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LADYWELL CEMETERY, LEWISHAM, London
+HUNTER, THOMAS, Screen Wall, D3173, died
30 May 1919
LEIGHTERTON CHURCH CEMETERY, Gloucestershire
KEEN, Cadet,
THOMAS LLEWELLYN, 210, M C, Australian Flying Corps. Died of
accidental injuries 12 March 1919. Age 28. Son of Thomas Benion Keen
and Mary E Keen of 57 Heathfield Avenue, Dover.
no ref (23),
Thomas was born in Canterbury in 1890, and the
following year was living with his parents at Grove Cottages, Black
Griffin Lane, Canterbury. He was the third child, preceded by
William, then 2, and Catherine, then 4. Their father was a clerk in
the military staff, born in Walsall, and their mother had been born
in Ireland, as were William and Catherine. By 1901 Mrs Keen was
living at 2 Litten Terrace in Chichester, Sussex, and had been
joined by four further children, Nellie, 9, Frank, 6, Gladys, 5, and
Dorothy, 3. Gladys and Dorothy had been born in Chichester.
On 12 February 1910 Thomas left from Liverpool on
the White Star Line SS Persic, bound for Sydney, Australia.
Meanwhile his mother and the three youngest daughters moved to 57
Heathfield Avenue, Dover, while Mr Keen was at 7 Glamorgan Street,
Pimlico, and working in the Army Pay Corps.
Thomas enlisted at Liverpool, New South Wales, on
30 October 1914 for the duration of the War. He was then a Station
Overseer, 5 feet 8½ inches tall and eleven stone, and with
fair hair and blue eyes. He became number 210 in the 7th Light Horse
Regiment. He embarked as a Private from Sydney on 20 December 1914,
sailing on HMAT Ayrshire. In November 1915 a report stated that SSM
Keen, from the time of landing on the (Gallipoli) Peninsula until
that date, had been recommended for general devotion to detail for
several weeks prior to evacuation to hospital. He had, though very
sick, continued to carry out his duties in an excellent manner.
Thomas unfortunately had several bouts of illness
while serving, including becoming dangerously ill with an
undiagnosed fever in October 1915. He was able to continue his
service, however, and on 16 April 1918 was recommended for a
Military Cross. The recommendation stated that "This Warrant Officer
on 28 March showed great gallantry in passing communications between
the squadrons, thus enabling the regiment to withdraw from a very
critical position without confusion. To do this he had to expose
himself to exceptionally heavy rifle and machine gun fire and it was
owing to his gallantry in taking and sending messages that the
regiment was kept together. His whole conduct was most gallant."
While a good serviceman, Thomas also had moments
of high spirits; on one occasion he was charged with bringing the
service into disrepute after incidents an inebriated argument with a
waiter from the restaurant car on a train. He pleaded not guilty,
and was found so.
Thomas also served in Egypt. He survived the
Great War but as a cadet in the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) at
Leighterton, Gloucestershire, was killed in an aeroplane accident.
He had dived through dense mist to find his location and crashed
into the trunk of a fallen tree near Miserden Park, near Sheepscombe,
Gloucestershire.
Thomas was given a full military funeral with a
firing party and a bugler. The elm coffin, with brass fittings, was
draped with the Australian flag. There were many wreaths, including
those from his family, from the AFC and the AFC Hospital, and from
the Light Horse Regiment. An oak cross was to be erected on his
grave; at the foot of his headstone now are the words "I will
arise".
Thomas died just three days before flying
training was stopped. On 6 May the AFC left Southampton, returning
to Australia. Thomas' possessions were all left to his mother in
Dover.
LITTLE WALTHAM (ST. MARTIN) CHURCHYARD, Essex
THOMPSON,
Second Lieutenant, JOHN WYCLIFFE, 7th Dragoon Guards (Princess
Royal's), 5 July 1918. Age 42. Buried East of church.
Memorial
LOUTH CEMETERY, Lincolnshire
BALDING,
Corporal, F, 10207, Army Pay Corps. formerly (14220) 24th Bn.
Manchester Regiment 13 July 1918. Age 25. Husband of Evelyn Beatrice
Balding of 8 The Avenue, Kearsney, Dover. 27 71
LYDD CEMETERY, Kent
READ, Frederick James, J 22290, born 19
December 1895 at River, Dover, Able Seaman, Royal Navy, died 18
December 1917, serving with HMS Osiris, mother Minnie Read
notified at West Rype, Lydd, Kent. He was the son of James Read, a
general labourer, and Minnie, his wife, who was born in Dover. In
1901 the family were living at 22 Queens Gardens, Dover. Children
then were Louis, 6, born in London, Frederick, 6, and, all born in
Dover, Harry, 3, twins Walter, and Arthur, both 1, and Edith, 5
months. Buried in the middle of the cemetery.
