10th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. Died 22nd July 1916 aged 26 years. His name appears on the Thiepval Memorial, The Somme, France. Panel reference 5A and 5B. James Gleave was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) during the Great War for bravery in the air. He was an Observer and later a Pilot in the Royal Air Force and was still serving in the RAF in November 1918 (confirmed by his service papers and the fact his name apeared on the Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List). James joined the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve on 18th August 1920. He was one of 150 former commissioned officers from the armed forces who were specially selected for the task by the government in London. James was killed in the Kilmichael Ambush that occurred on the 28th November 1920 near Cork in Ireland. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) led by Tom Barry a former British Army soldier who fought in the Great War carried out one of it’s first terrorist atrocities. Seventeen British Army Auxillaries were killed including James. The British soldiers killed three IRA terrorists in the fight. It is believed that the British soldiers surrendered at one point and were shot in cold blood. The British Axillaries operated out of Macroon Castle in Cork. The British policeman were heavily outnumbered and were caught in open ground. The IRA volunteers were holding fortified and raised firing positions. All escape routes were covered. The British policeman tried to fight their way out of the ambush and sustained casualties in doing so. When it became obvious their position was untenable they surrendered. The British policeman layed down their weapons and then walked slowly towards the IRA positions. At some stage the IRA opened fire killing all surviving British policeman in cold blood. This would account for the fact all British policeman were killed and only 3 terrorists. The IRA like to present Tom Barry and his band of volunteers as honourable local men protecting their community. The reality is that they were a bunch of murderous thugs (much the same as they are now).

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James was murdered in cold blood by the IRA whilst on active service in Ireland. His death should have been recorded as a war casualty. The Roll of Honour Trust record James death. This is a private trust and nothing to do with the government. It can be contacted at – www.policememorial.org.uk Police Roll of Honour Trust PO Box 999 PRESTON Lancashire PR4 5WW A similar case was recently approved by the MoD for a belated commemoration – Private CH/19831 Henry CHANDLER. Royal Marine Light Infantry. Murdered by the IRA 21st May 1921 in a terrorist (IRA) ambush at Ballyvaughan, Ireland. Buried Southborough Cemetery, Fulham, London. In January 2007 we wrote to the district commander at Folkestone Police Station and drew his attention to James grave and headstone. We pointed out that it was decaying badly and required urgent restoration. We received a written reply back which concerned another matter James name was not even mentioned! It would appear that the local police don’t even give a toss either… These men died alongside James -

D/Insp Francis William Crake MC, 27

Cadet William T. Barnes DFC, 26

Cadet Cecil James W. Bayley, 22

Cadet Leonard D. Bradshaw, 22

Cadet James C. Gleave, 21

Cadet Philip Noel Graham, 31

(P.N GRAHAM is commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commisson)

Cadet Stanley Hugh-Jones, 27

Cadet Frederick Hugo OBE MC, 40

Cadet Albert George J. Jones, 33

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Cadet Ernest William H. Lucas, 31

Cadet William Pallester, 25

Cadet Horace O. Pearson, 21

T/Const Arthur F Poole, 21

Cadet Frank Taylor, 22

Cadet Christopher Wainwright, 36

Cadet Benjamin D. Webster, 30

During a Cabinet meeting on 11 May 1920, the Secretary of State for War, Winston Churchill, suggested the formation of a "Special Emergency Gendarmerie, which would become a branch of the Royal Irish Constabulary." Churchill's proposal was referred to a committee chaired by General Sir Nevil Macready, Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in Ireland. Macready's committee rejected Churchill's proposal, but it was revived two months later, in July, by the Police Adviser to the Dublin Castle administration in Ireland, Major-General H H Tudor. In a memo dated 6 July 1920, Tudor justified the scheme on the grounds that it would take too long to reinforce the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) with ordinary recruits. Tudor's new "Auxiliary Force" would be strictly temporary: its members would enlist for a year: their pay would be £7 per week (twice what a constable was paid), plus a sergeant's allowances, and would be known as "Temporary Cadets". The ADRIC was recruited in Britain from among ex-officers who had served in World War I - especially those who had served in the Army and the Royal Flying Corps. Most recruits were British, though some were Irish, and others came from the British Empire and Commonwealth. Many had been highly decorated in the war and two, George Onions and James Leach, wore the Victoria Cross. Interestingly, their decorations make it clear that many had been promoted from the ranks: some men, for example, had been awarded the common soldier's Military Medal instead of (or in addition to) the officer's Military Cross. Enlisted men who had been commissioned as officers during the War often found it difficult to adjust to their loss of status and pay in civilian life, and historians have concluded that the Auxiliary Division recruited large numbers of these "temporary gentlemen". Recruiting began in July 1920 and by November 1921 the division was 1,900 strong. The Auxiliaries were nominally part of the RIC, but actually operated more or less independently in rural areas. Divided into companies (eventually fifteen of them), each about one hundred strong, heavily armed and highly mobile, they operated in ten counties, mostly in the south and west, where Irish Republican Army (IRA) activity was greatest. They wore either RIC uniforms or their old army uniforms with appropriate police badges, along with distinctive Tam-o-shanter caps. They were commanded by Brigadier-General F P Crozier, a former officer of the Unionist paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force. Counterinsurgency Auxiliary companies were intended as mobile striking and raiding forces, and they scored some notable successes against the insurgents. On 20 November, the night before Bloody Sunday, they captured Dick McKee and Peadar Clancy, the commandant and vice-commandant of the IRA's Dublin Brigade. That same night, they caught William Pilkington, commandant of the Sligo IRA, in a separate raid. A month later, in December, they caught Ernie O'Malley completely by surprise in County Kilkenny: the IRA officer was reading in his room when a Temporary Cadet opened the door and walked in; "He was as unexpected as death," said O'Malley. In his memoirs, the commandant of the Clare IRA, Michael Brennan, describes how the Auxiliaries nearly captured him three nights in a row. However, such successes and near-successes were not common: the Division was hobbled by its lack of reliable intelligence, and most of its raids brought no result--or sometimes worse. In one case, they arrested a Castle official, Law Adviser W E Wylie, by mistake. In another, more notorious case, they raided the Shannon Hotel in Castleconnell, County Limerick on a tip that there were suspicious characters drinking therein. The "suspicious characters" turned out to be three off-duty members of the RIC: both sides mistook each other for insurgents and opened fire; three people were killed in the shootout that followed.

