The First Rainham Soldier Killed in World War 1

When war was declared in July 1914 most people believed that it would be a short and glorious affair. In Rainham 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 at that time remained part of the British Empire and while serving there he was awarded the Delhi Durbar Medal in 1911 to commemorate King George’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 21^st August Thomas Anderson’s regiment marched towards Mons where the Ist 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.

After their first conflict the battalion crossed the River Marne on September 9^th 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 14^th they moved forward in support of the 4^th 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.

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 5^th August and 23^rd 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 in which Thomas Anderson served raised 51 battalions for service in the Great War and lost a total of 16,000 men.

Thomas Anderson became the first Rainham serviceman to be killed in the conflict and 98 others from the village suffered the same fate in the Great War of 1914-1918. 527 words.

History Articles

For years I've noticed a sign on a dead end road as a drive out of Hempstead so I finally stopped and got a few photos. This was a road that I remember driving down when I was learning to drive and shortly afterwards was closed. I've not found any information why Chapel Lane in Hempstead was closed to traffic in 1987 but the road remains in place with just a gate blocking the entry.

Chapel Lane Hempstead runs from Forge Lane (which leads to Bredhurst) near the junction with Lidsing Road through Chapel Hill Woods and joins Hempstead Valley drive near Savacentre/Hempstead Valley shopping centre M&S entrance. The road is still shown on Google maps with no indication of its closure. The road is narrow and maybe was unsuitable for large numbers of vehicles but would ease traffic on the Capstone Road/Hempstead Road junctions.

Some more information about Chapel Lane and the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene, Lydsing is here http://www.ghostconnections.com/Medway%20Recce.htm

History Articles

Memories of the Howard School in the Early Years

Moving from Orchard Street to the 36 acre site in Derwent Way Rainham in September 1967, the boys found the new school much more spacious with newer facilities than their previous one. Many boys puzzled over the name and thought it came from the building company that had constructed the site. In reality the building was named after Dorothy Howard who had served as Education officer for Medway and had been involved in local community and political affairs.

With a school population of about 500 and a four house system consisting of Tufton, Queens, Dering and Chaney, Mr Bacon continued as headmaster with his ageing white haired secretary in the adjacent office. Most of the Orchard Street staff continued although a few retired while well-known caretaker Mr Milgate remained at Orchard Street when the transfer took place.

Mr Newell continued as the art teacher and later became acting-head after the retirement of Mr Bacon, while Mr Gibbs continued as the principal English teacher, the librarian and wrote the annual school play. He left the school soon after its opening to teach at the former Sittingbourne teacher training college.

Mr Patterson remained as the geography teacher and Mr Barnes the maths teacher. Mr Powell continued teaching science and later became deputy-headmaster and Mr Rotherham continued teaching craft and organised the school football and cricket teams before retiring aged 81 during the late 1990s. Mr Groves, a muscular rugby player and athlete taught PE and games.

Well-known new teacher arrivals were Mr Ansell and Mr Bullen who also played for Rainham Cricket Club, Mr Clark who taught PE and originated from the Midlands, Vaughn Jenkins, a fat Welshman with a booming voice who ended up teaching English as a Foreign Language in Qatar and Ukraine before retiring to Blackburn. Mr Johns, another Welshman turned out to be a very introverted individual, prone to bursts of temper. Well-spoken Mr Richards taught English and tried to be best friends with all the boys. He wore thick black rimmed glasses and originated from Sussex.

Alan Suttie from Maidstone Road, who later became a graphic artist in London, served as head-boy with a group of prefects who all sat on the school stage during the morning assembly while Mr Bacon or deputy-head Mr Thomas conducted prayers and gave a daily sermon.

The prefect’s room had a table tennis table and many of the prefects played there and sometimes had to be removed by Mr Rotherham when they should have been in lessons or doing private study.

Because the playing fields were new a large number of stones appeared from below the surface, so initially many school football matches had to be played at the Langton Playing Fields, while during the summer some home cricket matches were played at Berengrove Park, the home of Rainham Cricket Club. A red gravel area existed for football practice but many boys complained of serious leg grazes after falling over and the orange dust stuck to their clothes. Outdoor artificial nets existed for cricket practice but the playground was preferred by pupils for sport. With a big gym, spacious science labs, well-lit classrooms and a dining hall, the new school had better and newer facilities than at Orchard Street but not as much atmosphere as the old school was smaller and more centrally located.

Well-known Howard Schoolboys from the period include George Meegan who became the first person to walk from the bottom of South America to the top of North America without any financial backing or special equipment for which he is in the Guinness Book of Records. Footballer Derek Hales went on to play for Luton, Charlton, West Ham, Derby and Gillingham. He later returned to the Howard School as a part-time football coach. Stuart Hart became landlord of the Angel pub in Station Road and a familiar scrap metal collector around Rainham while Raymond Hales, Alfie Fisher, Andy Findlay, Geoff Stone, Mick Arnold, Peter Heath and Malcolm Young became well-known local footballers.

With the closure of Gillingham Grammar School, the boys there moved to the Howard School in 1975 where they formed the grammar section of a new bi-lateral school, one of only five in the United Kingdom led by headmaster Mr Hicks. This amalgamation of the old Rainham Secondary School with Gillingham Grammar expanded the Howard School population to around 1,500 boys. The school remains one of the largest in Medway today.

History Articles

The Windmill on Windmill Hill near Otterham Quay

These days Windmill Hill in Upchurch is just a name without any importance for many people other than having a dangerous bend near the top of the hill, but from the early 19th century a towering windmill stood there as a familiar landmark. It could be seen for miles around due to its high location and like Upchurch church it served as a navigation point for boats sailing along the Medway. During the second half of the 19th century it became the property of  ‘Wakeley Brothers’ fruit and hop business in Rainham but by the beginning of the 20th century it no longer functioned. ‘Wakeley Brothers’ allowed the structure to continue standing as a well-known landmark rather than demolish it.

Timber built with a brick base, the windmill’s wood was old and well tarred which made it highly inflammable and this eventually proved to be costly when a fire took hold.

