The
memorial stands on the village green in Otford, by St Bartholomew's
Church, Otford High Street, Otford, Sevenoaks, Kent. It takes the form
of three steps surmounted by plinth and Latin cross with sword of sacrifice
on vertical west face of the cross; the inscription is in raised lettering
on bronze panels with the World War 1 dedication on west face of plinth
with names on the other three sides. The World War 2 dedication and
namesare on the west facing step. The memorial was first unveiled 30
October 1920 by Colonel Lord Mildmay of Flete, rededicated by Rev. E.
Elder, Vicar of Otford and Rev. Ernest Pratt, Seven oaks Wesleyan Circuit
Supt., unveiled and Mr I. H. Knight, Chairman of the Parish Council
and Mr H. T. Underwood (after fixing of bronze tablets) 1927. There
are 37 names for World War 1 and 7 names for World War 2. The names
here have been sorted into alphabetical order within conflict for ease
of reading and research.
| ATKINS |
George
Frederick |
Rifle
Brigade. Corporal (25). He enlisted with the rifle brigade at Woolwich.
He was killed in action at the Somme on 15th October 1916. Frederick
is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. |
| BAKER |
John
Herbert |
Queens
Own Royal West Kents. Corporal (32) He was killed during the German
Final Offensive an 24th April 1918 and is buried in Adelaide Cemetery,
Villers Bretonneux, France. |
| BEARMAN |
Charles
Henry |
Australian
Imperial Forces. Private (19). Died in Salisbury on 12th February
1918 of meningitis. |
| BEARMAN |
Robert |
Royal
Warwickshire Regiment. Corporal (28). on 27th May1918 Robert was
killed by a sniper in France. He is buried in Tannay British Cemetery. |
| BERARMAN |
Sidney |
Royal
Navy. Officers Cook (20) He served on HMS Vanguard. On 9th July
the ship sank at Scapa Flow as a result of a massive explosion.
He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. |
| BOOKER |
Harold
Victor |
Australian
Imperial Force. Private (28). He was killed in action on 30th April
1918 during the German Final Offensive. He was awarded the Military
Medal for bravery and is commemorated on the Villiers-Bretonneux
Memorial. |
| BROWN |
Joseph |
Royal
Navy Division. Ordinary Seaman (37). He served in the Hawke Battalion
on the Royal Naval Division and was fatally wounded during the battle
of Canal du Nord. He died on the 28th Sept 1918. He is buried in
the Burquoy Road British Cemetery, Ficheux, France |
| CASSAM |
Robert
Loius |
Royal
Military Police Corps. Corporal (32). Killed in action on 5th November
1917 in the Battle for Passchendale. Robert is buried in the Ypres
Reservoir Cemetery |
| DEAN |
Archibald
Robert |
Australian
Imperial Forces. Lieutenant (33). He enlisted in the Australian
Imperial Force and fought in France. He was awarded the Military
Cross for conspicuous bravery. He died of his wounds in London on
2nd December 1916. |
| DRAPER |
John |
Lancashire
Fusiliers. Private (24). He was killed in action on 17th June 1917
and is buried in Gorre British and Indian Cemetery, France. |
| EMERY |
Charles
John |
Royal
Navy. Able Seaman (21). He died on 20th October 1920 after a very
short illness. He was serving with HMS Venomous at the time of his
death and is buried in Otford cemetery. |
| EMERY |
Jesse
William |
Queens
Own Royal West Kents.. Private (25). Was reported missing and was
captured by the Germans in March 1917. He died of Cerebral Spinal
Meningitis in Minden, Germany on April 19th 1917. He was buried
locally and later reburied in Hamburg Cemetery. |
| FARMER |
William
John |
Royal
Navy. Boy, second class (16). Served on HMS Impregnable. He died
from a disease on 7th April 1918 and is buried at Ford Park Cemetery,
Plymouth. |
| FRANCIS |
Thomas
Edward |
Queens
Own Royal West Kents. Private. Aged 33. He enlisted in Maidstone.