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Some of the IRA's most celebrated victories in the Irish War of Independence were won over the Auxiliaries. On 28 November 1920, for example, a platoon of Auxiliaries was ambushed and wiped out at Kilmichael by Tom Barry and the West Cork IRA. About two months later, on 2 February 1921, another platoon of Auxiliaries was ambushed and defeated by Seán MacEoin and the Longford IRA near Clonfin. On 19 March 1921 The IRA defeated the British Army & Auxiliary Division at Crossbarry Ambush. Later still, on 15 April 1921, Major John Mackinnon DCM MM, commanding officer of H Company, ADRIC, was assassinated by the Kerry IRA. Controversy Many of the Division's Temporary Cadets did not cope well with the frustrations of counterinsurgency: hurriedly recruited, poorly trained, and with an ill-defined role, they soon gained a reputation for drunkenness, lack of discpline, and brutality worse than that of the Black and Tans. They were disliked by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary, who considered them "rough." They seem to have been unpopular with the British Army as well. One British officer, who served as adjutant for the 2nd Battalion, Cameron Highlanders, wrote in his memoirs that the Auxiliaries "were totally undisciplined by our regimental standards." Macready wrote in his own memoirs that "those companies that had the good fortune to have good commanders, generally ex-Regular officers, who could control their men, performed useful work, but the exploits of certain other companies under weak or inefficient commanders went a long way to discredit the whole force." Like the ordinary police, the Auxiliaries sometimes took reprisals in the wake of attacks by the IRA. On the evening of Bloody Sunday, for example, Dick McKee and Peadar Clancy were killed by their Auxiliary captors under very suspicious circumstances: the official explanation, that the two insurgents tried to escape, is widely disbelieved. But perhaps the most notorious reprisal involving the Auxiliary Division was the Burning of Cork on 11 December 1920. At 7:30 p.m. that evening, a truckload of Auxiliaries from newly-formed K Company was ambushed at Dillons Cross: a grenade was thrown onto their truck, wounding ten Auxiliaries and killing one, Temporary Cadet Chapman. Later that night, police and Auxiliaries took revenge by setting fire to the city's commercial centre, preventing the fire service from attending the blaze, and shooting seven people. Two IRA men, Cornelius and Jerimiah Delaney, were killed in their beds at home in Dublin Hill (though Con Delaney survived to December 18). Five civilians were shot on the streets. Damage amounting to $20 million was inflicted. The Cork Fire Brigade did not have the resources to deal with the fires: law and order, it seemed, had completely broken down. The British Government at first claimed the citizens were responsible for the arson, but a military court of inquiry known as the Strickland Report later found that the fires had been started by the Auxiliaries. Its findings were suppressed by the government, but K Company was disbanded. Allegedly, some Auxiliaries took to wearing pieces of burnt cork (material) on their caps afterwards, to celebrate the occasion. A few days later, near Dunmanway, there was an ugly postscript to the Cork fires: in an apparently motiveless attack, Temporary Cadet Harte killed a young mentally disabled man and a seventy-year old priest. Harte was arrested and court-martialled: at his trial, it was revealed that he had been a "particular friend" of TC Chapman, and had been drinking heavily since 11 December; as a result, Harte was found not guilty by reason of insanity. While the verdict in the Harte case was legally defensible, other Auxiliaries literally got away with murder. On 9 February 1921, James Murphy and Patrick Kennedy were arrested by Auxiliaries in Dublin. Two hours later, constables of the Dublin Metropolitan Police found the two men lying shot in Drumcondra: Kennedy was dead, and Murphy was dying. Murphy died in Mater Hospital, Dublin on 11 February, but before the end, he declared that he and Kennedy had been shot by their Auxiliary captors. A military court of inquiry was held, and Captain W L King, commanding officer of F Company ADRIC, was arrested for the killings. King was court-martialled on 13-15

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February, but acquitted, after Murphy's dying declaration was ruled inadmissible, and two officers from F Company provided perjured alibis for Captain King at the time of the shootings. But while the authorities often turned a blind eye to reprisals, they were less tolerant of crimes against "civilians" - loyal and non-political people. A number of Auxiliaries were dismissed and prosecuted for theft, including a one-armed former Temporary Cadet, Major Evan Cameron Bruce, who was imprisoned for robbing a creamery, after being dismissed from the Division for striking a civilian without cause. On 19 February 1921, Commandant Crozier resigned after a dispute over discipline with the Police Adviser. Crozier had dismissed twenty-one Temporary Cadets accused of looting a licensed grocery store belonging to Protestant Unionists in County Meath. When General Tudor reinstated these men pending an official inquiry, Crozier left the Force. He was replaced by his assistant, Brigadier-General E A Wood, who commanded the Division until it was demobilized. History and popular memory The Temporary Cadets of the ADRIC were and are often confused with the Black and Tans: many atrocities laid at the door of the latter were in reality attributable to the Auxiliaries. Disbanded along with the RIC in 1922, many Auxiliaries joined the Palestine Police. As with the Black and Tans, they are still a contentious issue in Ireland.

Ah! thats because he is Foulkes on the web site. His real name was Ffoulkes in his earlier service papers. http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2743967 This man was an ex-officer who was employed as a Defence of Barracks Sergeant in the RIC, sole role was to bolster barracks (police stations) defences using his military knowledge. These men were the fore-runners of the famous Auxiliary Division of the RIC, the worlds first counter-terrorism force. Without getting out his papers I recall he lastd barely a few weeks in the RIC before being posted to a barracks in Tipperary which the scene of a ferocious attack. There is some indirect evidence he was wounded in the attack and died a week later; another source suggest he drank himself to death! Whatever he had been gassed and severly affected by this, my hunch is that the smoke from the burning building, assuming he was in it, may have finished him off. I must search for the others, I'm sure at least one was an Auxiliary.

