Notice Board

Monday 8 September 2014

Village Turns Out in Tribute to its WWI Heroes

Visitors from Upchurch and Lower Halstow attended the

WWI Commemoration Weekend

organised by Newington History Group.

Richard Oldfield, the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Kent; Cllr George Bobbin,
the Mayor of Swale; Mrs Brenda Bobbin, the Mayoress, and Gordon Henderson,
the Sittingbourne and Swale MP, examine the Book of Remembrance.

Thelma Dudley, Dean Coles and Debbie Haigh of Newington History Group who
researched the Book of Remembrance.

Villagers and dignitaries gather around the Memorial Cross for its re-dedication
exactly 95 years to the hour after it was unveiled.

Wreaths and remembrance crosses laid at the memorial during the
commemoration service on Sunday.

The Book of Remembrance to the Newington men who fought in the Great War.

Pictures courtesy of Graham Dudley and Reverend Ron Partridge.

Exactly 95 years to the hour after the unveiling of their Memorial Cross, more than 300 Newington villagers and visitors crowded around the monument to remember their World War One dead on Sunday.

It was the culmination of a WWI Commemoration weekend organised by Newington History Group (NHG) at the Sittingbourne village’s parish church.

The Bishop of Dover, the Rt Rev Trevor Willmott, re-dedicated the memorial and Sgt Ricky Stephenson, of the Royal Engineers, read the address originally given at the 1919 service by Brig-Gen Hugh Adair.

The names of 31 Newington men killed in WWI were read out by Dean Coles, chairman of NHG, and The Exhortation was read by Tim Phipps, a descendant of several enlisted villagers who survived the war. Wreaths were laid by WWI victim Frederick Lloyd’s niece Maisie, the Royal British Legion and parish council, while children from Newington primary school laid posies.

Uniformed members of the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Living History Group presented arms and Mark Hinchliffe sounded The Last Post.

Among those in attendance were: the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Richard Oldfield; the MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Gordon Henderson; the Mayor of Swale, Cllr George Bobbin; Maj Simon Dean, of the Kent Army Cadet Force and grandson of Donald Dean, VC, from Sittingbourne; Susan Featherstone, of the Imperial War Museum, representatives of the Royal Engineers, the Royal British Legion and county, borough and parish councillors.

Earlier, during a commemoration service, the Bishop had received and blessed a Book of Remembrance detailing the lives of the Fallen and some of the 130 troops who returned to the village. The unique book, researched and produced by NHG, will go on permanent display in the church.

Hundreds of visitors also attended the other weekend events that included displays and exhibitions detailing the group’s two years of research, information about Newington’s role in the frontline of Britain’s WWI defences, and descriptions of what it was like living in a Kent village in 1914.

There were themed music, film, poetry and floral display events, with performances by the UK Paper brass band and Newington Concert Party.

Mr Coles said: “The weekend was a fitting commemoration to our villagers who fought and died in the war. There has been huge interest. In particular, it was noticeable how many children were engaged and enthused by the exhibitions and hearing about the bravery of ordinary men – many in their teens – who gave their lives.”

During Sunday’s service, members of the Queen’s Own Buffs discovered that Private Edward Carver, of the East Kent Regiment, The Buffs, who died in November 1918, is buried in Newington churchyard.

Later, they gathered at his grave in tribute and Jack Jarrett, chairman of the Queen’s Own Buffs in Sittingbourne, laid a wreath on behalf of the regiment.

For more information contact Richard Thompstone: 01795 842405 / 07896412427

Email: sepr@hotmail.co.uk

Richard Thompstone

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Saturday 6 September 2014

The First Upchurch Soldier Killed in World War 1 by David Wood

Thomas Henry Anderson is commemorated on a plaque
inside St. Mary's Church.

When war was declared in July 1914 most people believed that it would be a short and glorious affair. In Upchurch young men joined up while others who were already in the forces soon became involved.

Originally born in Chatham, Thomas Henry Anderson lived in Chatham, Rainham and Upchurch during the period leading up to 1914, working as a butcher’s assistant before joining the 1st Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers. His first military experience took place in India which formed part of the British Empire and while serving there he was awarded the Delhi Durbar Medal in 1911 to commemorate King George V’s coronation celebrations in India.

After completing his posting in India he returned to England where he was stationed at Portsmouth but with the outbreak of war in July 1914 it wasn’t long before he found himself sailing to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force made up entirely of professional soldiers under the command of General Sir John French. As a member of the 1st Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers he disembarked at Le Havre in France before being transported inland by train to Landrecies.

According to the regimental history of the Northumberland Fusiliers, on 21st August Thomas Anderson’s regiment marched towards Mons where the 1st Battalion took a position on the Mons Condé Canal while the French were fighting the Germans at the battle of Charleroi on the right of the British Expeditionary Force. The British aim was to hold a line along the Mons-Condé Canal for 24 hours to prevent the advancing Germans from threatening the French left flank. When the battle began the British inflicted heavy casualties on the German side but with the retreat of the French Fifth Army which exposed the British right flank to numerically superior German forces a retreat was ordered.

The Northumberland Fusiliers Memorial "The Response"

After their first conflict the battalion crossed the River Marne on September 9th and soon confronted German infantry in a wooded area at Veuilly. During the course of this they crossed a stream and marched on to the village of Dammard. They then crossed the River Aisne and billeted at Vailly. On September 14th they moved forward in support of the 4th battalion of the Royal Fusiliers near Rouge Maison and waited. At dawn the Germans attacked and the fusiliers were driven back after engaging their enemy in a wood on the left side. They lost more than 30 soldiers which probably included Thomas Anderson and 84 officers and men wounded or missing.

David Wood.

It isn’t clear exactly how he was killed but Thomas, who held the rank of Lance-Corporal, was later awarded the ‘Mons Star,’ a medal awarded to those who had fought the Germans in France and Belgium between 5th August and 23rd November 1914. He is remembered on the Upchurch and Rainham war memorials and on La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre memorial east of Paris. The Northumberland Fusiliers lost a total of 16,000 men during the war, they raised 52 battalions and won 67 battle honours and 5 Victoria Crosses.

Thomas Anderson became the first Upchurch and Rainham serviceman to be killed in the conflict while 33 others from the village suffered the same fate in the Great War of 1914-1918.

About David:

David Wood was born and raised in Upchurch and is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village. David's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David at: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk or from us here at Upchurch Matters. Price £12 + £3.50 postage and packing.

David Wood.

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