On Thursday September 8^th, 1910 the windmill caught fire. A farm worker noticed a narrow plume of smoke coming from it after he had returned from lunch. Due to the inflammability of the structure the fire took hold quickly and the high leaping flames and black smoke could soon be viewed for miles around. This caused crowds of people to converge on the scene to view the spectacle.

Eventually, after a delay of about 45 minutes, the horse drawn Rainham Fire Brigade engine arrived but there was little that could be done to save the windmill. The fire had become so advanced and the heat so intense that nobody could get anywhere near it and the situation worsened when the burning sails from the windmill broke off and fell into a nearby orchard causing considerable damage to young fruit trees that had just come into bearing. Many of these were badly burnt or scorched.

Police Constables Jenner and Sergeant Ashton from Rainham assisted by several passers-by were able to rescue some pigs in a sty close to the burning windmill otherwise the animals would have been roasted alive. A timber built store owned by Mrs. Stokes, wife of late farmer Sam Stokes also caught fire but the fire brigade was unable to save it. A standpipe positioned at the top of Windmill Hill provided water but due to the low pressure which had resulted from the high location the firemen were unable to access sufficient water quickly enough to make any great difference and were not able to control the fire for about three hours which resulted in the windmill being burnt to the ground.

Eventually the fire subsided but the windmill was completely destroyed and the nearby fruit orchard burnt and damaged. Although Mrs. Stokes store survived it was badly damaged. Several carts, a collection of fruit baskets, wheat and grain inside the store were destroyed or damaged. The cost to ‘Wakeley Brothers’ was about £250 and Mrs. Stokes lost about £100. Both parties were later able to claim insurance but the windmill, such a significant landmark on the landscape for about a century, disappeared for ever and only the name and a few photos survive.

History Articles

Memories of Wakeley’s Hop Gardens

Hop picking dates back hundreds of years in the area with hop gardens and oasthouses once scattered around the locality. Oasthouses still exist at Moor Street Farm, by Rainham railway station and just off the high street although these are no longer used for storage of hops but for other purposes. Although hop picking is now just something from the past 92 year old Marj Lacy from Bradshaw Close in Upchurch still has vivid memories of the hop picking season on those damp and misty autumn days of eighty years ago in Hartlip and Upchurch.

“I started when I was ten years old back in the 1930s and went hop picking with my brother and two cousins at Wakeleys’ hop garden in Hartlip. We shared a bin between us and picked into half bushel baskets which we tipped into the bin. I went picking to buy a new school uniform for myself each year. I earned about fifteen shillings a week and picked for the whole season which lasted for about five weeks starting in September. I worked in the Hartlip hop garden for four years and remember Seymour Wakeley from Rainham inspecting the picking and overseeing the payment of wages at the end of each week.

I worked at ‘Seventeen Acres’ hop garden in Oak Lane during the 1940s. Pickers from Upchurch brought their own equipment consisting of a stool and picking basket. Some pickers brought their equipment in a baby’s pram while others visited the workplace the night before to see which row they had been allocated.

Many Upchurch residents worked in ‘Seventeen Acres’ like Ellen Boast and Win Wraight from The Street, Mrs Goodall and Elsie Waters from Oak Lane and Win Edmonds and Molly Bass from Drakes Close. Mrs Neame from The Street Stores also came with volunteers to raise money for the Darby and Joan Club. Meanwhile, Mr Oldland, the foreman from Rainham, organised the pickers who came by bus from Chatham and brought their children with them while Brian Wakeley from Forge Lane in Upchurch often inspected the picking. Other visitors included a man with a basket of doughnuts and another on a horse and cart selling sweets. The pickers brought tins which were hung on a wire with a hook above a fire for making tea which they drank while they worked. Official tea breaks didn’t exist.

The pickers were paid per basket and chose the hours they worked although the usual working day began at 7 a.m. and finished at 4 p.m. A lunch break took place for one hour. The work was pleasant but the hops that dropped on the ground had to be picked up. This was the hardest work. I didn’t only do picking, I also did stringing and training. The hop bins were collected early afternoon by horse and cart and taken to Moor Street oasthouse situated nearby or to the Station Road oasthouse in Rainham for drying. At the end of a working day I returned home, did the cooking and housework and looked after my two daughters. I thought nothing of it in those days.

The last day of the season was usually a fun day when pickers arrived in fancy dress, had a good laugh and played tricks on each other. On one occasion my mother was put into a sack which was then tied up. I really miss hop picking, it was marvellous.”

History Articles

Rainham in the Opening Months of World War 1

When war broke out in July 1914 life in Rainham continued as normal with various events taking place like the Rainham fete when over 1,000 children participated in a procession around the village followed by a gymnastics display and music by the Salvation Army on the Recreation Ground. Soon after this The Rainham Flower Show, the biggest annual event in the village, took place with about 1,400 people attending at the Recreation Ground. Visitors were entertained by the band of the Royal Engineers and sports events involving local schools, while entries of flowers, fruit and vegetables were judged. Later at Prize Giving Day held in the Council School in Solomon Road, prizes were awarded by Mr and Mrs Sid Wakeley. Pupils of different ages performed songs with the most memorable being infants dressed as little Japanese maids followed by an upper school girl’s display of physical exercises.

The first evidence of war related activity occurred in late July when girls at the Church of England School were asked to bring a penny each which provided linen for a bandage ready for hospital use to treat wounded soldiers and sailors. Mrs Penfold, wife of Dr Penfold thought of the idea. Soon after this 106 parishioners were sworn in as special constables at the Church of England School. Their job was to patrol Rainham during the war period and seek out any possible German spies. A committee led by The Lion Hotel publican Phil Curling acting as chief of Staff was set up to oversee this.

