Roll of Honour - Kent

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

ELHAM WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 & 2 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © Transcribed David Hughes and Neil Clark 2004

The memorial stands in the village of Elham. Elham has some casualties commemorated in the Church (St Mary) that are not found on the civic war memorial located at the northern end of the High Street, and vice versa, unfortunately several men appear to have been commemorated by different Christian names, sadly as with elsewhere several men have been omitted from both memorials that lost their lives. A * indictaes that the name appears on the village memorial and † indicates that they appear in the church.

Photograph Copyright © David Hughes
and Neil Clark 2004

The Great War 1914-1919

*†	AMES	Ernest Thomas	Private G/18403, 11th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Formerly 2642 Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles (REKMR). Died 7th June 1917 aged 22 years. Born Lyminge. Enlisted and resided Elham. Son of Mrs Edith Ames, of “Vale View,” Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ieper, Belgium. Brother of Herbert (below).
*†	AMES	Herbert Stewart	[Listed as S.T. AMES in the chuirch] Private 39093, 6th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal East Kent Regiment). Died 23rd October 1918 aged 19 years. Born Elham. Enlisted Canterbury. Buried Valenciennes (St Roth) Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave reference III.B.8. Brother of Ernest above)
*†	BALDOCK	John Edward	Private G/20127, 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 8th September 1918 aged 22 years. Born Swingfield. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided Elham. Son of John and Emma Baldock of High Street, Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Commemorated on the Vis- En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
*†	CARSWELL	Charles [Richard]	Private 54330 Charles Richard CARSWELL. 17TH Battalion, Welsh Regiment. Died 31st December 1916. Age 27. Born Elham. Enlisted Folkestone. Resided Canterbury. Son of Richard and Harriet Carswell. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
*	CASTLE	E.H	No further information currently available
*†	CLAYSON	Douglas Frank	[Listed as D G Clayson in church] Private M2/178164, Mechanical Transport, Army Service Corps (A.S.C). Died 6th March 1918 aged 19 years. Born Sandgate. Enlisted Whitehall. Resided Elham Son of Frank and Freda Clayson, of “Surrey Arms,” East Croydon, Surrey.. Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave reference XXVII.E.19.
*†	COLE	Wavell Jack	Private 205680 Jack COLE. 7th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Formerly 2680 Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles (REKMR). Born Hadlow, Kent. Enlisted Elham. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Not commemorated on the civil war memorial in Hadlow. Although not a perfect match for this casualty (CWGC, SDGW & MIC) all record the sole christian name of Jack. The church memorial shows his names as Wavell Jack Cole. No trace is found of the family on the 1901 census for Elham or Hadlow.
*†	ELLENDER	Albert	Gunner 25458, 104th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 2nd July 1916. Born Lyminge. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided North Lyminge. Buried Baghdad North Gate Cemetery, Iraq. Grave XIV.G.9. The 1901 census shows the three Ellender brothers as being the sons of John and Ellen Ellender, at the time of the 1901 census Albert was 12, Henry 10 and Ernest 5.
*†	ELLENDER	Ernest	Private T/201585, 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 17th July 1917. Born and resided Elham. Enlisted Canterbury. Buried Baghdad North Gate Cemetery, Iraq. Grave reference XVIII.K.14.
*†	ELLENDER	Henry	Private G/7632 Henry ELLENDER. 10th Battalion, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 15th September 1916. Born Etchinghill. Enlisted Dover. Resided Elham. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
†	FRIEND	George Thomas	Private G/37735 George Thomas FRIEND. 7th Battalion, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 5th June 1917. Born Barham. Enlisted and resided Canterbury. Buried Bucquay Road Cemetery, Ficheux, Pas de Calais, France. Grave reference I.J.5.
