The community at Benenden School, like so many, have relatives that fought during the First World War. Some survived to return home, others lie in foreign fields that are forever a bit of Britain.
During the Lower Fifth Enquiry Week (a week of lessons set aside to explore different aspects as part of an overarching theme) the girls and staff contributed to the creation of poppies as can be seen in the photographs below, these will be displayed during the Benenden Arts Festival (June 28 to June 30) and through to Speech Day.
On Speech Day these poppies will be available to purchase for a donation to the CCF Charities; Dare to Live and Walking with the Wounded. If you would like to support either of these charities please go to the CCF JustGiving page . All of the names listed below are either related to the school or village community and have a poppy dedicated to them in the display.
Those relatives of members of staff who didn’t survive the fighting during the First World War:
Corporal William Bowler
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
5 November 1918
Corporal Sydney Challoner
9th Bn. South Staffordshire Regiment
24 September 1917
Private William Crook
4th Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment
13 November 1916
Lance Serjeant Malcolm Grant
15th Bn. Royal Irish Rifles
3 January 1917
Corporal Charles Arthur Kedwell
80th Bty. Royal Field Artillery
28 September 1918
Lieutentant Cyril Vaughan Thomas
21st Bty. Royal Field Artillery
18 July 1917
The War Memorial in the village contains the following information according to the Roll of Honour website .
BAIRD
W C
Captain, 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Died 5 November 1914.
BOXALL
C
Corporal, East Surrey Regiment. Died 9 April 1917.
BRIDGLAND
Harry
Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 15 September 1916
BRIDGLAND
Vincent
Private, 2/4th Battalion, Queens Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 4 November 1917
BURT
Archibald
Driver, “C” Battery, 227th Brigade Royal Field Artillery (R.F.A). Died 31 March 1918
BURT
Robert John
Rifleman, 14th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. Died 7 June 1917
RHYMES-COLE, DSO
William Elmer
Captain, 3rd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers. Died 11 November 1914.
CRESSWELL
Albert Sackville
Captain, 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 13 March 1915
COLEY, DCM
Edward
Gunner, 25th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (R.G.A). Died 28 September 1916.
COLEY
Leonard
Private, 11th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died 21 October 1916
COUCHMAN
George Frederick
Private, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Died 21 March 1918.
FOSTER
Alfred
Private, London Regiment, 3rd Battalion Royal Fusiliers. Died 23 March 1918
HARMER
Herbert Edwin
Private, 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment. Died 30 July 1916.
HARMSWORTH, MC
Harold Alfred Vyvyan [St George], The Honourable
Captain, 2nd Battalion, Irish Guards. Died 12 February 1918
HARMSWORTH
Vere Sidney Tudor, The Honourable
Lieutenant, 63rd (Royal Naval Division). Died 13 November 1916
HOARE
Richard Lennard
Captain, 12th (County of London) Battalion, (The Rangers) London Regiment. (T.F.) Died 1 July 1916
HUMPHREY
William [Albert]
Private, 1st Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 26 October 1917.
JENNER
George
Private, 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 9 July 1916
MARSHALL
Francis [John]
Private , 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 July 1916.
MATTHEWS
Benjamin
Private, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Died 16 August 1918.
MATTHEWS
Thomas
Private, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Died 20 August 1916
MOORE
Percy
Corporal, 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 3 May 1917.
PAVEY
Albert Victor
Private, 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 16 January 1916
PAVEY, DCM
[Richard] George
Sergeant, “Y” Section, 29th Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Field Artillery (R.F.A). Died 6 July 1917
PAVEY
[Arthur] Stanley
Private, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died 31 July 1917.
ROFF
William
Private, 8th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 10 August 1917.
RUSSELL
Charles
Private, 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 7 January 1916
TAYLOR
James [Alfred]
Private, 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died 10 May 1917
WATSON
Ernest
Lance Corporal, 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 8 February 1915
WATSON
John
Lance Corporal, Corps of Military Police, (Foot Branch). Died 21 August 1917
WEEKS
George
Private, 6th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 31 November 1917.
WORSLEY
Cyril
Private, 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died 9 March 1917.
Information on the names of those throughout Kent who died during the First World War can be found at the Roll of Honour website or at the Kent Fallen web site