Arthur Percy Light who died during the First World War

During August Rainham parish councillors led by Dr Penfold made a house to house collection for the Prince of Wales War Fund which raised £100. A recruiting rally held in Rainham Church Hall followed with the aim of persuading local men to join the forces and fight in the war. Dr Penfold acted as chairman while speakers included local MP Mr Granville Wheeler and captain A G Hendry. A second rally took place in early September outside the Church School in Station Road. With a large number of men assembled in the road MP Mr Granville Wheeler, Mr Payne, Colonel Honeyball and Reverend Tamplin gave speeches. Reverend Tamplin gave a particularly stirring speech asking every man to do his duty against Germany as he recalled the famous British victories at Trafalgar and Waterloo. Later in October the East Kent Yeomanry held a recruiting rally in Station Road and six men joined up. These included William Barrett, Seymour Wilkins and Tom Russell from Station Road, Len Belsey and Frank Brock from Orchard Street and Sid Finn from Moor Street. Honorary recruiting agents for Rainham included Mr E Holdstock from Orchard Street, Mr E Pierce from Chapel Lane and Mr F Mattocks from Station Road.

In September the first war casualties were announced with Tom Anderson reported killed in action while serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers at Mons. Ernie Carter who served as a private in the Royal Marines Light Infantry died when his ship HMS Aboukir was sunk by a German submarine. Joe French aged 31 from Lower Rainham died on the same day when HMS Cressy on which he was serving got torpedoed by a German submarine with the loss of 560 crew members. Chief Petty Officer John Wood aged 38 of 99 Station Road also died when his ship HMS Pathfinder was sunk by a German submarine in the North Sea. He was one of 200 men to die on the vessel. He left a wife and a five year old son. Another death took place under unfortunate circumstances when 17 year old Wilfred Ray from Bredhurst Road accidently shot himself with a revolver while on duty as a territorial in Sheerness. A verdict of accidental death was given after an inquest. At about this time the tenor bell in Rainham church tower rang out at noon every day so that people could remember and say a prayer for those men fighting in the war.

In October a powerful explosion in the high street caused residents to rush out of their homes and into the street thinking that a German plane or airship had dropped a bomb. It turned out to be a gas explosion resulting from a gas leak in the scullery of the Lion Hotel which injured Mrs Curling who was working there at the time. As Mrs Curling lit the stove the resulting explosion threw her across the room, the iron stove door was blown off and hit her in the legs while the stove was blown to pieces. Luckily, Mrs Curling only suffered bruising and shock. A month later a huge explosion on the River Medway rocked the village when HMS Bulwark exploded and sank to the bottom of the river with the loss of 750 men. Early reports indicated that this had been instigated by German agents but an investigation showed that it had been caused by an accidental ignition of ammunition. The event turned out to be the second worst accidental destruction of a Royal Naval vessel in British maritime history. For weeks after the explosion bodies were washed ashore. In December the body of a sailor from the ship was washed ashore at Bartlett’s Creek in Lower Rainham and was eventually identified as ordinary seaman John Porter aged 19.

As the war progressed permission was given to Rainham Parish Council to keep the gas lights in the high street switched on through the night until daylight on the basis that the special constables patrolling the streets would be able to guard the telegraph wires more efficiently with street lighting. German spies were the biggest fear with regard to this and two Germans working for Wakeley Brothers were arrested under the Aliens Order by Sergeant Pattenden and sent to a prison in Olympia.

In November 1914 moves were made to raise money for Belgian refugees after the Germans had invaded the country. Garments were made for Belgian children by the local branch of the Girls Friendly Society under the direction of vicar’s wife Mrs Tamplin. The garments were packed and sent to the Belgian refugees headquarters in London. A concert by Rainham Co-operative Society in aid of the Belgian Refugees Fund at the Council School followed this. Regarded as the best concert to have taken place in Rainham for years a range of songs, music and Scottish dancing were presented by local performers. This resulted in £28 being raised for the fund and supplemented with a further £2 after publican Phil Curling had set up a match fund by selling boxes of matches for 1d a box.

Several months into the war a 20 year old man appeared on the streets of Rainham limping and dressed in the uniform of a Royal Marine. He claimed that he had been wounded while fighting for the British army in Antwerp. He twice attended services at St Margaret’s church on the same day looking for sympathy and board and lodgings and after telling people about his experiences fighting in Belgium he agreed to give talks about the war at local Rainham schools. He also obtained foodstuffs from Thomas Crump, a baker in Station Road by suspected deception. This raised the suspicion of the police who arrested him for fraud and he appeared before Sittingbourne Magistrates Court. Identified as private Ernest Williams of the Royal Marines stationed in Chatham, Investigations revealed that there was nothing wrong with his leg, he had not fought abroad, he had obtained food at Thomas Crump’s bakery by deception and that he had broken his leave from the army. He also had previous convictions for larceny. He was sentenced to three months hard labour.

With the war in full swing and more regular reports of deaths and casualties, Private Arthur Gore of the Royal West Surrey Regiment returned home to 45 Ivy Street to recover from his wounds sustained while taking part in the Battle of Ypres. The 21 year old had fought in trenches only fifteen yards away from German trenches and was struck in the top of the head with a bullet during the course of heavy fighting. As he fell back another bullet struck him in the eye and he lay unconscious for five hours until he came around and managed to make his way to a village about half a mile away where he received treatment. He was then sent to hospital in Le Havre where his damaged eye was removed. He moved on to the Royal Eye Hospital in Manchester for another operation and was then sent home to rest.

As the war progressed through the remainder of 1914 it soon became apparent that the conflict with predicted glorious cavalry and infantry charges, which government propaganda had earlier announced, would last for much longer than weeks. Instead, the conflict became a bloody war of attrition with huge casualties and both sides getting bogged down in trench warfare that lasted for four years.

History Articles

Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Celebrations in Rainham

As Queen Victoria sat in her open carriage drawn by eight white ponies making the journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey for a full state thanksgiving service and cheered on by thousands of her flag waving subjects, towns and villages across the country had their own celebrations to mark the event on June 21^st 1887.

The East Kent Gazette reported that on a fine sunny day in Rainham, early morning peels rang out from St Margaret’s church bells and at intervals for the remainder of the day to signify the big event. The people of Rainham had raised £50 to fund the celebration with decorations and activities and had formed a committee to organise it.