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Kilmichael Ambush Memorial

GORE A.S Private 63051 Arthur Sidney GORE. 22nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. Formerly (7664) Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 16th December 1917. Born White Hill, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Resided Faversham. Buried Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, France. Grave reference VIII.B.4. West Hill is a small hamlet within the Wye parish council area. HALL R.H Captain Roger Hollinsworth HALL. Anti-Aircraft Group, Royal Field Artillery (RFA). Died 11th July 1917 aged 23 years. Son of Sir Alfred Daniel Hall KCB,LL.D, FRS and Dame Mary Louisa Hall of 21, Hanover House, London, NW8. Roger’s parents also owned a house in Wye. It is believed that Roger spent much of his childhood in the Wye area. Buried in the Coxyde Military Cemetery. France. Grave reference I.A.1. Educated in Balliol College Oxford University. His name appears on the Oxford University Roll of Honour. Roger’s family erected a private tribute to him in the form of a private memorial plaque inside Wye parish Church. It seems incredible that this man’s name should have been left out from the church war memorial plaque a few yards away.

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HALL H.J Private 265564 Hubert John HALL. Hertfordshire Regiment. Died Saturday 27th April 1918 aged 34 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Herford. Resided Hatfield. Hertfordshire. Son of William Hall. Husband of Edith Alice Hall of “East Goldings”, Hatfield, Herts. Hubert has no known grave. His name appears on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, Belgium. Panel reference 153.

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HARRISON G Sergeant 13491 George Herbert HARRISON. 4th Battalion, Grenadier Guards. Died 25th September 1916. Born Folkestone. Enlisted Ashford. Resided The Potteries, Nacolt, Wye, Ashford, Kent. George has no known grave. His name appears on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Panel reference 8D. George’s death was reported in the Kentish Express together with his photograph. The newspaper report clearly stated George was a local resident of Wye. It seems inconcievable that his name was missed off the church tribute. The day that George died his battalion was in action all day near Bernafay Wod on The Somme, France. The regimental history states that 150 Germans were killed by bayonet charges. That days objective was reached and then consolidated later in the day. On the 26th September the battalion withdrew to Carnoy having sustained 458 casualties since the 18th September. The vast majority of these casualties were sustained in the Lesboeufs area. It appears that George must have life his life in or very near Bernafay Wood. HAYNES A.J Gunner 9162 Arthur James HAYNES. “A” Battery, 71st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA). Died Friday 16th April 1915 aged 45 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Kennington. Son of John and Katherine Mary Haynes of Swinford, Leicestershire. Husband of Amy Mary Haynes of Wye, Kent. Buried in Bulford Church Cemetery, Bulford, Wiltshire. Grave reference 4.I.9.

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HILLEBRANDT F.E Second Lieutenant Frederick Edmund HILLEBRANDT. 5th Wing, Royal Flying Corps (RFC). General List. Formerly 10th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died of injuries sustained in a Flying Accident 22 March 1917 at Wye aged 23 years. Born Islington, London 1893. Son of Father Edmund Henry and Grace Maria Elizabeth Hillebrandt of 86 Blythswood Road, Ilford, Essex. Fiancee of Miss V.M Lawrence of 15a Montpelier Vale, Blackheath, London. Buried Iford Cemetery, Ilford, Essex. Grave reference- C.2055. Frederick’s fathers headstone in Ilford Cemetery states that he – “died from injuries received whilst performing his duty” on 27 August 1911 aged 46 years”. His mother died of natural causes on 20 April 1929 aged 63 years. Both are buried in the same plot as their son Frederick. Poor Frederick was killed when his aircraft a Avro 504A Number A417 from No 51 Reserve Squadron crashed 15 March 1917 shortly after taking off from Wye Aerodrome. His pilot Lieutenant O.C Bryson attempted to save Frederick and won the George Cross in doing so. Regretfully Frederick died a few days later of severe burns. It seems very unfair his sacrifice is not commemorated at Wye anywhere… Lieutenant Oliver Campbell BRYSON, GC, MC, DFC & Bar, RAF Born: 18 August 1896. Educated: Bromsgrove School Date of George Cross Action: 15 March 1917 Place of GC Action: Wye Aeorodrome, Kent Age on GC Action: 21 years Died: 27 March 1977 London Gazette: 11 January 1918 Citation - "The KING was pleased, at Buckingham Palace, on Wednesday, the 9th instant, to present to Captain Oliver Campbell Bryson, Flight Commander, Royal Flying Corps, the Albert Medal, which was awarded by His Majesty in recognition of his gallantry in endeavouring to save life in March last. The circumstances are as follows: — On the 15th March, 1917, Captain (then Lieutenant, Bryson, with Second Lieutenant Hillebrandt as passenger, was piloting an aeroplane at Wye Aerodrome when, owing to a sideslip, the machine crashed to the ground and burst into flames. On disentangling himself from the burning wreckage Captain Bryson at once went back into the flames, dragged Lieutenant Hillebrandt from the machine, and notwithstanding his own injuries, which were undoubtedly aggravated by his gallant efforts to rescue his brother officer from the fire, endeavoured to extinguish the fire on Lieutenant Hillebrandt's clothing. Lieutenant Hillebrandt succumbed to his injuries a few; days later."

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HULSE J.J Private G/23227 John James HULSE. 16th (Public Schools) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Died Monday 23rd October 1916 aged 29 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided Thannington. Kent. Son of Emma Smith (Formerly Hulse) and John Smith (Stepfather) of Manor Cottage, Capel-Le-Ferne, Folkestone, Kent. Formerly of Wye, Ashford, Kent. John has no known grave. His name appears on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Panel reference 12D and 13B. On the 13th October 1916 the 16th Middlesex were in bivouacs south East of Mametz Wood on the Somme. The day that John died his battalion was in frontline trenches holding the line near Flers in France. The line being held was called “Switch Line”. The battalion remained here until 27th October when it withdrew to Albert. It appears that John lost his life in the Switch Line trench system near Flers. HUMMERSTONE C.H Rifleman A/204240 Charles Henry HUMMERSTONE. 9th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC). Formerly (92503) Army Ordnance Corps (AOC). Died 21st March 1918 aged 33 years. Born Enfield, Middlesex. Enlisted London. Resided 10 Scotton Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Son of Hester Hummerstone of 15, South Place, South Street, Ponders End, Middlesex. Husband of Daisy Jane Dodd of 10 Scotton Street, Wye, Kent. Buried in the St Souplet British Cemetery, France. Grave reference – Urvillers German Cemetery, Memorial 27. JELL P Rifleman 593500 Percy Frank JELL. 18th Battalion, London Regiment (London Irish Rifles). Formerly (3462) 4th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Sunday 25th August 1918 aged 23 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided Godmersham. Son of George and Clara Jell of Townsend’s Cottages, St Margarets-at-Cliff, Dover, Kent. Buried in the Daours Communal Cemetery Extension, France. Grave reference III.F.24. LADD H.E Airman 1st Class 22942 Harold Edward LADD. Royal Flying Corps (RFC). SS Aragon (Belfast). Drowned 30 December 1917 aged 27 years. Son of Walter James and Ann Ladd of 56, West Street, East Grinstead, East Sussex. Formerly (1901) residing North Street, Cowden, Edenbridge, Kent. Harold has no known grave. His name appears on the Chatby Memorial, Alexandria, Egypt. At the time of the 1901 census the Ladd family resided at North Street, Cowden, Edenbridge, Kent. Head of the house was 36 year old Wye, Ashford, Kent native Walter James Ladd who was employed as a Joiner. It seems odd that Harold has no form of rememberance at Cowden, where prior to his enlistment he had been a member of the parish church of St. Mary Magdelen bell ringing team. Sadly that oversight is magnified due to the fact that he has no form of rememberance at either the parish of his birth, or at East Grinstead, Sussex where his parents later resided. It was also sad to note whilst researching, that Harold’s British War Medal and his Victory Medal were returned as ‘Unclaimed.’ Harold’s birth was registered in the East Ashford Registration District during the second quarter of 1890, at which time the family resided at Bridge Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Harold was numbered amongst the 591 soldiers, the ships Master and 18 of the crew who are known to have lost their lives, when the 9588 ton troopship S.S. Aragon (Belfast), commanded by 37 year old Captain Frank A. Bateman was torpedoed off the port of Alexandria, Egypt, on 30

