East Sandling Camp, Folkestone

[kerry]

Dear All,

whilst near Folkestone last month I came across a cement cross around 3 ft high, with the following inscription on its square base plinth:

"East Sandling Camp 1914-19

British Troops

Canadians 1915-17

RAF Cadets

31st Middlesex

Russian Relief Force"

on the adjacent side of the plinth were the words:

"In Thankfulness To God

For Friends Who Met At

The Jellicoe Club"

This memorial is at the conrer of a field 200 yards north of the M20, north of Hythe/Folkestone. Could anyone advise what the Jelicoe Club was, who met there and why, and what sort of camp East Sandling was, in terms of training and function? Many thanks.

Kerry

[Gary Samson]

Putting "Jellicoe Club" into Google produces some interesting links, none of which I imagine are relevant!

Gary

[Charles Fair]

I didnt know about this cross until the other day when I was taken there by a local historian. He reckons that the Jellicoe club was in the house across the road (or at least very close to it) where the residents opened a sort of estaminet for the troops. Here is a pic of the cross and close up the inscriptions which are on three faces of the base:

[Tom Morgan]

I have no information about the Jellicoe Club, but I hope this may be of some interest.

Tom

[shorncliffe]

not sure how well this will come out but as can be seen in the newspaper cutting for april 1987 the cross is quite modern and only erected in that year to replace an old wooden cross which stood on the site.

[16thBNCanScotJim]

Hello All, 

For a deep dive into the significance of Sandling Camp and the Jellicoe Club see the following site;

https://www.saltwoodkent.co.uk/discovery-of-ww1-practice-trenches
 

Cheers

 

Jim