Flags and banners decorated the centre of Rainham drowning it in a sea of red, blue and white. Flags from the barges Agremont, Virginia and Director suspended by lines fluttered above the main road at the western end of Rainham. At the Cricketers pub landlord Samuel Jarrett exhibited a line of flags and transparencies of the Queen, the Prince of Wales’s plume and a representation of the crown. At the vicarage a bit further along the High Street a group of flags with the words ‘God Save the Queen’ on a crimson background and a transparency of the Prince of Wales’s plume of feathers were displayed.

A line of flags spanned the High Street from the Lion Hotel and also in the windows of nearby buildings. A banner with the words ‘The Queen, God Bless Her’ stretched across the street from George Quinnell’s grocery shop in Broad Walk and George Whayman’s drapery shop displayed a banner with the words ‘God Save the Queen, Long May She Reign.’ Frank Frost’s grocery shop displayed a portrait of the Queen wreathed in flowers while Men’s outfitter Edwin Jelly displayed a banner with the words ‘Long to Reign Over Us, God Save the Queen’ on a crimson background. At ‘The Chestnuts,’ a house owned by local preacher and businessman Thomas Stanley Wakeley, the colours of the barge ‘Richmond’ surmounted the building accompanied by a transparency of the crown surrounded by flags. At Mardale House, the home of Doctor Penfold, a transparency of the Royal Arms surrounded by a portrait of Queen Victoria decorated the building while a line of flags spanned the road.

At the White Horse Inn on the corner of the High Street and Station Road publican Alf Fiske had the building covered in English and French flags with beautiful floral decorations at the windows. He also had illuminated transparencies of Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales’s plume and an image of the crown displayed for viewing at night. This contributed to making the decorations for the event in Rainham very colourful and highly impressive.

At 12-30 pm proceedings began when Rainham children assembled at the National School in Station Road with their teachers. Dressed in holiday clothes most wore or carried flowers and were led to the church. Followed by senior citizens they entered the building that was soon crammed with parishioners. With the Rainham Brass Band led by conductor Mr W Hunt positioned inside the church, the service taken by Reverend Charles Cobb commemorated Queen Victoria’s fifty year reign. Organist John Longley played a jubilee march followed by hymns sung by the choir and congregation. The service concluded with the singing of the National Anthem.

Crowds of people waited outside the church and lined the High Street. Amongst these the local branch of the Druids attired in costumes and holding banners sat on horseback while the Foresters with regalia were lined up with them ready for a procession. Once in order the procession moved down the High Street led by the infants, then the girls followed by the boys, next by the Druids and Foresters. Most of the children carried flags and banners. The girls carried a large silk banner with an image of the English crown.

With over 1,000 people taking part the procession headed towards Berengrove Park which had been lent for the occasion by the owner J. A. Walter. Swings had been erected in the park and amusements provided. Free dinners consisting of roast beef, mutton and plum pudding were provided for all parishioners over 55 years old and tables were placed under a row of trees at the bottom end of the park for this. After the old people had taken their places Reverend Cobb gave thanks and proposed a toast to the Queen. The playing of a verse from the National Anthem and cheers followed then the dinners were eaten. Immediately after this preparations were made to feed the children but only those who wore a jubilee medal that had earlier been presented to every individual by Dr Penfold were allowed to have a meal.

An estimated 2,000 people attended the event in Berengrove Park which included dancing and music. St Paul’s Fife and Drum Band from Chatham arrived in the afternoon and played some rousing, lively pieces. A display of colourful fireworks at dusk brought the event to a close. A huge bonfire was also lit on White Hill and could be seen for miles around.

The celebration turned out to be a great success for the village and the biggest event witnessed by residents for many years as they settled down to a further fourteen years of Queen Victoria’s reign.

History Articles

Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in Rainham

In June 1897 the Diamond Jubilee commemoration took place outside St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the completion of 60 years of Queen Victoria’s reign. Led by the Life Guards and the Dragoon Guards and followed by bands, envoys, royal carriages and foreign royalty, Queen Victoria rode in an open carriage escorted by Indian cavalry to the ceremony in the City of London.

In Rainham on a day described by the East Kent Gazette as one of glorious summer weather, the Diamond Jubilee celebrations were much more comprehensive and bigger in scale than at the jubilee of 1887. Flags, decorations and night time illuminations dominated the village as preparations were made for the big day.

The day began with peels from the church bells which continued at intervals throughout the day and the parish council sent a congratulatory telegram to the Queen at Buckingham Palace on behalf of the people of Rainham. Later about 800 children and members of Rainham benefit societies assembled in Station Road and then marched into a packed St Margaret’s Church where Reverend Charles Cobb conducted a short service.

After the service W Hunt’s Band and the Salvation Army Band led a parade along the High Street which ended at the meadow behind the National School in Station Road where sports events then took place. At 2-30 pm dinners were served to about 200 parishioners aged 60 or more and widows with a selection of food that included roast and corned beef, ham, tongue, jellies and fruit then tea was served to children at 4-30. Mr Kennet Jordan and W. Stevens then presented each child with a jubilee mug.

An estimated 3000 spectators attended the sports events at the school, many from Medway and outlying villages as visitors crowded Rainham. Sports for young children were organised by Mrs Brice, the Infant’s School teacher, while Mr A. Champion organised the older children. After a successful afternoon the sports events were concluded with a 100 yards race for ladies over 50 years old. Seventy year old Mrs W. Kitney of Station Road, the only entry, won the race after walking the course and claimed first prize while winning competitors were presented prizes by Mrs Cobb, Miss Dodd and Miss Walter. A firework display followed this at dusk organised by Alfred Brice.

During the evening people walked around Rainham looking at the illuminations, considered to be the most impressive in the area. At Broad Walk flags were displayed and decorations and illuminations covered Mardale House, the home of Dr Penfold. At the bottom of the High Street Mr E Pierce exhibited the motto ‘Rainham Rejoices, God Bless Our Queen.’ Thomas Stanley Wakeley draped ‘The Chestnuts’ with bunting and a display of flags and an illuminated transparency. Mr Baker had what many people considered the best piece of decorative work in the parish. He exhibited a circular device with the words. ‘Our Queen Rules Over 360 Million People.’ A transparency with cross swords in gilt surmounted underneath by a crown.