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December 1917. Having sailed from the French port Marseilles on 17 December, the S.S. Aragon was carrying approximately 2,700 reinforcement troops bound for Palestine at the time of her loss. Having entered the port at Alexandria, S.S. Aragon was then ordered back out to sea due to lack of available berthing spaces, and Captain Bateman was told to wait for further instructions regarding a berth. Whilst at rest the ship was torpedoed and sunk by the German minelayer submarine UC-34, which was in service as the Austro-Hungarian U-boat U-74, commanded by 27 year old Oberleutnant zur See, Horst Obermüller. Based at Pola, Cagliari (Sardinia), Italy, the submarine was part of the Pola/Mittelmeer II Flotilla. Following the attack by the enemy submarine, the destroyer H.M.S. Attack dashed to the rescue of the stricken troopship as did every available ship within the immediate area, but unfortunately S.S. Aragon sunk quickly. Many of the men rescued by H.M.S. Attack where being tended by the ships crew when she too was torpedoed by the same submarine, almost blowing her in two. There still prevails to this day an element of confusion appertaining to the causes of lost of both H.M.S. Attack and the S.S. Aragon. Some books etcetera state that both ships were torpedoed, whilst others say that they were mined, and adding to the confusion are other data sources which indicate that one ship was torpedoed and the other was mined. In view of the apparent confusion re the losses of both ships, it should be noted that Oberleutnant zur See, Horst Obermüller, who commanded the submarine between 16 July 1917 and 14 July 1918, recorded in his Log Book for the day’s events on 30 December 1917 that he had torpedoed both vessels. LADD R Boughton Aluph Seaman 3295A Robert John LADD. HMS “Cressy”, Royal Naval Reserve (RNR). Died 22nd September 1914 aged 26 years. Born Wye. Resided Boughton Aluph. Son of Mrs E Ladd of 3, School Green, Southwold, Suffolk. Robert has no known grave. His name appears on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Chatham, Kent. Panel reference 8. The 1901 census gives – Forge Lane, Boughton Aluph Robert LADD 27 years Bakers Assistant Wye The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – The Lees, Boughton Aluph Lance Corporal 240273 Ernest Edwin LADD. 5th Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Lance Corporal 96458 Sydney Edward LADD. Tank Corps.

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HMS Cressy was a Cressy Class Cruiser built 4th December 1899 and commanded by Captain R.W Johnson. The Cruisers Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue were on patrol off the Dutch coast to prevent German forces from moving south to attack the Channel troop convoys. Owing to bad weather the three cruisers were without their destroyer escorts. At 0630 hours on the 20th September there was a violent explosion on Aboukir’s starboard side. She quickly assumed a 20 degree list to starboard while efforts were made to right the ship by counterflooding. However, the list kept on increasing until it was clear that she was going to capsize. Abandon ship was ordered and the Hogue prepared to rescue her crew. At 0655 hours Aboukir capsized and floated bottom up for a while before sinking. Captain Drummond thought that his ship had been mined but in fact she had been torpedoed by the U9 German Submarine (Captain Otto Weddigen). As Aboukir was sinking Captain Nicholson took Hogue in close to rescue survivors from the Cressy. As he did so U9 attacked the Aboukir and hit the ship with another torpedo in the midships. All guns were bought to bear on the submarine which by this time had been spotted. The Aboukir sank very quickly. The Captain of the Cressy (R.W Johnson) bought his ship alongside the Hogue to rescue survivors. As he did so the U9 once again went into attack mode firing off two torpedoes. Both struck the Cressy and she became U9’s third victim in less than an hour. That days death toll was a massive 1,459 men – Greater than the whole casualty rate of Nelson’s Battle of Trafalgar! LEVY A.G Second Lieutenant Alwyne Gordon LEVY. 42nd Training Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF). Wye Aerodrome. Died in a Flying Accident Kennington 25th April 1918. Buried Willesden (St Mary’s) Jewish Cemetery, Willesden, London. Alwyne was killed in a flying accident whilst stationed at the nearby Wye aerodrome, Bramble Lane, Wye. On Thursday 25th April 1918 Alwyne was piloting a Sopwith Pup machine on a training mission from Wye Aerodrome. His machine was involved in a mid air collision with another machine (Avro Trainer) from Wye being piloted by Lieutenant Cyril WHELAN. The Avro had a observer on board - Lieutenant Edmund MARRABLE. Both machines came down near the Golden Ball Public House. All three officers were killed outright. All officers involved in this flying accident appear here as Ashford men. It seems inconcievable that none were included on any local war memorial… After the accident Alwyne’s body was returned to his parents somewhere in London and they buried him in the Willesden Jewish Cemetery. Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel.