*†	GAMMON	Charles	Private 245347, 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment. Formerly (205304) Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 4th December 1917 aged 20 years. Born Synsore Bottom, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury. Resided Stelling. Son of Walter and Ada Gammon, of Fryerne Park, Stelling, Kent. Buried Poelcapelle British Cemetery, Langemark-Poelcapelle, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave reference XXXII.D.11.
†	GODFREY	John	Gunner 124926, 307th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (one of a handful of RGA batteries serving with the Italian Army before the deployment of British formations to that front). Killed age 28 (crushed by heavy gun) on 31st October (not 1 Nov as CWGC) 1917 covering the Italian retreat from Caporetto. Married (Alice Rose Godfrey of Winters Farm, Mayfield, E Sussex) with 2 daughters. Son of James and Ann Godfrey, of Frittenden Green, Staplehurst, Kent. Buried in small CWGC plot at Treviso Communal (town) Cemetery, north of Venice. Also commemorated on a family memorial at Headcorn, Kent.
*†	HADAWAY	Edward	Driver T/330445 Edward HADAWAY. 2nd Railway Store Park, Army Service Corps. Died 9th April 1918 aged 30 years. Born Elham. Enlisted Folkestone. Resided Chiswick, London. Son of James and Caroline Hadaway, of High Street, Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Buried Nine Elms British Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave reference XIV.B.19. (Brother) The casualties commemorated on both the war memorial and on the Roll of Honour in the parish church of St Mary with the surname Hadaway were brothers. They are both oddly recorded by the CWGC as both being married to Harriet E. Hadaway, of 1 Pages Yard, Church Street, Chiswick, London!
*†	HADAWAY	Percy	Private 3954, 5th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died 22nd January 1917 aged 26 years. Born Elham. Enlisted Folkestone. Buried Elham (St Mary) Churchyard. Grave located in the South-East corner.
*†	HAYWARD	Alfred	Private T/270160, 10th (Royal East Kent & West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Formerly (1850) 1/1st Squadron, Royal East Kent Yeomanry (REKMR). Died 18th September 1918. Born & Resided Elham. Enlisted Sturry, Canterbury, Kent. Buried Templeux-le-Guerard British Cemetery, Somme, France.
†	HOBBS	William	Lance Corporal G/2268 William HOBBS. 7th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3rd May 1917 aged 27 years. Born Hythe. Enlisted Lyminge. Resided Sandgate, Folkestone, Kent. Son of Elizabeth Jane Hobbs of 19 Radnor Street, Folkestone, Kent, and the late William Hobbs. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel reference – Bay 2.
*	HOGBEN	Alfred Thomas	Private G/18446, 6th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Formerly (2610) Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles (REKMR). Died 24th August 1918 aged 33 years. Enlisted Elham. Son of Edward and Mary Hogben, of “The Rowe”, Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel reference 7.
†	JOHNSON	Walter Frank	Sergeant 6577, “B” Company, 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment. Died 7th November 1914. Born St Leonards, Leicester. Enlisted Leicester.Husband of Beatrice Johnson, of Mill Hill, Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Buried La Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L`Avoue, Pas de Calais, France. Grave reference I.C.2.
*†	JONES	Norman Aldham	Lance Corporal G/246 Norman Aldham JONES. 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 13th October 1915 aged 23 years. Born Rotherhithe. Enlisted Folkestone. Resided Elham Son of John and Emily S. Jones. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. The Church Memorial commemorates Norman as Lewis A. Jones for who no match was found. The war memorial details coincide with transcription findings.
*	MAY	William	Sergeant T/270065, 10th (Royal East Kent & West Kent Yeomanry Battalion), The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Formerly (1535) 1/1st East Kent Yeomanry. Died 13th November 1917 aged 23 years. Enlisted Folkestone. Resided Acrise. Son of William and Emma May, of Newlands Farm, Selsted, Dover, Kent. Buried Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Grave reference D.78. CWGC shows born Elham. SDGW shows born Acrise. William was probably born somewhere between the two on the eastern edge of the Elham valley.