At Rainham nursery at the bottom of Chapel Lane George Longley decorated the porch of his house with paper roses. Edwin Jelly decorated his house with flags, bunting and a display of potted plants. In his shop he displayed a pair of satin slippers worn by the Queen as a girl. The slippers were owned by the vicar Reverend Charles Cobb. At his outfitter’s store George Whayman displayed flags, shields and a transparency of the Queen edged with bunting and Chinese lanterns. The triumphal arch nearby contained the motto ‘1837, Hail Victoria 1897’ and ‘60 Not Out’ with cricket bats and stumps. At Manchester House Mr W. Bush displayed shields, bunting and flags and The Waterman’s Arms opposite had similar decorations. George Quinnell & Sons displayed a device with the words ‘In Every Heart One Prayer, God Save Victoria.’

At the vicarage Reverend Cobb decorated the building with jubilee flags, bunting, fairy lights and mottoes. Mr Hinckley covered the Lion Inn with flags, lines of evergreen and a transparency of the Queen with an arch across the road. Watchmaker Mr A. Tucker displayed a crown and the letters VR in fairy lights with the motto ‘Jubilee, 60 Years a Queen.’ Another arch a bit further along the road displayed the motto ‘Greatness and Goodness and ‘Our Queen God Bless Her.’

A collection of Japanese lanterns suspended from the chestnut trees outside the church transformed the spot into a fairy grove at night. Flags and fairy lights decorated the White Horse and similar decorations covered the Cricketers Inn.

Lines of flags criss-crossed Station Road in front of the National School and the Co-operative Society building. There were three triumphal arches in Station Road with mottoes. At Ramsey House Samuel Hodson displayed a pretty shield with flags grouped around it and VR in fairy lights. Towards the bottom end of Station Road William Wakeley decorated Macklands House with bunting, flags and fairy lights. Visitors packed the road as they viewed the decorations.

During the early evening a torchlight procession formed outside the church and went along the High Street led by W. Hunt’s Band to Motney Hill where a large bonfire had been constructed. After this had been ignited those present sang ‘God Save the Queen’ then returned to the National School playing field where dancing took place until 1 am.

A Diamond Jubilee Dinner rounded off the celebrations the following day when 50 gentlemen representing Rainham agricultural and commercial life attended the event at the National School in Station Road. Farmer James Mansfield presided over it with a series of toasts and speeches followed by songs from Messrs J. Longley, E. Shewell, R. Wickens and S. Hodson. This concluded a successful Royal Diamond Jubilee in Rainham.

History Articles

Rainham at War in 1915

With the war just over five months old and uncertainty about how long it would last, 1915 saw the continuation of fund raising events and more casualties involving Rainham men at the battle front as residents rallied to do their bit in the village.

The year began in Rainham with a powerful gale that caused extensive damage in the area. The wind created holes in the chancel roof and nave of St Margaret’s church, telegraph wires were brought down and large elm trees were uprooted and strewn across the main road between Spade Lane and Culver’s Hill. Roofs, chimney pots and fruit trees also suffered severe damage in the wake of the storm.

During the gale two of Wakeley’s bargemen Arthur Hawks from Station Road and George Naylor from Lower Rainham had a lucky escape. After the wind had disconnected the anchor and chain their barge drifted on the sea near Canvey Island. The men had to fight freezing rain and sleet as they battled to control the vessel. Fortunately, the barge grounded and the two crewmen stayed on board until daylight then got ashore to safety.

In Rainham street lights were extinguished by general order on January 26^th because of the threat of German air attacks and evening services at the church were restricted because of the blackout with the Wednesday evening intercession service abandoned until further notice. A decision was also made that in the case of enemy aircraft attacks their arrival would be signalled by the ringing of the church bells which would allow special constables based at the fire station to go out and warn residents to stay in their homes or get under cover if outside.

A concert took place at the Council School in January to raise money for the Belgian Relief Fund. Several of these took place during the year and were organised by the Co-operative society and proved to be very successful money raising events.

In February a public meeting took place in the church hall to form a Rainham platoon for the Chatham Volunteer Training Corps. Reverend Tamplin became chairman and Mr Kitchingham from Station Road honorary secretary. A committee was also set up to organise the training of recruits from Rainham and the outlying villages of Upchurch, Hartlip, Lower Halstow and Newington. Later in March 34 men enrolled in the Rainham Volunteer platoon and drill took place at the Council School in Solomon Road. Sergeant-Major Richardson acted as drill instructor and training took place every Wednesday evening. Seymour Wakeley, Sid Wakeley, and Stuart Jelly were elected to the committee and by the end of April a rifle range in a building owned by Richard Wakeley had become established in the High Street while Corporal Forster took over as the new drill instructor.

In April a charity football match at the recreation ground between Rainham Congregational Church and Upchurch took place to raise money for men fighting in the war. Entry cost 3d and a total of £6/12/0d raised. Following this in May efforts were made to raise funds for an ambulance to transport wounded servicemen from the railway station to different hospitals. This became known as the ‘Rainham Ambulance.’ Mrs Tamplin the vicar’s wife became honorary secretary while Mrs Bodiam volunteered to organise a group of ladies to collect money with a house to house collection. Their aim was to raise £45. By late June Mrs Bodiam and her helpers had raised £50 for the Rainham Ambulance, five pounds more than originally required.

 With regard to entertainment the Empire Cinema in the High Street which pre-dated the Rainham ‘Bug Hutch,’ showed regular films to the public with seats varying in price from 2d to 6d. Charlie Chaplin films like ‘The Million Dollar Mystery’ proved to be very popular although other films were also shown with a piano accompaniment and were well attended.

In September Sergeant Frank Baker received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for gallantry after he had volunteered to recover the dead body of a regimental captain while under heavy enemy fire. He also got a big surprise when he came home on leave and received an inscribed watch from Reverend Tamplin on behalf of the people of Rainham at a special presentation in the church hall which his family and friends attended. He was later killed in action in France in 1916.