After Armistice Day (11th November 1918) the aerodrome was run down as many squadrons

were reduced to a Cadre. 65

McCARTER D Second Lieutenant Duncan McCARTER. 42 Training Squadron, Royal Air Force. Wye Aerodrome. Formerly Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Died in a Flying Accident over Willesborough 1st May 1918. Son of James and Jemima McCarter of 12 Bright Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland. Buried Edinburgh (North Merchiston) Cemetery, Edinburgh, Scotland. Duncan was killed outright when his machine nose dived into the ground in a field beside the River Stour at Willesborough. Mr John Leeds a local resident remembers being taken to see the wreckage as an 11 year old boy. He remembers that the pilots body had made an impression in the ground some eight inches deep! Death must have been instant. After the accident Duncan’s body was recovered by his parents to Scotland and he was buried in Edinburgh with full military honours. It is not known how this man came to be forgotten by those in Ashford and Wye. His name should have been placed on a local tribute but it never was… Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel.

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MACARTNEY-FILGATE D.M Second Lieutenant Desmond Maurice MACARTNEY-FILGATE. 42nd Training Squadron, Wye, Royal Flying Corps (RFC)). Died 31st May 1918 aged 18 years. Son of Charles and Mary Macartney-Filgate of Florence Place, Borth, Cardiganshire, Scotland. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference not recorded. This man is buried in the Wye Churchyard yet his name does not appear on the church memorial plaque. Desmond was killed in a flying accident that occurred at the Wye RAF Aerodrome. History of the 33rd Divisional (Royal) Artillery in the war (1914 -1918) (ISBN 1843429780) was written by a Major J Macartney-Filgate. It would appear that this unit was based in Camberwell, South London. One would imagine that the author must have been related to Desmond in some way. Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel.

After Armistice Day (11th November 1918) the aerodrome was run down as many squadrons were reduced to a Cadre.

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MARRABLE E Lieutenant Edmund MARRABLE. 42nd Training Squadron, Royal Air Force. Wye Aerodrome. Formerly Royal Field Artillery (RFA). Died Flying Accident near Golden Ball Public House, Kennington, Ashford, Kent Thursday 25th April 1918 aged 25 years. Buried locally in the St Mary’s Churchyard, Kennington, Ashford, Kent. Edmund’s CWGC headstone records his unit as the Royal Artillery. In fact when killed he was serving as an Observer in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Edmund was killed in a flying accident whilst stationed at the nearby Wye aerodrome, Bramble Lane, Wye. On 25th April 1918 Edmund was the passenger in a Avro Trainer flown by Lieutenant Cyril WHELAN. The machine was involved in a mid air collision with another machine (Sopwith Pup) being flown by Second Lieutenant Alwyne Gordon LEVY. Both machines came down near the Golden Ball Public House, Kennington. All three officers were killed outright. Edmund was buried close by to where his machine fell out the sky. The other two officers bodies were returned to their parents and both were buried in London. All officers involved in this flying accident appear here as Ashford men. It seems inconcievable that none were included on any local war memorial. Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel.

After Armistice Day (11th November 1918) the aerodrome was run down as many squadrons were reduced to a Cadre. It is quite remarkable that Edmund’s name was not placed on the Kennington War Memorial. His headstone is a stones throw from it! Even if Edmund was not strictly speaking a local man at the time of his death, he certainly is now having remained in the area for over 80 years…

MARSH C Private S/373 Charles MARSH. 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Tuesday 22nd June 1915. Born Wye. Enlisted Chislet, Kent. Resided Brabourne. Buried in the Potijze Chateau Wood Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium. Grave reference B.15. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Old Flying Horse, Wye Private 240434 Alfred Harry MARSH. 5th Buffs (East Kent Regiment). 20, High Street, Wye Leading Seaman J/18827 Alan John MARSH. HMS “Agamemnon”, Royal Navy. The 1st battalion was in the Potijze Sector from 31st May 1915. The regimental history states that between June and July 1915 nothing of note occurred. On the 10th June the battalion was in huts near Poperinghe. A shell landed on one hut and 10 men were killed. A further 5 more were wounded. On the 19th June the battalion moved into reserve trenches east of Ypres in Belgium. A number of men were gassed and the battalion lost 20 men.

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McGIBBON D.H Second Lieutenant David Hegler McGIBBON. 42nd Training Squadron, Wye, Royal Air Force (RAF). Formerly Canadian Forces. Died 15th September 1918 aged 20 years. David was from Sarnia in Canada. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference 125. David probably died of Influenza whilst serving at RFC Wye aerodrome. Alternatively he may have died in some kind of flying accident. Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel.

After Armistice Day (11th November 1918) the aerodrome was run down as many squadrons

were reduced to a Cadre. MEOPHAM A.A.E Private 126855 Arthur Albert Edward MEOPHAM. 9th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (MGC). Formerly (T4/238867) Royal Army Service Corps (RASC). Died Thursday 18th April 1918 aged 23 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Maidstone. Resided Allington, Maidstone, Kent. Son of John Meopham of Nursery Cottages, Hermitage Lane, Barming, Maidstone, Kent. Arthur has no known grave. His name appears on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, Belgium. Panel reference 154 to 159.

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MERTON P.O / MURTON P.O Private G/1774 Percy Oliver MERTON. 7th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 25th August 1915 aged 22 years. Born Capel Le Ferne, Folkestone. Enlisted Maidstone. Resided Sittingbourne. Son of Henry and Emily Merton of “White Hill”, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Point 110 Old Cemetery, Fricourt, France. Grave reference B.10. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission list him as MERTON whereas Soldiers Died Great War lists MURTON.

MITCHELL A Private L/8441 Albert MITCHELL. 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Saturday 27th May 1916 aged 28 years. Born Lower Hardres, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided Wye. Son of Albert John and Elizabeth Mitchell of Brenchley’s, Harrietsham, Maidstone, Kent. Buried in the Essex Farm Cemetery, Belgium. Grave reference II.S.10. The day that Albert died his battalion was in the Ypres Sector near La Brique and St Jean.

MIDDLETON G Lance Corporal 2544 George MIDDLETON. 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards. Formerly 3rd Battalion. Died Thursday 5th November 1914 aged 34 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Dover. Resided South Ashford. Son of George and Helen Middleton of Eastmead, Ashford, Kent. Formerly 37 Whitfield Road, Ashford, Kent. George has no known grave. His name appears on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ypres, Belgium. Panel reference 11. George’s father George worked at Ashford’s beer brewery. Before the outbreak of war George (Junior) Middleton worked as a grocer in Cheriton near Folkestone. Upon the outbreak of war George volunteered for service in the regular army. The Kentish Express stated that George was killed in action during the Battle of Rentil. On the 24th October 1914 the 2nd battalion was holding position near Polygon Wood outside Ypres. The battalion remained in the Polygon Wood area throughout late October through to the early part of November. Between 26th October and 16th November the battalion lost 63 men killed and a further 151 men wounded. 72

PHILPOTT V.D.F Shoeing Smith WL/27 Victor Douglas Frank PHILPOTT. Army Veterinary Corps (AVC). Died 11th December 1918 aged 25 years. Born Wye. Son of William and Harriet Philpott of Eythorne, Hollingbourne, Maidstone, Kent. Buried locally in the Hollingbourne (All Saints) Churchyard, Hollingbourne, Maidstone, Kent. Victor’s name appears on the Hollingbourne parish tribute. The 1901 Census gives – Eythorne Street, Hollingbourne William PHILPOTT 59 Labourer Brook Harriet 47 Bircholt Alvina ATKINS 21 Brabourne Mabel PHILPOTT 19 Mersham Ross 13 Wye Winifred 11 Wye Louisa 9 Wye Victor 8 Wye QUAIFE T Lance Sergeant G/15754 Tom QUAIFE. 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 1st May 1917 aged 19 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Tonbridge. Resided Sunridge, Kent. Son of Mrs F.S Quaife of The Terrace, Sundridge, Sevenoaks, Kent. Tom has no known grave. His name appears on the Arras Memorial, Arras, France. Panel reference Bay 2. On the 28th April 1917 the battalion was holding frontline trenches at Monchy. The battalion’s companies were under the charge of Second Lieutenants because so many Captains had been killed or wounded. The battalion spent the next few weeks alternating between Monchy, Fresnoy and Bullecourt all villages to the north east of Arras.

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ROBINSON G Captain George ROBINSON MC. 42nd Training Squadron, Wye, Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Formerly Canadian Corps Cavalry Regiment (Light Horse). Died 19th May 1918. Born in Canada. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference 121. George was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for courage and leadership skills. He probably died in a flying accident somewhere near Wye. Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel.

After Armistice Day (11th November 1918) the aerodrome was run down as many squadrons were reduced to a Cadre. ROGERS A.J Battery Quartermaster Sergeant (BQMS) 22710 Archibald John ROGERS. 32nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). Died 26th November 1916 aged 32 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Dover. Resided Walmer, Deal. Son of Frederick and Florence Rogers of Walmer, Kent. Buried in the Courcelles-Au-Bois Communal Cemetery Extension, France. Grave reference C.16.

ROGERS J Sergeant 5900 John ROGERS. 15th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). Died Egypt 4th May 1917 aged 36 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided New Cross, London. Husband of Emily M.M Crosby (formerly Rogers) of 91, Shardeloes Road, New Cross, London. Buried in the Deir El Belah War Cemetery, Egypt. Grave reference A.188. SHARPE E.S (brother) Stoker 1st Class SS/113536 Ernest Stephen SHARP. HMS Royal Oak, Royal Navy (RN). Date of death unknown (at this time). Born 8th April 1893 Elham, Kent. Place of burial unknown (at this time). Ernest’s name is not recorded as a casualty of war by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. His name does however appear on the Crundale parish war memorial… Before the outbreak of war Ernest was a farm labourer. He joined the Royal Navy on 24th February 1913. Serving on the following ships –

a. Pembroke II – Feb 1913 to Aug 1913 b. King Edward VII – 1913 - 1915 c. Pembroke II – 1916 d. Victory II – 1916 e. Royal Oak – 1916 to 1919

Ernest was invalided 29th April 1919. The Ashford Absentee Voters List for 1918 gives – Sole Street, Crundale Stoker SS/113536 Ernest Stephen SHARP. HMS Royal Oak, Royal Navy. Private George Abraham SHARP. 2nd Buffs (East Kent Regiment. Ernest was invalided from the Royal Navy because of disease and died of the SAME disease very soon afterwards. He died as a direct result of his war service. SHILLING W.G Private G/8003 William George SHILLING. 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Saturday 7th October 1916 aged 24 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Margate. Resided Throwley, Kent. Son of Mrs E Shilling of Throwley, Faversham, Kent. Buried in the Bancourt British Cemetery, France. Grave reference VII.A.20. William lost his life during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges on The Somme, France. The day that he died the 6th battalion was in action all day at Guedecourt. The battalion went forward but were stopped in their tracks by German Machine Gun fire. The battalion lost nearly all its officers in this assault. A further 347 men were killed, wounded or missing. This was a dark day in the history of the Buffs.

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SPENCE A.W Lieutenant Alec William SPENCE. 51st Reserve Squadron, Wye. Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Formerly Middlesex Regiment. Died 25th April 1917 aged 21 years. Born Cricklewood, London 2nd April 1896. Son of John H and Alice Spence of White Cottage, Penton Hook, Staines, Middlesex. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference – Near Old West Wall. Alec probably died in some kind of flying accident whilst serving at the Wye RFC aerodrome. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission list his unit as the 51st Reserve Squadron however it seems likely that Alec was in fact serving in the 42nd Training Squadron when he lost his life. Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel.

After Armistice Day (11th November 1918) the aerodrome was run down as many squadrons were reduced to a Cadre.

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STRINGER W.J Private 202541 William STRINGER. 2/4th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 17th December 1917. Born Wye. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Ashford. Buried in the Jerusalem War Cemetery, Israel. Grave reference S.18. Do not confuse this man with Private TF/206156 William John Stringer who appears on the Ashford town list. On the 8th December 1917 the 2/4th West Kent’s were on the ridge just South of Bethlemhem. On the 10th December it moved into Jerusalem and several days hard work on the Jerusalem-Jaffa Road followed. On the 15th December a move was made to the Mount of Olives in preparation for an attack on the El Aziziye Ridge East of Jerusalem. The attack went ahead at dawn lead by 4th Royal Sussex. Over 100 Turkish soldiers were taken prisoner. The attack was a success and the 2/4th West Kent’s only lost 20 men (light for the Great War). SUTON W.J.B Private 2206 William John Beadnell SUTON. 3rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (London Regiment). Died 27th September 1915 aged 32 years. Born Wye. Enlisted Westminster, London. Resided Hythe. Son of William and Ada Helena Sutton (nee Gladding) of 1125, Rock Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. William has no known grave. His name appears on the Loos Memorial, Loos, France. Panel reference 25 to 27.