LYNESS ROYAL
NAVAL CEMETERY, Orkney
AUSTIN, ALBERT
EDWARD, Leading Seaman, J/5810(PO), Royal Navy, HMS Hampshire, died
5 June 1916, grave F. 92. Born Dover 11 August 1893,
married Lilian Abigail Gray at Croydon on 20 January 1916.
From the television programme "War at Sea:
Scotland's Story", broadcast by the BBC, came the following
information:
HMS Hampshire ran into mines laid by U75, one or
possibly two chained together. The ship suffered two or three
explosions and sank within 15 minutes. Three liferafts escaped with
nearly 200 young and fit sailors on them. They mainly died from
exposure even though some did get to the beach. The Stromness
lifeboat was manned and ready to go but the navy refused permission,
as they would intended to find survivors themselves. They sent out
four destroyers, an armed yacht, and a trawler, but no men were
picked up from the sea – the rafts had been driven down the coast.
Two young sailors managed to get to a beach and then to a farmhouse.
The occupants took in the sailors and fed and warmed them and put
them to bed. Meanwhile, the householder roused neighbours; they took
ropes and went to the cliffs where, by clambering down the ropes,
the householder managed to bring up three more sailors. They were
then ordered to stop doing this for reasons that are not clear.
There were many dead bodies swept onto the beach; they were loaded
into lorries and removed. From a crew of nearly 700 only 12 sailors
survived.
MANCHESTER CREMATORIUM
HOWARTH,
Captain, ALFRED DORAN, 2nd/4th Bn, Lancashire Fusiliers. Died of
sickness 26 March 1918. Age 43. Son of William and Elizabeth Howarth
of Manchester; husband of Sarah A. Howarth of St. Andrew's Terrace,
Crabble, Dover. Crematorium Panel
MARGATE CEMETERY, Kent
BRISLEY, Air
Mechanic 1st Class, WALTER, 106436, RAF formerly 2nd Bn.
The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) 24 May 1919. Age 40. Son of the late
Daniel Brisley of Dover. 11301
NETLEY MILITARY CEMETERY, Hampshire
(in the Royal Victoria Park, entrance in Victoria Road. Drive to
the visitors' centre; the cemetery is a 20-minute walk from there
along the old railway track. Sapper Hamilton's and Frederick
Smith's graves are in the upper level)
(p)$HAMILTON, Sapper, JOHN W, Royal Engineers, 17 May 1915. C E 1687
(p)HEWLETT,
Private, J H, TF/2010, 4th Bn, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) 4
April 1915. Age 22. Son of Henry and Louisa Hewlett of St. Margarets at Cliffe,
Dover. R C 839
Private Hewlett's
grave is in the foreground on the right in the wide picture. Pictures by Andy and Michelle Cooper
(p)SMITH, Frederick George Berry, died 19 February 1929.
His grave is to the far left after entering the upper level, just
past the cross of sacrifice
NORWICH CEMETERY, Norfolk
 CHAPMAN, Arthur, 3749, Squadron
Quartermaster-Sergeant, Army Ordnance Corps, no 6 Company, died aged
40 on 10 September 1914. He was the eldest son of Mr Walter,
in 1911 a "bricklayer general", and Mrs
Louisa Chapman of 38 Russell Street, Norwich, married in 1873, and the husband of
Patience Eleanor Chapman, of Lawn House, Carrow Road, Norwich,
married in 1903.
He
had been stationed at Dover for three and a half years, and in 1911
he was staying with his brother-in-law William Hurley, at 18 Tower
Hamlets Road, Dover. Also there were his wife and son and his wife's
sister, Mr Hurley's wife Leah. The Hurleys were in 1901 living at
Victoria Street, Buckland, while Mrs Chapman, née Forster, had been a
house parlour maid at
 Highland Gardens, St Leonard's, Hastings. In
1914 the Chapmans had been living at 24 Clarendon Place.
When war
broke out he was ordered to London and thence to Bisley. He became ill
and despite treatment at King's College Hospital, died. He had seen
twenty years service, ten abroad. Four and a half years he had spent
in Egypt and three and a half in South Africa, taking part in the
siege of Ladysmith. He received several medals for his service,
including a King George's medal for long service and good conduct.
His coffin was carried on a gun carriage to the cemetery. He left
two children as well as his widow; his son, Arthur William
Chapman, was enabled by a bursary to attend the Royal Masonic
Institution for his schooling. His father had been a member of
Military Jubilee Lodge no 2195 in Dover. Grave 26.308
Arthur Chapman's grave is in the
centre of the three graves in the foreground. The memorial behind is
to 102 soldiers who died at Norwich Barracks; the dates range from
1875 to 1917. (set 2921)
For much further information see this
Flickr account
NONINGTON (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD EXTENSION,
Kent
AVERY, Chief
Mechanic, ALFRED, 2545, No 6 Stores Depot No 6 Sqdn RAF 31 October 1918. Age 24. Son of William and Rhoda Avery of
Park Cottage, Nonington, Dover. no ref
from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission |
