1914

MURRAY

Fane Wright Stapleton

Captain. 12th (Prince of Wales) Royal Lancers. Died 30th November 1914 aged 35 years. (brother)

TOWNER

John Edgar

Private 3202. 19th (Queen Alexandra’s Own Royal) Hussars. Died Friday 20th November 1914 aged 25 years. (brother)

1915

MURRAY

Rupert Avriol Conant

Captain. 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (Ross Shire Buffs). Died Thursday 11th March 1915 aged 32 years. (brother)

LYNES

Sidney George

Private 2142. 5th Battalion, King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). Died Sunday 25th April 1915. (brother)

LYNES

Frank Houghton

Northamptonshire Regiment. Died 9th May 1915 aged 27 years. (brother)

COLBREAY

Charles John

Private 10446. 1st Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers. Formerly (9108) 12th Lancers. Died Gallipoli, Turkey on Saturday 12th August 1915 aged 19 years.

COLEMAN

Hubert Guy

Bombardier 80434. “D” Battery, 63rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA). Died 17th September 1915 aged 21 years.

GODDEN

Albert

Private G/5099. “A” Company, 8th Battalion, The Buffs, (East Kent Regiment). Died 26th September 1915 aged 29 years.

PATRICK

Frank Henry [Amos]

Private G/5366. 8th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Thursday 4th November 1915 age 32 years.

FEAKINS

James Edgar

Private 3069. 1/1st Battalion, Royal East Kent Yeomanry (Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles). Died Gallipoli, Turkey Tuesday 30th November 1915 age 23 years.

1916

SAGE

John Samuel

Private L/10571. 2nd Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died Iraq Wednesday 5th April 1916..

PERRIMAN

Hugh

Private G/5139. 8th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Wednesday 5th July 1916 age 24 years.

HOPKINS

Thomas William

Private 2304. Yeomanry Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Formerly Royal West Kent Yeomanry. Died Thursday 31st August 1916.

COCKLE

Frederick (Fred)

Private G/8631. 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Friday 4th August 1916.

LITTLECHILD

George James

Private 5306. 1st Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers). Died Friday 15th September 1916.

HARDWICK

Gerald Leslie

Private 15040. Canadian Corps Cavalry Regiment. Formerly E Company, 6th Battalion, Canadian Army. Formerly Canadian Militia. Died Tuesday 26th September 1916 aged 28 years. (brother)

BARROWS

Frederick James

Private S/11299. 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. Died Wednesday 15th November 1916 aged 26 years.

1917

MATCHAM

William James

Pioneer 226873. 330th Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers (RE). Died Sunday 25th February 1917 aged 60 years.

HARDWICK

Oswald William

Second Lieutenant. 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Died Wednesday 9th May 1917 aged 25 years. (brother)

BIGG

William Charles

Private 52478. 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. Formerly (F/3528) Middlesex Regiment. Died Monday 23rd April 1917.

SPILLETT

Frederick George

Gunner 38661. 5th Reserve Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA). Died Monday 6th August 1917 aged 22 years.

WOODCOCK

Harry Albert

Private 25210. 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards. Died Wednesday 5th December 1917.

1918

NELSON

William Barr

Private 295566 (Signaler). 4th Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers). Formerly (2620) West Kent Yeomanry. Died Thursday 11th April 1918 aged 20 years.

WOODCOCK

Leonard George

Private G/41522. 8th Battalion. Middlesex Regiment. Formerly (G/18642) The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Saturday 24th August 1918 aged 34 years.

ELLEN

Frederick Sydney

Lance Corporal 632110. 20th Battalion, London Regiment. Died Saturday 14th September 1918.

TOWNER

Christopher Charles

Corporal 25144. 21st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (MGC). Formerly (5237) Leicestershire Regiment. Died Sunday 15th September 1918. (brother)

TIMSON

Percy (Laddie) Walter Johnson

Lieutenant. 57th Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF). Formerly Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Died Thursday 26th September 1918 aged 19 years.

TAMSETT

William John

Lance Corporal 6583. 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Formerly (S/37643) Army Service Corps (ASC). Died Tuesday 22nd October 1918.

FULLER

Bernard

Second Lieutenant. 7th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died Monday 4th November 1918 aged 25 years.

TOWNER

Herbert Norris

Private 265185. 6th Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). Died Monday 29th July 1918.

1919

SETTATREE

John

Air Mechanic 1st Class 200915. Royal Air Force (RAF). Died Sunday 26th January 1919 aged 34 years.

STUART, V.C.

Ronald Neil

VICTORIA CROSS HOLDER BURIED IN CHARING BURIAL GROUND
STUART R.N (VICTORIA CROSS)

This man although he died in 1954 warrants inclusion in this list. He was the most highly decorated RNR officer of the First World War. He died at Charing in 1954 and is buried in the local parish cemetery there.

Captain Ronald Neil STUART VC. DSO. RD. U.S Navy Cross. HMS “Pargust”, Royal Naval Reserve (RNR). Born 26th August 1886 at 31, Kelvin Grove, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. Died at Beryl Lodge, Charing, Kent on 8th February 1954 aged 67 years. Son of Neil Stuart a master mariner of Scottish Ancestry from Prince Edward Island in Canada. Ronald lived with his sisters at “Beryl Lodge”, Charing, Kent. Buried locally in the Charing Parish Cemetery, School Road, Charing, Kent.

In 1902 Ronald went to work for Messrs Steele and Co in Liverpool. His first ship was the sailing barge “Kirkhill” and he was aboard her when she hit a rock and foundered off the Falkland Islands in 1905. In 1916 Ronald was by this time an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve and he was selected to join the crew of HMS Pargust under the command of Commander G Campbell VC.

Ronald received his own VC serving on HMS “PARGUST” (Q Ship) on 7th June 1917 in the Atlantic Ocean. His award appeared in the London Gazette on 20th July 1917.

After the war Ronald went on to become a merchant naval Captain with the Canadian Pacific Line. His wife Evelyn died in 1931 and Ronald was left to bring up his 3 sons and 2 daughters alone. It is said that Ronald was a complex man who detested pomp and snobbery. He was greatly effected by his wife’s death and never remarried. Two of his sons went on to serve in the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy, one of whom (Ronald Neil Stuart) was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during the Second World War.

A road is named after Ronald at Lee on Solent in Hampshire (Stuart Close). His grave in the Charing Cemetery is in a sad state of decay and needs restoring badly. The author is attempting to improve matters by replacing the existing headstone with a new regulation white VC Portland headstone.

Ronald’s VC and other medals are held at the National Maritime Museum in London. Interestingly Ronald was awarded the US Navy Cross when he rescued sailors from an American ship in 1917. This rare U.S gallantry award was not announced until 14th October 1927.