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TAYLOR A.W Ordinary Seaman J/27641 Arthur William TAYLOR. HMS “Natal”. Royal Navy. Died 30th December 1915 aged 18 years. Born 6th August 1897 at Wye. Son of William and Alice Taylor of Vicarage Road, Kennington, Ashford, Kent. Arthur has no known grave. His name appears on the Chatham Memorial, Chatham, Kent. Panel reference 10. Arthur was educated at Kennington School, Ashford. He sang in the choir at St Mary’s Church in Kennington in 1907. Before joining the navy he worked for Mr Headley the Grocer, and was then employed in the Ashford Railway Works as a Wagon Builder. Arthur enlisted into the Royal Navy at Chatham on 6th August 1915. His first ship was HMS Ganges which he served on as a Signal Boy. In 1914 he was posted to HMS Pembroke in Chatham until moving to HMS Natal on 29th September 1914. The Ashford Absentee Voters List for 1918 gives – The Street, Kennington Private 56832 Percy Lewis TAYLOR. 95th Labour Company, Labour Corps. HMS Natal was a “Warrior” class battleship built on 30th September 1905. It blew up on 30th September 1915 and eventually sank on 31st December 1915. The ship was at anchor at Cromarty (West Scotland) when she was destroyed by an internal explosion. The cause of the explosion was never conclusively proven. There were 299 survivors but sadly 404 men were killed including Arthur. The ships captain at the time of the accident was E.P.C Back.

THORNBY H.G (Brother) Private T/202745 Henry George THORNBY. 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Saturday 31st August 1918 aged 33 years. Born Holloway, London. Enlisted Whitehall, London. Resided Ashford. Son of Henry George and Phoebe Annette Thornby of 28 Bilting, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Husband of Ellen Thornby of 44 Kingslake Street, Edge Hill, Liverpool. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Kent. Grave reference 124. It is unclear why Henry’s name was not placed on the church pl;aque taking into account he was a true local man and is actually buried in Wye. Henry’s parents are buried in a plot next to his – Henry George Thornby died 2nd September 1935 aged 77 years Phoebe Annette Thornby died 26th December 1938 aged 77 years The day that Henry died his battalion was involved in a major attack with the 8th East Surrey Regiment. The 7th battalion moved forward on Fregicourt near Sailly Saillisel near Bapaume in France. Henry died in the UK therefore it appears he was wounded in France a few weeks earlier and was recovered home for treatment. Sadly he died whilst in the UK and his family bought him home to Wye for burial. THORNBY A.F (Brother) Private G/2512 Albert Frank THORNBY. 7th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Sunday 1st April 1917 aged 23 years. Born Hastingleigh. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Wye. Son of Henry George and Phoebe Annette Thornby of 28 Bilting, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Cologne Southern Cemetery, Koln, Germany. Grave reference X.F.10. Alfred’s name appears on the Godmersham Roll of honour inside the church but not on any Wye listing. It is thought that Alfred died in Germany whilst being held there as a Prisoner of War (POW).

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TOMBS C.E Airman 1st Class 4951 Cecil Edmund TOMBS. 42nd Training Squadron. Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Wye RFC Aerodrome. Formerly 20th Reserve Squadron, Dover, RFC. Died 23rd October 1916 aged 20 years. Son of Charles E and Emily Tombs of 3, Homestead Road, Fulham, London. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference – North East of Church. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists his unit as 20th Reserve Squadron, Royal Flying Corps (RFC). The 20th Reserve Squadron was based nearby at Dover in Kent. In fact Cecil was serving in 42nd Training Squadron when killed in action. It seems very odd that Cecil’s name was not placed on any Wye war memorial bearing in mind he was buried within 50 yards of both tributes. Cecil’s headstone helpfully states that he was a 1st Class Wireless Operator and that he was killed in a flying accident near Wye. Apparently the machine he was flying in suddenly collapsed in mid air! Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel.

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After Armistice Day (11th November 1918) the aerodrome was run down as many squadrons were reduced to a Cadre.

VAN DEN DUNGEN Airman 1st Class 33912 Leon VAN-DEN-DUNGEN (Served as L DUNGIN). 42nd Training Squadron, Wye, Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Died 9th May 1917 aged 23 years. Son of Bernard Van Den Dungen of 27, Chaussee D’Alost Street, Gilles-Lez-Termonde, Belgium. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Kent. Grave reference – Near Old West Wall. Leon served in the army as L DUNGIN. This is the name that appears on his headstone in the Wye churchyard. Leon was in fact a Belgium national who volunteered for service in the British army upon the outbreak of war. Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel.

After Armistice Day (11th November 1918) the aerodrome was run down as many squadrons were reduced to a Cadre.

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VAN ROOYEN G.J.C Private T/1580 Glenville Julian Cecil VAN ROOYEN. 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 27th October 1915. Born Haputale, Ceylon. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Badulla, Ceylon. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference – North East of Church. Glenville died in the UK and was buried locally in Wye by members of his family and staff from the Wye Agricultural Collge. His name appears on the Wye College Memorial Plaque located in the college courtyard. It is surprising that his name does not appear on the church plaque 50 yards away especially because he is buried in the church graveyard…