He was killed in the battle for Hill 60 near Ypres on 18th April
1915. Thomas has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin
Gate, Ypres, |
| GILLHAM |
Thomas |
Royal
Field Artillery. Driver (35). Died of his wounds 20th October 1917. |
| GRAVES |
George
Albert |
Royal
Fusiliers. Private (31). He was living in Otford when he enlisted
with the royal fusiliers. He was killed in the battle of Ancre on
13th November 1916. He is buried at Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel. |
| HARLAND |
Charles
Edward |
Queens
Own Royal West Kents. Lance corporal (27). His battalion was stationed
in India at the outbreak of the war. The Royal West Kents were sent
to Mesopotamia where Charles died of disease. He is commemorated
on the Basra Memorial. |
| HARLAND |
Jesse |
Queens
Own Royal West Kents. Private (18). Killed in action on 28th October
1914 at the Battle of La Bassee |
| HARRIS |
Percy |
Nothing
is known about Percy apart from he is named on the memorial having
laid down his life for the Great War. |
| HAYNES |
Percy |
Queens
Own Royal West Kents. Lance Corporal (25). He enlisted in the Royal
West Kents and attained the rank of Lance Corporal. Percy was killed
in action in the area oy Ypres on 12 January 1916. He has no known
grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres. |
| HAYWARD |
Peter
Steven |
Essex
Regiment. Private (36). Peter served with both the Suffolk and Essex
regiments. He was killed in France on 6th February 1917 and is buried
in Fins New British Cemetery, Sorel-le-Grand. |
| HUNT |
Herbert
Arthur |
Durham
Light Infantry. Private (24). He was killed at the Battle of Messines
on 7th June 1917. Herbert has no known grave and is commemorated
on the Menin Gate, Ypres. |
| INCE |
Harry |
Kings
Royal Rifle Corps. Private (age unknown). |
| JOSEY |
Charles
Richard |
Royal
Engineers. Corporal (33). He died of his wounds in France on 4th
October 1915. He is buried in the Aire Communal Cemetery. |
| KING |
Charles
Alfred |
Queens
Own Royal West Kents. Lance Corporal (21) Joined early in the war
and died on 10th April 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres. Charles
has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres. |
| LAWS |
William |
Royal
Army Service Corps. Private (47). Aged 47William was on board the
transport ship The Royal Edward when it was torpedoed off Gallipoli
on 13th August 1915. 1000 of 1600 lives were lost that day. There
is a memorial on the Gallipoli Peninsula. |
| LEE |
Alfred
George |
Machine
Gun Corps. Private(unknown age).Very little is known about this
man |
| LUTYENS |
Cyril |
Coldstream
Guards. Lieutenant (20) Cyril was killed by a shell on (th October
1917 in the capture of Poelcapella, Belgium. He has no known grave
and is commemorated on the Tyne Cote memorial. He was the nephew
of Sir Edwin Lutyens, who designed the Cenotaph. |
| MARCHANT |
Edward |
Middlesex
Regiment. Private (26). Edward died of wounds received in the battle
of Scarpe on 19th April 1917. He is buried in Duisans British Cemetery,
Etrun, France. |
| MARMONT |
Philip
James |
Royal
Army Service Corps (34). Died of influenza on 7th November 1918.
He is buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen. |
| MOTHERSILL |
James
Neville |
Queens
Own Royal West Kents. Second Lieutenant (34). James was killed on
the first day of the Battle of Messines on 7th June 1917. He is
buried in Dickebush New military Cemetery Extension, Belgium. |
| PEARCE |
Thomas
Henry |
Royal
Fusiliers. Private (20). Killed 9th October 1917 in the Battle of
Poelcapelle. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne
Cot Memorial. |
| QUITTENDEN |
Henry |
Labour
Corps. Private (39)Henry died in Horton War Hospital, Epsom. He
is commemorated in Epsom cemetery, Surrey |
| QUITTENDEN |
Louis
Frederick |
Royal
East Kent Regiment. Private. Aged 27. He joined the BUFFS and served
in India and Singapore before the outbreak of the Great War. He
was killed in the second battle of Ypres. |
| ROBINSON |
Gerald
Duckworth |
East
Surrey Regiment. Captain (19). He enlisted in the East Surreys early
in the war. He was involved in the fighting on the Somme and died
of wounds on 26th September1916. He was Mentioned in Despatches
for his bravery. He is buried in Bronfay Farm Military Cemetery,
Bray-Su-Somme. |
| SHRUBB |
Charles |
Devonshire
Regiment. Private (28). He was killed in the Battle of Passchendale
on 7th October 1917. He has no known grave and is commemorated on
the Tyne Cote memorial, Belgium. |
| SNOOK |
William
Albert |
Queens
Own Royal West Kents. Private (30). William was killed in action
during the battel for Gaza on 14th November 1917. He is buried in
Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel. |
| WISE |
Sidney |
Royal
Navy. Ordinary Seaman . He joined the Royal Navy. There were three
men from Otford on the light cruiser HMS Chester when she was attacked
during the battle of Jutland on 31st of May 1916. Of the three only
Charles lost his life. He is commemorated on the Chatham War Memorial. |
| YEOMAN |
Frederick
John |
Royal
Fusiliers. Bandsman (34). He was killed in March 1917 aged 34 and
is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery |
1939-1945 |
| ELLIOT |
L
R |
RAF
Sgt Pilot |
| FOSTER |
A
W |
RAF
Pilot Officer |
| FISHER |
J
F |
RASC
Captain |
| HOLLYMAN |
R |
RAF
Sgt Pilot |
| MASON |
W |
ATA
Flt Capt |
| NORRIS |
W
K |
RN
OSig |
| VAUX |
R
B |
RAF
Flt Lt |
