Christ Church Warleigh Dikoya Sri Lanka

[Moriaty]

It is ironic that the plaque reads "their name liveth for evermore" and they were almost forgotten, so I am delighted that, once again, they are remembered.

Moriaty

[Guest kenthistorian]

Arthur Pole Godfrey Lieut. Household Btn. died 11 April 1917

I am doing research on WW1 memorial in the village of Herne Kent UK and thought you be interested to know that one of the men listed on it is Arthur Pole Godfrey. I had already discovered by finding a copy of his will administration that he had been a tea planter based on the Hardenhuish Estate Dikoya so am absolutely thrilled to find that there is a memorial to him there . His family were not originally local to the area.His father was a Wine Merchant from St Marylebone London and both parents had retired to the village of Herne by 1901 and that is why he is on the memorial which is sited in the centre of the village outside the churchyard of St Martins They also paid to have a brass plaque in his memory placed inside the church itself. He was their only son and he just had the one sister Violet Annie Fletcher (nee Godfrey). This results of this research plus that of

the 65 other men listed on the memorial will be published as a book entitled "Herne's Heroes" by our local history society the Herne & Broomfield Local History Group in November 2015.

[ShirlD]

Thank you for this, the stories of those who fought brought to life, sometimes in quite unexpected places. Interested and delighted describes it!

Cheers

Shirley

[mogodonman]

I am surprised to see Charles Finch-Noyes' name on the memorial in Sri Lanka but grateful for the photograph. He is commemorated on the Cranleigh School (Surrey) memorial as he was a pupil from 1899 to 1908. I am attaching the extract from the School magazine which relates to his death. He is a rarity in that he appears on two memorials (Sri Lanka and Oxford) where he had a tenuous link. I have been unable to find any details as to his death other than those on the extract.

[Carmania]

A number of references to Treadwell from the Ceylon Observer:

8 May 1913: Estate Changes - Mr R N Treadwell a new comer is also an assistant under Mr Dunn [Manager of Wanarajah Group, Dikoya]

20 August 1914: Legion of Frontiersmen - Thirty Ceylon Names Down - We learn on enquiry from Mr D G Heslop, Organising Officer of the above Corps, appointed only on the 10th inst. by Capt J Macdonald Moore, Organising Officer for India, that the following in Ceylon have either joined the Corps or applied for information:- ...R M Treadwell (Dikoya)

23 April 1917: Another Ceylon Planter Transferred to The RFC - 2nd-Lieut R N Treadwell - The "London Gazette" announces that 2nd-Lieut R N Treadwell, of the Essex Regiment and late of Wanarajah, Dikoya, has been transferred to the General List, while employed as a Flying Officer in the Royal Flying Corps.

22 September 1917: The War - Roll of Honour - Dikoya Planter Dies of Wounds - Second Lieutenant R N Treadwell RFC - The news of the death of Second-Lieut R N Treadwell of the RFC, will be regretfully received in Dikoya where he was planting for nearly three years as assistant to Mr F J Dunn, on Wanarajah group. He was still there when he volunteered to go home in 1915. On arrival at home he secured a commission in the Essex Regiment and was with them till he was in March last transferred to the General List and was appointed a Flying Officer in the Royal Flying Corps. His name occurred in the casualty list of 7th inst., intimating that he had been wounded in action. He was one of three planters who went to the front from Wanarajah, the other two being Lieut A K Chaytor, of 6th Worcesters, who, too, died of wounds in Flanders in May, 1915, and Mr A D Mowll.

18 October 1918: Deaths - TREADWELL - On Sept 9th, at a casualty clearing station, of wounds received in action on 11th August, Lieut R Naylor Treadwell MC, Essex Regiment, attached RFC, dearly loved and only surviving son of Mr O F N Treadwell and Mrs Treadwell, 99 S George Square, SW 1, and dear brother of Mrs G H Halford, Kohat, Camberley.

[ShirlD]

I have only just found this extra information, that fills out the Ceylon part of his life, thank you.

My son will be visiting there later in the year, so I have printed out some basic information for the records in the Church. I know they will appreciate this.

I will have a covering sheet that says the information was gathered with the help of the Pals of the Great War Forum

Cheers

Shirley