Throughout the year Council School headmaster Harold Greenhalgh organised the collection of eggs by pupils for the ‘National Egg Collection for the Wounded.’ In August 69 dozen eggs were collected and sent to the headquarters for the Organisation based in London. The school continued to run money raising events for the war throughout the remainder of the year. In November they invited a party of 58 wounded soldiers from Fort Pitt Hospital in Chatham for tea and entertainment and decorated classrooms with flags and flowers. The soldiers and sailors were served by waitresses and given tea while headmaster Harold Greenhalgh entertained them with songs. By the end of the month over 1,000 eggs had been collected at the school. The month ended with a concert organised by the Rainham Branch of Queen Mary’s War Hospital Needlework Guild with the aim of raising funds for the war wounded. Mrs Webster, wife of Dr Irby Webster, worked hard to hold the concert which proved to be a very successful musical pageant.

In December the parish clerk wrote to the War Office to obtain a war trophy captured from the enemy for Rainham. The committee suggested that it should be placed on the Recreation Ground in recognition of patriotism shown by residents in Rainham but it never materialised.

Throughout 1915 periodic announcements were made about soldiers and sailors who had been killed, wounded or missing. In January news arrived about leading seaman Aaron Norris from Station Road serving aboard HMS Formidable which sank in the channel. Fortunately, he survived with a small number of others. Thomas Balcomb of Bredhurst Road who had been called up in the Naval Reserve and sent to the Dardanelles on HMS Hood was reported missing in June while Brigadier-General Godby formerly of ‘The Chestnuts’ in Rainham High Street got wounded in action. Others were not so lucky like Sid Rash from Manchester House in the High Street aged 24 who served with the 12^th Battalion City of London Regiment and was killed while fighting on the Western Front in France. On May 24^th Percy Baker of the 2^nd Grenadier Guards was killed at Ypres after twice getting wounded. In August Percy Champion aged 19 from Ivy Street and who served in the East Surrey Regiment died of his wounds in a French hospital while Chief Petty Officer Andrew Evers aged 38 from Station Road lost his life when HMS Natal was sunk in the English Channel.

 When HMS Princess Irene loaded with mines blew up on the River Medway not far from Sheerness due to an accidental ignition of ammunition, only one member of the crew survived and 352 people were killed. Alfred Gulvin a bargeman from Henry Street got struck in the head by flying debris from the explosion while at work on the river and his injury required stitches. Debris which included a case of butter and soot from the explosion landed in Rainham.

Finally, the year ended with disaster when a serious fire destroyed Kemp Brothers building in Station Road, caused £3,000 worth of damage and put thirty men out of work. Fortunately nobody got injured but it contributed to more uncertainty at the end of the year and concerns about the future course of the war.

History Articles

Rainham Soldiers World War 1 Experiences in 1914-1915

Of the soldiers from Rainham who joined up to fight for King and country some wrote letters home describing their experiences or were reported in local newspapers.

With the war in full swing by the end of 1914 and regular news of deaths and casualties, the East Kent Gazette reported in December that Private Arthur Gore of the Royal West Surrey Regiment had returned home to 45 Ivy Street to recover from his wounds sustained while taking part in the Battle of Ypres. The 21 year old had fought in trenches only fifteen yards away from German trenches and got shot in the top of the head during the course of heavy fighting. As he fell back another bullet struck him in the eye and he lay unconscious for five hours until he came around and managed to make his way to a village about half a mile away where he received treatment. He was then sent to hospital in Le Havre where his damaged eye was removed. He moved on to the Royal Eye Hospital in Manchester for another operation and then returned home to Ivy Street to recover.

The East Kent Gazette reported the experiences of Private William Green of the 20^th Hussars whose brother George Green resided in Rainham High Street. William Green had been called up for service in August 1914 and became involved in severe fighting at Mons, The Marne, Aisne, Neuve Chapelle and other actions. He survived this but once had his uniform shredded by shrapnel.

On October 18^th Green formed one of a party of nine men acting as an advance guard to the regiment. After they turned a corner at the entrance to a French village they encountered a party of Uhlans (German cavalry). Green and his comrades attacked them. During the course of this a Uhlan officer pulled out his revolver to shoot Green who was nearest to him. Green proved quicker and more accurate when a well-aimed shot from his rifle struck part of the Uhlan officer’s revolver and glanced into his chest killing him instantly. The Uhlans were cut up and dispersed and Private Green later brought home the officer’s automatic revolver as a trophy of war.

Lance corporal Percy Eames of the Buffs Regiment from Bredhurst Lane sent a letter home in June 1915 describing his experiences to his parents.

‘I have had the terrible experience of being buried beneath sandbags and earth. It was 3 0’ clock in the morning of Saturday June 19^th. We had just stood to arms when the Germans started shelling us with 12 inch shells. The first shell knocked our trench in about five yards away from me. We stood waiting for the next one, which was not many minutes after the first one and that was the one that did the damage. Three of us fell flat in the trench to avoid being hit and I was the centre one. The men on each side of me were killed, one having his legs and back blown away, the other having his head blown off. I was very lucky and only received a slight head wound and was slightly crushed in the stomach. But I am going on alright and I expect I will be back in the firing line before many days. It took three quarters of an hour to dig me out of the debris. I have gone a bit deaf in both ears on account of the explosion. It is not the workmanship of the Germans that blows our trenches in; it is the volume they put over to us. They fire twelve shells to every one of ours.’

Lance Corporal H Eames also of the Buffs Regiment, brother of Percy, wrote home at about the same time:

‘The Hun put a bullet in my chest. We are pretty safe from ‘Jack Johnson’s’ where I am. I was wounded on my birthday, the 24th of May. I did not get the precious parcel but I did my brave comrades a bit of good. I had this bullet extracted yesterday. We are well treated in the hospital and when I get a bit better I shall go for motor rides. Still we boys are prepared for anything on active service…. I shall soon be in Rainham. Keep the old flag flying.’

According to the East Kent Gazette Sergeant Frank Baker of the 1^st Battalion of the Buffs from Station Road received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous gallantry on September 21^st 1915. This happened because he volunteered to go out into no man’s land and bring back the body of a regimental captain which lay 15 yards from the German lines. Frank Baker and 2^nd lieutenant Clouting crept to where the body lay then crawling on their stomachs the two men dragged it for about 150 yards and lifted it over the parapet of the British trench. Because of bright moonlight they were subjected to heavy German gunfire but they survived. When Frank Baker returned to Rainham in December 1915 he attended a presentation in the church hall where Reverend Tamplin presented him with an inscribed watch for gallantry on behalf of the parish of Rainham. Later in 1916 after being made a sergeant-major Frank Baker died after being shot through the head at the Battle of Guillemont in France.