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VAUGHAN G.A Private G/6881 George Arthur VAUGHAN. 10th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 28th June 1917. Born West Malling, Kent. Resided 3 Churchfields, West Malling, Kent. Husband of Mrs Hilda Mary Vaughan (nee Cheeseman), 29 Denmark Street, Folkestone, Kent. Buried locally in the Wye (St Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Kent. Grave reference – Near old West wall. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission list George’s death as 28 June 1918 – WRONG YEAR! In fact he died 28 June 1917. Prior to the outbreak of war George was employed as a Butcher at A.B Mittell, West Malling, Kent (which probably explains why he wanted to join the Army Service Corps at one stage). His service papers show that George worked here for 12 years. George enlisted at Maidstone straight into the West Kent’s 28 May 1915 aged 28 years. His service papers state that George wanted to join the Army Service Corps. His next of kin was registered as being his mother Mrs A.M Vaughan of 9 Richmond Road, Monpelier, Bristol. George was married at Wye Church, Ashford, Kent 6 March 1915 and his service papers show a change of next of kin - Mrs Hilda Mary Vaughan (nee Cheeseman), 29 Denmark Street, Folkestone, Kent formerly Churchfield, West Malling, Kent. Landed France (B.E.F) 3 May 1916. On 2 July 1916 George was admitted to a British Field hospital in France suffering from a swelling in the right testicle. A tumour was removed by surgeons in France. He remained in hospital for 95 days. On 27 August 1916 George was evacuated from France to Dover, Kent on a Hospital Ship. He remained in a UK military hospital until 28 November 1916. Shortly after being released he was re-admitted to hospital complaining of chest pain and coughing. His service papers state “thin and wasted” (indicating a terminal illness). Almost immediately terminal T.B was diagnosed! The authorities found that the illness was NOT caused by but WAS aggravated by war service. The Ministry of Pensions awarded George a full war pension. Discharged from the army 8 February 1917 no longer fit for war service. Awarded a Silver War Badge. Total service in the British Army – 1 year 257 days. On 8 September 1917 the Ministry of Pensions wrote to George’s wife informing her that she was entitled to a full widows war pension. Obviously poor George had already died of termainal T.B. Yet another man whose name does not appear on the church memorial plaque a few yards away… He was married in Wye 6 March 1915.

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VINE H.C.L Flight Sergeant 202720 Henry (Harry) Charles Land VINE. 42nd Training Squadron, Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Formerly (Driver) Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Died 3rd November 1918 aged 32 years. Born Hampstead, London. Son of Henry and Alice Jane Vine. Husband of Letitia Alice Vine of 15 Wentworth Mansions, Keats Grove, Hampstead, London. Buried locally in the Wye (SS Gregory and Martin) Churchyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Grave reference 126. Yet another man from the 42nd Training Squadron at Wye. Harry’s name appears on the Hampstead civic parish memorial at old St. Stephens Church in Hampstead alongside his brother – Driver MT/1078 Edgar VINE. South African Service Corps (SASC). Died 26 September 1916. Son of Henry and Alice Jane Vine of 15 Wentworth Mansions, Keats Grove, Hampstead, London. Buried Mombassa (Mbaraki) Cemetery, Mombassa, Kenya. Grave reference – III.C.4. Before the outbreak of war Harry was working as an Assistant Clerk (Abstractor) for the Board of Trade in the Seaman’s Registry. The present Department of Trade and Industry maintains a website dedicated to the men from the Board of Trade (DTI) who fell in both world wars. It appears that Harry was an artist and that he signed his work “Chum Vine”. His yearly wage was £88.6s in 1906. In April 1918 Harry was listed as being a Driver in the RNAS. His headstone at Wye wrongly gives his unit as the Royal Air Force. The RAF didn’t come into being until 1st April 1918.

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WHELAN C Lieutenant Cyril WHELAN. 42nd Training Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF). Wye Aerodrome. Formerly Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Died Flying Accident Kennington Thursday 25th April 1918 aged 19 years. Son of Albert Whelan (very famous Australian entertainer of the 1900’s) of 221 Brixton Hill, Brixton, London. Buried Kensal Green Roman Chatholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, London. Grave reference 1.1952. Cyril was killed in a flying accident whilst stationed at the nearby Wye aerodrome, Bramble Lane, Wye. On Thursday 25th April 1918 Cyril was piloting an Avro Trainer machine on a training mission from Wye Aerodrome. His machine was involved in a mid air collision with another machine (Sopwith Pup) from Wye being piloted by Second Lieutenant Alwyne Gordon LEVY. The Avro being piloted by Cyril had a observer on board - Lieutenant Edmund MARRABLE. Both machines came down near the Golden Ball Public House. All three officers were killed outright. All officers involved in this flying accident appear here as Ashford men. It seems inconcievable that none were included on any local war memorial… After the accident Cyril’s body was returned to his parents in Brixton London and they buried him in Kensal Green Cemetery. The authorities provided a full military funeral. Wye aerodrome was situated to the east of Bramble Lane on land owned by Mr Dockery of Boughton Corner Farm, and was first used by aircraft of the 6th Home Defence Wing in April 1916 in association with other airfields at Dover, Shoreham and Gosport. The Wye aerodrome was described in an official publication as having an area of 7,000 yards x 600 yards. The runway was moderatly flat and three hangers were constructed to house aircraft. Further outbuildings were made in 1916 including a guard room, canteen, repair shed, motor transport shed and hutted accomodation for personnel. After Armistice Day (11th November 1918) the aerodrome was run down as many squadrons were reduced to a Cadre.

WILSON E.E Private G/50894 Ernest Edward WILSON. 19th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Formerly (T3/028758) Army Service Corps (ASC). Died 9th August 1917 aged 19 years. Born Ashford. Resided Frogbrook, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Son of Mr W.J Wilson of 2 Wellesley Road, Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery, Belgium. Grave reference III.A.6. The Ashford 1918 Absentee Voters List gives – Frogbrook, Wye Driver T3/028758 Ernest WILSON. Army Service Corps (ASC).

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Lieutenant Oliver Campbell BRYSON, GC, MC, DFC & Bar, RAF Born: 18 August 1896. Educated: Bromsgrove School Date of George Cross Action: 15 March 1917 Place of GC Action: Wye Aeorodrome, Kent Age on GC Action: 21 years Died: 27 March 1977 London Gazette: 11 January 1918 Citation – "The KING was pleased, at Buckingham Palace, on Wednesday, the 9th instant, to present to Captain Oliver Campbell Bryson, Flight Commander, Royal Flying Corps, the Albert Medal, which was awarded by His Majesty in recognition of his gallantry in endeavouring to save life in March last. The circumstances are as follows: — On the 15th March, 1917, Captain (then Lieutenant, Bryson, with Second Lieutenant Hillebrandt as passenger, was piloting an aeroplane at Wye Aerodrome when, owing to a sideslip, the machine crashed to the ground and burst into flames. On disentangling himself from the burning wreckage Captain Bryson at once went back into the flames, dragged Lieutenant Hillebrandt from the machine, and notwithstanding his own injuries, which were undoubtedly aggravated by his gallant efforts to rescue his brother officer from the fire, endeavoured to extinguish the fire on Lieutenant Hillebrandt's clothing. Lieutenant Hillebrandt succumbed to his injuries a few; days later."

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