†	NASH	Harry W	Harry W. NASH. Recorded on Church Roll of Honour, but omitted from war memorial. No Trace. Probably another local man who died of wounds or illness after being swiftly discharged from the services.
†	NETHERSOLE	William	Private 44013, 211th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Formerly (20165) Middlesex Regiment. Died 18th July 1917. Born Goodnestone. Enlisted Ashford. Resided Challock. Buried Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Grave reference D.159.
*†	PEARSE	Raymond Stanley	Second Lieutenant, 71st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (R.F.A). Died 23rd August 1916. Son of Harry and Jane Annie Pearse, of Addo, Cape Province, South Africa. Buried Adanac Military Cemetery, Miraumont, Somme, France. Grave reference V.F.22. Educated at Tonbridge School, Kent and commemorated on the school’s Roll of Honour.
*†	PEGDEN	Austin	Private 58731, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Died 29th October 1918. Born Elham. Enlisted Canterbury. Buried Cross Roads Cemetery, Fontaine-Au-Bois, Nord, France. Grave reference II.G.25.
*†	PEGDEN	Sidney [Thomas]	Private 270372 Sidney Thomas PEGDEN. 10th (Royal East Kent & West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Formerly (2737) Royal East Kent Yeomanry (REKMR). Died 6th November 1918 aged 21 years. Son of Alfred George and Sophia Ann Pegden, of Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Buried Terlingthun, British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave reference X.B.30. (Brother of William below)
*†	PEGDEN	William	Sapper Deal/1093(S), Royal Marine Divisional Engineers, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, Royal Marines. Died 13th November 1916 aged 38 years. Son of Alfred George and Sophia Ann Pegden, of Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Husband of Gertrude Susannah Pegden, of “The Anchorage,” 44 Invicta Road, Margate, Kent. Buried Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel, Somme, France. Grave reference VII.C.13. (Brother of Sidney above)
*†	RICHARDS	Alfred	Private 4364, 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). Died 21st March 1915. Born Elham. Enlisted Dover. Resided Sandgate. Buried Hamburg Cemetery, Germany. Grave reference I.F.13.
*†	SAVAGE	Frederick	Lance Corporal L/10035, 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 18th October 1914 aged 21 years. Born and resided Elham. Enlisted Canterbury. Son of Edward and Harriet Savage, of The High Street, Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel reference - 2.
*†	SCOTT	Lindsay Buchanan	Lieutenant Colonel, 1st Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment. Attached - (Depot), Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC). Died 14th November 1918 aged 54 years. Son of John Lindsay Scott and Mary Scott of “Mollance,” Castle Douglas, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Husband of S.M. Scott of “Ormdale Lodge,” Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Buried 62nd Division Plot. Grave reference IV.B.2. Awarded Order of the Medijeh 2nd Class (Egypt). Veteran of both the Sudan Campaign and the Boer War. Linsay was an elderly serving officer when he died.
*†	SIMMONDS, DCM	Ernest Edward	Sergeant 12975, 2nd Special (Gas) Company, Royal Engineers (R.E). Formerly (1205) Middlesex Regiment. Died 31st May 1918 aged 28 years. Born and resided Croydon. Enlisted Kempton Park. Son of Sarah Simmonds, of Croydon, Surrey. Buried La Kreule Military Cemetery, Hazebrouck, Nord, France. Grave reference I.B.15.
*†	VINCETT	William [F]	It would seem that this casualty’s surname on both the war memorial and the church memorial is erroneous. MIC & CWGC shows Vincett. SDGW records him as Vincentt, memorial states VINCENT. Private 114726 William F Vincett. 25th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). . Formerly (23386) Essex Regiment. Died 24th March 1918. Born & enlisted Elham. Buried Beaumetz-Les-Cambrai Military Cemetery No1, Pas de Calais, France. Grave reference I.B.
*†	WATSON	Arthur William	Sapper 2534, 1st/3rd Kent Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 28th October 1915 (at sea) aged 36 years. Born Forrest Hill. Enlisted Gillingham, Kent. Resided Eltham, Kent. Son of George William and Sarah Ann Watson. Husband of Emily Terry, of Great Exted Farm, Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey.