In November 1915 Private S Gore, brother of Arthur Gore from Ivy Street wrote a letter to the editor of the East Kent Gazette.

‘I am writing these few lines to let you know how myself and comrades of the old county battalion are getting along these days on the war fields of France. I am the fourth soldier son of Mrs Gore of Ivy Street Rainham and I regret to say that we are two less since the war began, two of us having been wounded early in the fighting around Mons and Ypres last August. But all the same we are still a cheerful quartet, and the two wounded brothers are most anxious to be patched up for active service again. I feel proud to own brothers who talk like that after they have had one good basin of war gruel…’

As the war progressed and further experiences were recorded many more Rainham soldiers and sailors were killed or injured as they fought for King and country.

David Wood, 1,059 words.

History Articles

Letters from Rainham Brothers Serving in Gallipoli, 1915

Reg Wickens and his brother Seymour from Station Road in Rainham, joined the 1^st Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles in 1915 and were sent to the Dardanelles where they fought the Turks at the Battle of Gallipoli. Both men sent letters home to their parents which were also published in the East Kent Gazette. Reg Wickens wrote in December 1915:

‘We arrived here safely after a good voyage. Bert and I were not sick at all but some of the boys were very bad. We were chased by a submarine once but got clear aright. We have been up to the firing line several times and are getting quite used to it now. The last time we went up there the Turks gave us a warning time. They have got a short range gun which fires a very large shell and all the afternoon they gave it us hot and strong but did no damage to speak of, only knocked the trenches about a bit. But we paid them back with interest.

We had no casualties in our trenches but several were killed and injured in the supports. We came out of the firing line on November 13^th and had to proceed to the base for a fortnight’s fatigue. We are living in a little hut we built ourselves to keep the rain off. We have been washed out twice. I lost my blankets and hat, but my chum Sid Bonny gave me a spare one he had. On Monday December 16^th our lads took two lines of Turkish trenches with very little loss of life, and ever since then they have been trying to take them back again. On Sunday November 20^th they made a big attempt to regain them and we had to go up and join the rest of our regiment but by the time we arrived our big guns and lads in the trenches had driven them back; so we had a lost journey.

We are now back working in the stone quarry, getting rock to build piers. We have several work days to do here and then back to the firing line, thank goodness, for we would both rather be in the firing line as it is much safer and fine sport popping the Turks off. The ‘Tommy Cooker’ you sent we find very useful in the firing line as in some trenches where they are only twenty yards apart. We are not allowed to have a fire for fear of the Turks seeing it.

I spent a very happy birthday – was down a mine under a Turkish trench, on guard all day. But we don’t take any notice of that kind of job, we’re getting used to it. The job we are on now is down by the sea, on guard during the night, the rest of the time we have to ourselves….’

Seymour Wickens also wrote home about his experiences and the letter appeared in the East Kent Gazette dated February 16^th, 1916.

‘After starting from Liverpool we were not supposed to stop until we reached Lemnos but while in mid ocean we sighted two small rowing boats which afterwards we found out were lifeboats with French sailors in them, who had been torpedoed. We stopped to pick them up and about an hour afterwards we were chased by a submarine and were supposed to have been fired at. Of course everybody was on deck with lifebelts after hearing the alarm which was enough to frighten anybody, and it was only the skilful way in which the captain of the ship turned round and headed in the opposite direction to which we were going that saved us. At night we turned back, and I think we must have gone about 25 or 26 knots an hour. The next day we reached Lemnos and stayed on the boat for seven days. Then we got off on to smaller boats and went to Cape Helles at night where we landed. We had to march the matter of a mile or two when we found ourselves in the third line of trenches with bullets whistling over our heads. That was our first experience of active service. About a week afterwards we went into the firing line for three days and I think we had about five killed and wounded. But I must say this, the Turks are very fair fighters. It is not owing to the Turks unfairness that we had such a rough time; it was owing to the rough ground and the hard work to get water and food. You could hear nothing else but the cry for water all day long. If we got a bottle full, we had to hide it up and say nothing about it, otherwise we would get a crowd round us asking for a drink and get none ourselves.

We used to have spells in and out of the trenches in the firing line for fourteen days, and out for what was supposed to be a rest for fourteen days; but the rest was jolly hard work, either digging new trenches or making roads during the day and unloading provisions during the night.

Wherever we went we had to make our own dug outs with the sky as a roof. I remember one night it rained and everybody was washed out with everything floating down the gully. The next day one chap I know, he comes from Gillingham, was walking about with a towel round him while his clothes dried. As for shells, we could not walk about anywhere without having a shell drop somewhere near us, and, of course, we had to bob down anywhere to get out of the way. Once Johnny Turk gave us forty two hours to shift one of our hospitals, because he thought we were landing troops and food under cover of it, so, of course, that was another job for us because he was dropping shells a bit too close to be healthy. On another occasion he gave us seventy two hours to get away from Cape Helles; if not he was going to blow us off, but instead of the British destroyers from the sea and the heavy guns on hand gave Johnny a warm time.

When the seventy two hours were up we thought Johnny Turk was short of rations so we sent him across some “iron rations” if you know what I mean - a few bullets and one or two big shells to go on with.

I think I must now finish up as you will get sick of reading, but one thing I want to say is that nobody except those who have been there to see will ever know what the men have been through in the Dardenelles.’

Shortly after he wrote this letter Seymour Wickens got shot in the wrist and the army had him evacuated to hospital in Malta but he did re-join his regiment after his recovery and later saw action in Palestine and France with his brother Reg. Their older brother Reuben became a corporal in the Coldstream Guards and served on the Western Front in France.

