Maidstone (Kent) recruitment etc.

[DirtyDick]

Hello everyone, long time no se... post!

Anyhoo, I'd be grateful if anyone has any information about soldiers from Maidstone, Kent.

I'm teaching Yr 9s (Key Stage 3) at a school there and it'd really help to have a local history lesson in the WW1 scheme of work - perhaps focussing on individuals, recruitment etc.

Casualties would be really good for them as case studies, especially if there are pics and personal bits and bobs, since they could then look them up on CWGC etc.

TIA

[Jonathan Saunders]

TIA - I have some info on Maidstone men but perhaps you should also think of looking at the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment whose Home depot was Maidstone. What timescales are you looking at as I would need to dig around for info on Maidstone men and might not be able to do this until Christmas break.

Regards,

Jonathan S

[ian turner]

Kent Messenger is archived on microfilm at Maidstone library (Brentchley, not Springfield) - the 1914-1919 years carried weekly casualty lists - many photos and articles.

Ian

[DirtyDick]

Hi Jonathon and Ian

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated for future reference.

I'm putting together a scheme of work and want one of the lessons to focus on local (to the school) history, so no great depth needed aside from basic outline of the person (although a photo and personal stuff would've been even better). I just thought it'd be good to have a case study of some Maidstone men who'd fought (and died) in the War.

I'm also toying with the "Zeppelin shot down over nearby Harrietsham" story too.

[ian turner]

SDGW shows some 288 men who were WW1 casualties and were resident of Maidstone.

One caught my eye due to his place of birth:

Lance Corporal 10605 George Potts

4th Bn Worcester Regt

Killed in action 28/6/15 Gallipoli

Born Salt lake City, Utah

Resident Maidstone

Enlisted Maidstone

Seems to have fought and died a long way from his place of birth, but via Maidstone. Maybe a story there?

Have a look for him on CWGC, and census info, etc.

Ian

[rob okey]

One of my great-grandfathers who lived in St. Mary Cray joined the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment in feb 1916 at the Bromley recruiting office and was sent to Maidstone for what I assume would be basic training. After a month he ended up in a hospital in Chatham with something on his legs, swollen joints from rheumatic something (still trying to read the writing of doctor) and then caught something while in hospital and ultimately discharged as being "unlikely to become an efficient soldier".

I can send you the scans of the service record if you think it would be useful.

[DirtyDick]

Hi chaps

Thanks everso much for the extra information, albeit a late reply by me, although I've found an ideal candidate since his parents' old house is only c. 10 mins walk from the school.

Any additional information about the following (aside from what's on the CWGC site) would be most welcome: 16312 L/Cpl John Sidney Roberts, 2nd Grenadier Guards, died 15/09/16 and commem. at Thiepval.

[grantowi]

Theres a John Sidney ROBERTS born in Lambeth in 1896, looks like your chap

Lambeth 1D 882 3rd 1896

Hth

Grant

[Dragon]

Hello Richard!

Have a look at what we've put on the Drill Hall site on Maidstone. I also have some archive pictures which I haven't yet put up (eg soldiers in Union street where the drill hall was) and I have larger images of the archive maps. If this is any use I'll be happy to send better images. The modern photos are my own. The drill hall site is now a set of meritless apartments opposite the Rifle Volunteer.

Have you talked to Giles Guthrie in the museum? He's a star and knows loads.

Gwyn

[ian turner]

From Soldiers Died we can add:

L/Cpl John Roberts

16312 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards

Born London, Enlisted Maidstone.

killed in action 15/9/16

Ian

[DirtyDick]

Theres a John Sidney ROBERTS born in Lambeth in 1896, looks like your chap

Lambeth 1D 882 3rd 1896

Hth

Grant

From Soldiers Died we can add:

L/Cpl John Roberts

16312 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards

Born London, Enlisted Maidstone.

killed in action 15/9/16

Ian

Thanks guys, much appreciated. Thought I'd do The Somme with a "human face" approach by picking a local resident casualty. Excellent to have a bit more about him.

Hello Richard!

Have a look at what we've put on the Drill Hall site on Maidstone. I also have some archive pictures which I haven't yet put up (eg soldiers in Union street where the drill hall was) and I have larger images of the archive maps. If this is any use I'll be happy to send better images. The modern photos are my own. The drill hall site is now a set of meritless apartments opposite the Rifle Volunteer.

Have you talked to Giles Guthrie in the museum? He's a star and knows loads.

Gwyn

Hi Gwyn, long time no speak. I trust everything is going fine with you.?

Thanks for the link to your drill hall site and the offer of help - should also be top-notch for using in a lesson on recruitment; thanks again. I've not spoken to Giles, nor yet been to the museum, since I don't actually live in Maidstone, but I wasn't aware of it until now.

[Clive Maier]

You will find a great deal of material on the excellent Kent Fallen website.