†	WEBSTER	W H	No Trace - William is commemorated in the parish church but not on the village war memorial.
*†	WEST	Thomas Edwin	Private 41647, Died 27th May 1918 aged 19 years. Born Elham. Enlisted Dover. Resided Elham. Son of Thomas and Edith West, of Park Gate, Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Buried Hermonville Military Cemetery, Marne, France. Grave reference III.B.3.
*†	WHITE	William Stanley	Sapper 26671 William Stanley WHITE. 82nd Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died 30th July 1917. Son of Thomas and Laura White. Born Folkestone. Enlisted Shorncliffe. Resided Elham. Buried Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France. Grave reference III.D.287.
†	YOUDEN	Reginald J C	Private L/9794, 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 24th May 1916. Son of James W and Ellen Youden, of “Rosedene,” Canterbury Road, Chartham, Canterbury, Kent. Buried Richmond Cemetery, Surrey. Grave Z. 5935. Not recorded on SDGW. Reginald is NOT commemorated on the civic war memorial in Chartham.
The Second World War 1939 – 1945
*†	CONSTANT	Derek	[Listed as Drrrick on CWGC] Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) 45063 Derrick CONSTAN. 615 Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF). Died 30th March 1944. Son of Martin and Violet de Vagnes Constant of Elham, Kent. Buried Gauhati War Cemetery. India. Grave reference 4.D.11.
*†	CORK	Frederick Leonard	Stoker LT/KX 109889, H.M. (Drifter) Receptive. Died 3rd July 1941. Commemorated on the Lowestoft Memorial, Suffolk. Panel reference 7. Column 1.
*†	CROUCH	Sydney	Driver T/14696052, Royal Army Service Corps (RASC). Attached Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). Died 13th October 1945. Son of Frederick and Emma Crouch of Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Buried Brussels Town Cemetery, Belgium. Grave reference X.28.30.
*†	FILE	Donald Raymond	Private 5625486, 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Died 8th May 1944 aged 28 years. Son of Mr and Mrs L.J. File, of Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Commemorated on the Rangoon Memorial, Myanmar (formerly Burma) Face 6.
*†	HOSKINS, DSM	Eric Leonard	Leading Seaman C/SSX 15125, “H.M.S. Martin,” Royal Navy. Died 10th November 1942. Son of Percy and Margaret Hoskins, of Elham, Kent. Commemorated on the Chatham Memorial. Panel 52,2. Awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M) for bravery.
*†	SEYMOUR	James Bertie	Sergeant 6283834, 5th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 4th September 1942 aged 29 years. Commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt. Panel reference - Column 65.
*†	SOUTHERN	Frank Edward	Lance Sergeant 5386951, 7th Battalion, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (O.B.L.I). Died 16th February 1944 aged 29 years. Son of George and Emma Southern. Husband of Jessie Southern of Elham, Canterbury, Kent. Commemorated on the Cassino Memorial, Italy. Panel reference - 8.
*†	VERNEY	Edgar [Burnell]	Corporal 349802, Royal Air Force (R.A.F). Died 3rd January 1942 aged 53 years. Son of Edgar F.R. and Harriet Verney, of Redditch, Worcestershire. Buried Protestant Section (Men’s), Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Malta. Grave reference - Plot F. Joint Grave 74.
*†	WILKINSON	Robert Walker	Private 14443853, 5th/7th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. Died 19th February 1945 aged 19 years. Buried Reichwald Forest War Cemetery, Kleeve, Germany. Grave 60.A.15. Robert probably lost his life during the well documented advance through the forest in February 1945.
†	WILKINSON	Marshall	No further information currently available.
*†	WREN	Leslie Mons	Corporal 5385916 Leslie Mons WREN. 2nd (Airborne) Battalion, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (O.B.L.I). Died 13th June 1944 aged 29 years. Son of James and Susane Lavinia Wren. Husband of Elsie Vera Wren, of Barnsbury, London. Buried Ranville War Cemetery, Calvados, France. Grave reference I.F.19. Leslie was probably one of the wounded that died in the successful attack on “Pegasus Bridge” by the battalion led by Major John Howard early on D-Day. He is one of several that lie in Ranville.

Last updated 2 January, 2017

War Memorials Trust