History Articles

Rainham at War in 1916

The year began cheerfully in January with entertainment in the church hall and a musical entertainment in aid of funds for the Rainham branch of the War Hospital Supply Depot in Sittingbourne. A concert organised by the Co-operative Women’s Guild attended by 80 women followed this. Games, dancing and refreshments were provided and two guineas collected and sent to the Wounded Soldiers Fund in Chatham. Meanwhile, Reverend Tamplin and Reverend Cobb held intercession services at St Margaret’s Church every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Later in February the Rainham Girl’s Friendly Society finished making garments for Belgian children. A total of 30 garments were made and sent to Belgium while a party took place at the Council School for 40 wounded soldiers from Fort Pitt Hospital in Chatham. The Empire Theatre in the High Street also got involved in fund raising by showing films in the afternoons to raise funds for the Rainham Branch of the War Hospital Supply Depot. Dr Irby Webster’s wife and a group of lady helpers organised this. Films were provided free of charge by Albion Cinema Supplies in London. Mr. Cheeseman supplied a small orchestra to play music and Mrs T. Sayer played the piano. Films shown included ‘The Siege of Troy,’ ‘Henry VIII’ and ‘David Garrick.’ These film shows raised £7/18/0d for the war effort.

In April the church hall opened on a daily basis for soldiers billeted in the area to use as a recreation room where newspapers, games and writing materials were made available which allowed soldiers to make use of their free time. Mr L. Osborne managed the room which remained open from 6 pm to 9-25 pm daily. Soldiers regularly used the facility which became very popular. They were also entertained at a concert given by girls from the Church of England School in Station Road the following November. Reverend F E Perry also opened a recreation room for soldiers in the Rainham Congregational Church hall in Chapel Lane (now Mierscourt Road).

Fund raising events continued as the year progressed with St George’s Day being celebrated in Rainham and Upchurch. A group of ladies sold small flags sold which raised £30 for the Star & Garter Home for Disabled Soldiers and St Dunston’s Home for Blind Soldiers and Sailors. Meanwhile, the Rainham Branch of the War Hospital Supply Depot announced that they had raised over £86 since October 1915.

In July a garden fete took place on the parsonage lawn which included an exhibition of war hospital work with 1,005 items displayed. After Dr Irby Webster had given a speech visitors, which included soldiers from Glovers Hospital Sittingbourne, were able to view the exhibition which included needlework by the Rainham Branch of Queen Mary’s Needlework Guild. Sid Wakeley from Rainham High Street set up a fruit stall and a teddy bear competition took place. All the articles on display were sold resulting in £40 being raised and donated to the Wounded Soldiers and Sailors Fund. W. Brewer’s String Band provided music through the afternoon.

The Council School in Solomon Road continued to play an important part in fund raising when they raised money for the Fund for the Relief of Belgium and collected £18, while Young Patriots at the school raised money for St Bart’s Hospital, the Home for Blinded Soldiers and the Belgium Fund. The school also collected 10 dozen eggs for the National Egg Collection for Wounded Soldiers for which pupils received letters from soldiers thanking them for their efforts. A short time later in August a Penny Bandage Day took place and proceeds went towards materials and the manufacture of bandages for wounded soldiers in hospital. On the same day the Rainham Branch of Queen Mary’s Needlework Guild raised £24.

During the Battle of the Somme which began in July 1916 over 60,000 British soldiers were killed on the first day, more than in any other battle in British military history. Rainham suffered casualties in this battle with the loss of numerous local men. At the end of the battle which lasted from July 1^st to November 18^th 1916, over 1 million allied and German soldiers had been killed or wounded, a disproportionate figure in relation to the territory gained.

Fatalities from Rainham included Private Edward Davison from Ivy Street serving in the 14^th Middlesex Regiment, Sergeant Frank Couchman of the Royal Sussex Regiment killed in action and Private William Simmons from Station Road aged 26 serving in the Buffs, killed by shrapnel. Others included Private George Botting aged 20 from Otterham Quay Lane, killed at the Somme while serving with the Buffs, Sergeant-Major Frank Baker aged 26 from Station Road perished at Guillemont, Alfred Cook aged 26 of the Queen’s Regiment and Private William Cheeseman aged 24 of the Middlesex Regiment were killed in action. Second Lieutenant John Wakeley of the Gloucester Regiment aged 20, son of Percy Wakeley was also killed in action. In September the funeral of Private Fred Smith from Ivy Street took place at St Margaret's Church. While serving with the West Kent Regiment in France he died from the effects of being gassed. Lance Corporal Reg Uden aged 20 perished on 18^th November, killed in action on the last day of the Battle of the Somme. Driver E. Pilcher of Bredhurst Road was killed in Mesopotania while serving in the RFA. Finally, in December Petty Officer John Sawkins aged 39 of Station Road serving aboard HMS Negro drowned in the North Sea when his ship collided with another vessel.

In early August with the Battle of the Somme still in progress an open air intercession service took place on the playground of the Church of England School in Station Road with about 1,000 people filling the area which included the road outside. Reverend Tamplin from St Margaret’s Church and Reverend Perry from Rainham Congregational Church conducted the service with hymns and a reading by Dr Irby Webster. This service reflected the sombre mood of residents who were regularly informed about the increasing number of deaths and injuries sustained by young men from the village throughout 1916.

The year finally ended on a joyous note with a Christmas fete at the Council School in aid of the Rainham Branch of the Hospital Supply Guild. After Father Christmas had led a parade of children in fancy dress a series of games and songs took place while sideshows like a doll’s house and war relics were displayed in different classrooms. A Christmas tree decorated by the pupils displayed 500 dolls and toys which had been donated to the school by parishioners. Guests of honour included a group of wounded soldiers from the Whitehall Hospital in Sittingbourne for whom tea was provided. During the course of the entertainment Olive Sales won the Prettiest Girl Competition and George Hooker the Prettiest Boy Competition. Mr and Mrs Shaw of The Cricketers Inn played host to a group of soldiers from Strood VAD Hospital in December.

With the allies bogged down in trench warfare and incredibly high casualties being sustained at Verdun and the Somme when attempts had been made to make a breakthrough by the allies, not much optimism existed for an early end to the war at the close of 1916. David Wood.

History Articles