[Dragon]

Hi again

My email client has deleted your email address, but if you PM me or email me via the forum, I'll send you some images. You can have them by email or CD for higher res. I should think that the old maps at large scale would be illuminating and the archive photo of Union street has a lot of soldiers milling around, horses, recognisable buildings, etc. The maps are late-ish 19c, late 19c and probably 60s. I didn't find Maidstone library terribly useful for my purposes, but that might just have been the staff on the day.

Giles was extremely helpful to me and very approachable when I've been to the museum. His title is Keeper of Human History.

There are a fair number of extant drill halls within striking distance of Maidstone and I've visited most of them to photograph them for the website. We have archive images of others (Neil Clark kindly sent us Ashford). In particular I have a lot on Faversham, as Arthur Percival of the Faversham Society was generous with his time and resources. It's not easy as neither Graeme nor I live remotely near Kent. Not everything we have is online yet. Time....

Gwyn

[DirtyDick]

Thanks Gwyn - sorry for the very, very, very, very late reply, but thanks for the kind offer of help.

[fremlin]

 

THIRTEEN YEARS LATER !

I have been ploughing through the 133 pages of topics and replies in this forum on Grenadier Guards in order to see if there is anything I have missed in my researches on my Grandad's brothers - he was in the ASC but four of his brothers were in the Grenadiers and two died in the first battle of Ypres in Autumn 1914.

They all (like me) came from Maidstone and were the sons of a former regular (latterly Colour Sergeant) with the West Kents, but when he and their mother died leaving 11 orphans ranging from 22 to one year old the boys followed their father's career choice. I noticed somewhere on the forum that Kent was the county which provided the largest number of Grenadiers.

CQMS George Leswell Richardson (10217) and his younger brother L/Cpl Henry (Harry) George Richardson (15006) were both in the 1st Bn. and died within a few days of each other in October/ November 1914 at or near the Kruissecke crossroads. They are both commemorated on the Menin Gate memorial.

I have photos* and some mementoes, including a letter Harry wrote to his sister on 16th October 1914 a fortnight before his death, and would be happy to share anything, although perhaps Dirty Dick has now retired from the fray of teaching?

Their brother William was also a regular in the Grenadiers and served in Flanders etc. from 1916 to 1918, and ended up as a sergeant in the 1st. Bn., whilst another brother John served 2

years with 1/GG, having  spent most of his career in the Gordon Highlanders and C.M.P.

* I am attaching a close-up from a postcard entitled "Ready to Parade; Guards' Depot, Jan. 1911" - HG Richardson's passing out parade (if that's the right term) 

[FROGSMILE]

Very interesting run down fremlin, thank you for posting.  Eleven orphans bespeaks so many changes in society, from limited opportunity for contraception, health, housing and general welfare for those on lower incomes.  I imagine that the poor mother who died was probably worn out by pregnancies, child rearing and hard physical work. 
It’s also poignant that the two older brothers in the Grenadier Guards died so early in the war, as did so many of the old contemptibles that formed the British Expeditionary Force.

From memory I think that your photo shows Harry in ‘Full Dress - Marching Order’, less haversack, canteen and rifle sling.  See enclosed image for how he looked in colour.  Notice the black leather gaiters worn when in that order of dress.

 

Edited 15 May , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Janet Graves]

On 15/05/2020 at 16:10, fremlin said:

 

THIRTEEN YEARS LATER !

 

I have been ploughing through the 133 pages of topics and replies in this forum on Grenadier Guards in order to see if there is anything I have missed in my researches on my Grandad's brothers - he was in the ASC but four of his brothers were in the Grenadiers and two died in the first battle of Ypres in Autumn 1914.

 

They all (like me) came from Maidstone and were the sons of a former regular (latterly Colour Sergeant) with the West Kents, but when he and their mother died leaving 11 orphans ranging from 22 to one year old the boys followed their father's career choice. I noticed somewhere on the forum that Kent was the county which provided the largest number of Grenadiers.

 

 

CQMS George Leswell Richardson (10217) and his younger brother L/Cpl Henry (Harry) George Richardson (15006) were both in the 1st Bn. and died within a few days of each other in October/ November 1914 at or near the Kruissecke crossroads. They are both commemorated on the Menin Gate memorial.

 

I have photos* and some mementoes, including a letter Harry wrote to his sister on 16th October 1914 a fortnight before his death, and would be happy to share anything, although perhaps Dirty Dick has now retired from the fray of teaching?

 

 

Their brother William was also a regular in the Grenadiers and served in Flanders etc. from 1916 to 1918, and ended up as a sergeant in the 1st. Bn., whilst another brother John served 2

 

years with 1/GG, having  spent most of his career in the Gordon Highlanders and C.M.P.

 

 

* I am attaching a close-up from a postcard entitled "Ready to Parade; Guards' Depot, Jan. 1911" - HG Richardson's passing out parade (if that's the right term) 

@fremlin, I have followed the Mantle side of my family and found the Richardsons, including George Leswell and Henry George Richardson.  I’ve also found a John Richardson who died at home 1917, but I’m not sure yet if it is the same family.  I’m always happy to exchange information.